I hired Golden Gate Strings to perform at my wedding ceremony at City Hall. I didn't know what to expecet, but on the day of my wedding, their music put me at ease. Su Buchignani, the leader of the trio, was such a sweet woman. She is very thoughtful and warm person on top of being professional. She would respond to my e-mails promptly and take care of any business that was needed on her end quickly (such as proof of insurance for SF City Hall). She is very organized that her little worksheet helped me figure out how to plan my own ceremony. The best part of my wedding was when my trio started playing of my favorite Coldplay songs: Viva la vida. That just made my day! I highly recommend Golden Gate strings to perform at your special event! read more

In retrospect, I'm honestly quite confused as to why Su and quartet didn't show up to our wedding a few weeks ago in a decked-out tour bus because frankly, she is a ROCKSTAR. I'm no longer sure whether it was actually Guns 'N Roses who wrote Sweet of Child of Mine, or Axl liberally borrowed from a Su Buchignani original. As others have noted, Su and crew are immensely talented. We wanted the ceremony, musically, to have a different feel than cocktails / reception (i.e. "classy" and slightly less Ace of Base; only slightly though) and found Golden Gate Music through some Internet searching. GGM can do everything: they do the entire range from intimate to in-your-face, from Handel to the Black Eyed Peas. Pretty awesome. However, I was most impressed with Su's responsiveness. Most of her responses were within a day (and that's not truly giving her credit...many were within hours) and she was such an easy vendor with whom to work. She was very organized and knew exactly how to move the process forward efficiently and without hassle. In her responses, she even addressed the minor music-related references I would throw in -- a true lover of music, which is obviously appreciated when said person is playing at your wedding. Overall, an absolutely pleasant and stress-free experience. read more

In a certain way I think this was my "favorite" wedding vendor. Let me explain. I loved all of my vendors, but what Golden Gate (and the ever wonderful Su) was able to do for my husband and I was quite special. Not only is Su accessible, detailed, organized, professional, prompt, flexible, talented, kind, warm, open, and helpful with suggestions, this group can play!!! There were several musicians at my wedding as guests and everyone commented on how beautifully GGSQ played all the music, from Pachelbel's Canon to the Beetles to Journey. Oh yes- what Su did for us was make a special arrangement of "Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica. That song has a very special meaning for my husband and I and we wanted to incorporate it into our wedding ceremony. Some other string quartets basically said no or laughed at me when I asked. But Su took it in stride, did research into other string quartet versions of this song and came up with an outstanding rendition and for such a reasonable fee. And in my opinion better than all the other versions that I could find online and elsewhere. You can't go wrong with them. The only thing I wish I did was ask if we could have had that arrangement recorded for us. read more

I can't believe that this fabulous group of musicians doesn't have a greater number of reviews singing their praises! I must say that I'm thankful for the Yelp reviewers who took the time to do so, or else I'd never have stumbled across this gem of a quartet for my wedding. First and foremost, Su Buchignani, the lead member of the group, is a true pleasure to work with. