Second only to my groom and our family and friends, The Don Cagen Orchestra was the highlight of our entire wedding! I have so many positive things to say that I will just go in chronological order. First, contacting and booking with them was easy and they were really flexible with all of our ideas and needs. They were professional and personable from beginning to end. When it came to the planning process, Becky was available via email and phone and she really helped me make creative musical decisions that turned out perfectly. THE BIG DAY I will admit I was a little bit of a nervous wreck but as we arrived to the venue, Becky approached me and it just made all of my nerves go away because I knew that if everything else goes wrong I KNOW that at least the music would be right and that was so important to my husband and I. Chitarra played the violin and cello at our ceremony and even accompanied my sister during her musical offering which was a well known song in a different arrangement. They continued the beautiful music into cocktail hour. We requested modern, upbeat music and they nailed it because the ambiance was just perfect. Don rocked out one of my favorite songs on the trumpet for our introductions and their song choices for dinner and dancing could not have been more perfect for us. I feel like they totally understand our taste and didn't need much direction with that which eliminated a lot of unnecessary stress from the whole process. Overall, the Don Cagen Orchestra was my favorite part of our wedding and it also happened to be the least stressful and most fun part of it too. They are so versatile and they sound AMAZING! I highly recommend working with them for your wedding. Thank you, Don and Becky! read more

Cagen Music put on an epic performance at our wedding. They are extremely talented, bring tons of energy, and did not take any breaks. The dance floor was packed all night. Highly recommend! read more

Big Beat is an extremely talented and professional band who helped make our wedding a success. From our first phone call to the event, Becky Cagen was a pleasure to work with and helped bring confidence and ease. From the vocalists to the drummer, we were utterly impressed how talented the musicians in Big Beat are. We were floored by the quality of the set list and we danced truly all night. After the wedding, numerous people told us it was the best band that they had ever heard at a wedding and we could not agree more! Thank you Big Beat! read more

BE CAREFUL... This is a mixed review because we had a large event that required TWO musical groups to be engaged by Cagen Music upon our behalf. One group was an "orchestra" of sorts that played the main party/dinner music for the wedding. This was no cheap affair. The venue was the Empire Room of the Palmer House and it also included a couple of their other rooms at various stages. The "orchestra" for dinner/dancing was pretty good and played all kinds of things. It turned out that the original group that Don Cagen showed us in his video recording wasn't the same group that showed up to our wedding. The lead singer was different, along with some of the other band members. But with that said, they still were pretty good. It just was very unprofessional for Cagan Music to do that "bait and switch" with the personnel. If that was the worst of it, we still would have been pretty happy. The unforgivable thing was that the string quartet that they used DID NOT KNOW THE MUSIC. Don assured us that they were professionals and that this piece of music was a "piece of cake" for them. They showed up thinking that they would "wing it" but couldn't. It was a VERY IMPORTANT PIECE, THE WEDDING MARCH. We requested a classical piece for the wedding procession, but not the usual one most people are used to hearing. (But still a common enough classical piece nonetheless) THEY CHOKED... They couldn't play it!!!! They played about 8-10 measures and then kept repeating that same 8-10 measures, over and over because they obviously never played it before. That's the kind of thing that "professionals" get booed off the stage for. They were a joke. We got worse than "wedding band" performance in that regard. Here's our advice to those of you considering Cagan Music: #1. Make sure that the group that Cagan puts together for you knows of, and actually has the ability to play the musical piece that you're requesting. Then request to have them play it for you. Don't let them brush off your request for them to "prove it." They aren't good for their word in that regard. It's your money and there's no need to put up with amateurs. #2. If you're interested in choosing a group of musicians from Cagan because of the talents of one or more specific individuals that seem to attract your attention, MAKE SURE that Cagan can actually deliver those specific individuals on the day of your event. Don't get caught by their "bait and switch" routine, operating sort of like a temporary help agency. Maybe we're being too hard on this WEDDING BAND??? No, we think not. Those two issues are paramount and their lack of professionalism in that regard is inexcusable. Also, Cagan Music basically didn't care what we had to say afterward. By the time that we got back from the honeymoon our check had cleared and that's all they cared about. BE CAREFUL. read more

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Don took all of our many ideas and pulled them all together into a magical and unforgettable set of performances: First, for the ceremony, a string quartet played classical selections including our walk-down-the-aisle song - so elegant! Then, for the cocktail hour, a guest pianist played some fun and lively cocktail music. And finally, for the reception, a five piece band plus vocalist Becky, played elegant and gorgeous jazz, lounge, and a few show stopping numbers which could not have been better in any way. Every moment stunned our friends and family...Thank You Don, Becky, and everyone at Cagen Music!! read more

