Weddings

Planning your wedding is an act of love, optimism, and vision. After planning wedding music, singing and playing for more than 25 weddings, I know you want your wedding to be a triumphant and personal expression of your hopes for the future and your commitment to your relationship. I understand that it involves a blending of wedding traditions from your culture(s) with original ideas that speak to the uniqueness of each prospective bride and groom.

I’m an expert in planning and performing the music for weddings and wedding receptions

If you want to design an experience that you, your friends and family will always remember, keep in mind that there are few things that make more of a difference in the beauty, emotion and spirit of a wedding than the music you choose and include in your celebrations.

Making the music for a wedding is a privilege and joy, an occasion like no other. It has to be right; I want to make it perfect for the happy couple. As a musician it’s SO fulfilling to know that the music sets the mood for the entire service.

My goal is to help you design the music for your wedding in a way that makes you happy, fulfills your vision, and works with your budget.

I can write an original song for your wedding, something no one else has ever heard before

If you’d like something so special that it’s literally something completely fresh, something that no one else has ever heard, I can write an original song for you. As a songwriter, nothing could please me more.  I’ve written and recorded many of my own songs and have always loved writing for a specific occasion. Just ask about this when you request your Free Consultation.

I Cherish Every Wedding I’ve Been a Part of

So many brides and grooms have shared their appreciation and kind words throughout the years.

Beth flew to Dallas, Texas to sing at my wedding. She has an amazing voice and is a consummate professional.  In planning the music for our wedding, Beth worked closely with the string quartet and other vocalists. She was very detail oriented and made sure the harmony was precise. Beth also gave me voice lessons at her studio!

Sandra. S.
married December 30, 2020

Beth Menkel (Dean)’s performance at my daughter and son-in-law’s wedding was outstanding! She not only played the piano beautifully but sang beautifully as well. She is truly a lovely person, inside and out, and helped to make their special day even more special by being a part of it! I’m now looking for other venues where my husband and I can find her singing so we can enjoy her talent again. I highly recommend her.

Jill (mother of the bride)
married March 2, 2013

Beth is FANTASTIC! She provided music for my ceremony and reception. Her voice is unbelievable (think Norah Jones). She worked with me to help me choose music for the ceremony and the reception. She even learned my requested song for my father-daughter dance. Beth is very professional and is one of Lexington’s most talented vocalists and pianists. I strongly recommend her for both classical ceremony music and for those who want a classy reception experience (i.e. wanting to avoid having a cheesy DJ at your reception).

Jennifer
married April 2, 2011

I was lucky enough to find Beth through many web searches and follow-up interviews. She is simply great to work with, very responsive — with is really big in my book — and very professional.  Beth is very reasonable on price and plays the piano beautifully, not to mention she even rehearsed with my cousins as they had duets in our wedding, one a singer, one a violin player. Beth is great at steering things in the right direction while being attentive to all our desires for the ceremony. I would recommend her without reservation. Thank you, Beth!

Michael
married May 29, 2010

A wedding is often a “Dream Come True” day, and you pray that it goes perfectly and is very special. Well, when Jim and I married, it was indeed perfect and special. And one of the main reasons was that Beth Dean did our music. She has a truly angelic, yet powerful voice and captivated all in attendance. Her piano accompaniment was incredible as well. All great performances take preparation, and Beth was always available and helpful in choosing our music and the placement in our ceremony. Through it all, she endeared herself to us so much that we are now blessed to call her a friend.

Tracey A.
married October 25, 2003

Arrange for Beth to Sing or Play at YOUR Wedding

“I can play and sing any style of music and tailor it to your preferences. I understand fully that not everyone wants the same generic music! I’ll meet with you for an hour and talk about your style, the music you like, and what the wedding will look like. Then, we pick songs that will work best for your wedding.

“I especially love it when I get to plan the music for an entire ceremony and reception and pick the songs that fit each part of the day.

“I can also play and sing for the reception and have access to other excellent musicians if you would like to have a trio, quartet, or larger band for your reception. We can play dance music or jazz, whichever you prefer.”

~ Beth Dean

I’ve learned to be ready for ANYTHING!

It’s always part of my job to contribute beauty, romance, and lots of professional experience. Sometimes unexpected things happen and we all work together to make the best of it!   Here are a few wedding stories:

Stay away from that candle!

On one occasion, as the ceremony was in progress, one of the bridesmaids unknowingly inched closer and closer to a candle flame, which I noticed as I was playing piano. She was vulnerable to catching on fire!  Of course I didn’t want to disturb the ceremony, but she was so close to that flame that I had to yell over the top of the piano as discreetly as I could:  “Move away from the candle flame!”

Where are my gloves?

A few years ago, I played an outdoor wedding at a Lexington area winery. It was the end of May, but unexpectedly the temperature dropped into the 30s! I wanted so much to help as I watched the bride stand shivering in the cold wind! I sang the song they had chosen and played the keyboard with gloves on!

A horse and buggy problem

At another winery wedding, a huge one at Talon Winery, the bride hired the full band for the entire wedding, held outside in July. All of the power for the ceremony was run from the house on the property to a gazebo sitting way up on a hill. This meant that the power for the band was dependent on that ONE cable running up the hill to the gazebo. The bride rode into the ceremony in a horse and buggy as we all played the song she had chosen. As the carriage approached the ceremony, it rolled over our power cord! The band was SO in sync, that when the power went off for what seemed like FOREVER (it was probably about 30 seconds), when the power came back on, we were ALL playing exactly together! It was hilarious. We were all taking a deep breath and praying we were together!

In each case everything turned out beautifully despite the challenges and, most importantly, the lucky couples were married, celebrated, and launched into their new lives together!