Cagen Music - Howard Sitron plays along with the amazing Don Cagen. - Wedding Planning Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

The Cagens put their clients first, period. We experienced this from start to finish when working with them for our wedding. They truly listened to us in all of our conversations about a year in advance of the big day and implemented the most special touches that really stood out to us and made our day even more memorable. Not only are they incredibly talented in their own knowledge and expertise of music, but they also hire and contract equally as talented musicians to ensure your music selection sounds the very best it can. To take it an even bigger step further, Becky went out of her way for me to help me surprise my husband with a bagpipe precessional at our ceremony and ensured the surprise went off without a glitch. She worked with out church and planner behind the scenes and left me with 0 worry day of that this was going to be an epic moment. Oh, and it was! Also, trust me when I say this... get the violins, absolutely worth it. Hearing Hotel California on a trio of violins during dinner at our wedding had me shook. Lastly, who doesn't love people gushing to them about their wedding after the big event? Your guests are guaranteed to have the best time at the wedding with the Cagens there to entertain, and they will without a doubt be raving to you for months and years to follow about your amazing band (it's currently happening to me right now). Obviously, the Cagens are the best band you could hire for your wedding, but they are also some of the best people you could get to know through your wedding planning process. We love the Cagens and know you will, too! For context: our wedding was downtown Chicago in Sept 2021. read more

Don and Becky were INCREDIBLE! Our wedding was truly perfect because of them. The read the crowd and everyone was dancing the entire night. Throughout the whole year of working with them, they truly got to know us and wanted to make sure that the night was perfect for us. They were flexible and accommodating whenever we needed something, and we loved working with them. Thank you for making our wedding day amazing and perfect! read more

Larry Eckerling and his band "Big Beat" performed at my daughter's wedding this past Sunday 11/12/17. It was incredible. We had requested a band who could play varied styles focusing on swing and ethnic wedding music. There was a seamless shift between genres. Larry and I worked together over more than a year planning the event. And while he made suggestions and offered advice when asked he was NEVER pushy. We ended up with a large ensemble to get the sound we wanted. We added a trombone at the last minute but it was so worth it. So many people came up to me during the reception and told me it was by far the best dance band they had ever heard. I'm only sorry it's over because I will miss my chats with Larry. He is the real deal!!! read more

We hired the Don Cagen Orchestra for our New Year's Eve wedding and even with our high expectations, they managed to exceed them! When you ask friends and family to spend New Year's Eve with you, the stakes are high, but we heard from so many of our guests that it was the best one they've ever had. The dance floor was overflowing until 1am when we were forced by the venue to shut it down. They have been playing together so long that they prefer not to have a strict set list, but to "read the room" as they know what will get the party going and when. My advice is to trust them and just let them know what songs not to play, along with a few must haves, but leave the rest up to Don. In addition to our reception music, Don put together an amazing arrangement with just himself and a guitarist for a very intimate and romantic evening ceremony. He and his wife Becky take their music and their role in your wedding very seriously and put everything they have into their performances. I would highly recommend Cagen Music. read more

My husband and I never planned to hire live musicians for our wedding, however after attending a bridal fair and seeing/hearing Chitarra (Cagen Music), I knew we had to book them. Working with Becky was great, and she was even able to accommodate my request to have a custom song played while my sister in law sang, even though this request came only 5 days before the wedding and the musicians would have to learn the score. They were the highlight of the ceremony, aside from the bride and groom, of course. read more

The musicians were great to work with and did a fabulous job. We did a package with CagenMusic that allowed for us to have a jazz trio during the ceremony and cocktail hour and a DJ for the reception thereafter. They showed up early, they were professional, and they played great music-- we couldn't ask for more! The DJ really listened to what we wanted (and didn't want) and he checked in with us throughout the reception to make sure everything was to our liking. He was so nice! Our only complaint was that administrative process was a bit unorganized in the month leading up to the wedding. While they were very kind throughout the process, I would recommend being the one to reach out if you have questions. Overall, a great experience! read more

There are very few times I can say I'm blown away!!! Omg !!! Cagen music did the most amazing job coordinating all the music for my wedding. No one stopped dancing . Incognito played during the reception, the cover girls did a live performance that had guests at the edge of their seats. Good vibes hit a home run during cocktail hour with the vibraphone!!! Wow is all I can say!!! You would be nuts not to work with them. Words can't describe how amazing and professional Cagen is. Thank you for making my wedding better then I could have ever imagined!!! Xoxo read more

Becky and Don are like family to us! We Durkin's LOVE the Cagen's. We had the pleasure of having Don and Becky's amazing orchestra play my sister's wedding 5 years ago. So when I got engaged, it was no question I was calling Becky to ask if she could play my wedding. The stars aligned and Don, Becky, and the entire orchestra were in! The Cagen's do not disappoint. Becky has pipes of an angel and I feel like every moment I turned around at my wedding, Don was playing another instrument. What a truly talented musician! Just like at my sister's wedding, guests were coming up to Shane and me at mine begging to know where we found the orchestra. I explained the beauty that they played my sister's wedding many moons ago, and they became family to us over the years. That just shows how genuine and caring the Cagens are they CARE! And they want your wedding to be spectral and the way YOU want it. They know exactly how to make a party go from being simply a celebration to a night that will go down in history forever. They did that for Shane and I! Friends and family are still talking about how they wished we do the party all over again just to see the Don Cagen Orchestra play once again. (Don't worry-they will be at the next Durkin wedding for sure!) Lastly, this is one thing I want to note. I surprised my husband by getting on stage and playing the drums with the band. The drummer, John, kindly let me jump on his kit and play my heart out. I played "Uptown Funk" and I have to say, the band and I took the room by storm. It was the first time I ever played with a band and I felt as if I was on cloud nine. They made my dreams come true and my husband realized how badass of chick he was marrying. Best surprise ever! Thank you Becky and Don Love, The Durkin's and now the O'Mara's :) read more

Cagen Music was the most incredible decision for us! We got married at the beautiful Blackstone Hotel, downtown Chicago, in September and had heard wonderful things about this band. We went to meet Don almost a year before the wedding and he played us some of their music via cd and we were blown away. Well, we were even more blown away the night of our wedding. They are the best band we have ever heard live. So professional, they work the crowd, know all the right beats to get the entire room on the dance floor all night long. The party did not stop! Becky and Don are so professional to work with every step of the way. I am Australian (my husband is American) and I requested a Men at Work song to be played and Don made it happen on the night. It was a huge hit and everything was SO memorable. They are worth every cent. You can't beat a live band but especially the Cagen's! read more

When you meet with Don Cagen, the first thing he will tell you is that he WILL keep your guests on the dance floor. And he will. I am a musician, and I can attest to the Don Cagen Orchestra's technical skill. More than that, Don knows how to "read the room" and will pick just the right music for your guests. He and Becky are also very easy to work with in planning for your event. As it turns out, we had some unusual circumstances come up during our daughter's wedding reception that required several last minute rearrangements of our program. Don worked with us on the fly to make all this imperceptible to our guests. I would call Cagen Music without hesitation in the future. read more

Don & Becky are quite simply the best at what they do. Our wedding was so much fun, and we owe it all to the music! All our guests were up on the dance floor from the very first moment right up until the last. They couldn't be nicer to work with, offered lots of very helpful suggestions, and were totally flexible about meeting our requests. They did my sister's wedding seven years ago, and I was blown away! They play such a wide range of music, and are so tuned into the mood of the room throughout the course of the event, that they play all the right songs at the right times. I didn't hesitate in choosing them for my own celebration this summer, and I couldnt be happier about the decision. Wedding planning can be a nightmare, but the one piece that was effortless was dealing with our band! I really just cannot say enough about them! Best decision you'll make! read more

Becky & Don Cagen were great! We initially were only going to do a dj but decided that our venue needed the elegance of a band for entertainment. They are very professional & flexible with planning song selections for our wedding. We wanted 2 songs that were not on their list for our first dance & combined mother/son, father/daughter dance and they accommodated our request one week out from our wedding. They recommended having a greek band they work with to come cover that portion of dancing but we already had our dj working on that portion of the dancing. They have a "no problem" attitude to all things music related. They recommended hiring their violinists but it was out of our budget so they included the violinists at no extra charge to us. They provided our cocktail music & dancing from 9-12am. They were great at keeping the guests entertained & dancing throughout the entire the night. read more

I heard the Don Cagen Orchestra at a friend's wedding and knew immediately I would hire them if I ever got married! They kept the dance floor packed all night long, playing high energy hits and mixing the music and the dinner in a seamless, fun way. When we called Becky Cagen to arrange music for our own wedding, she was prompt and professional in every interaction. She helped us arrange Orchestra Chicago (smaller and therefore a bit more affordable than the Don Cagen Orchestra) for our wedding, and I knew without even hearing them that they would be great, that's how much I trusted Becky. Sure enough, the music was unbeatable. They created a mix of music that was perfect for our tastes (heavy on the Beatles and Al Green, light on Justin Timberlake) and kept the flow of the evening running smoothly. Their services are not cheap, but you get what you pay for: quality. Two thumbs up. read more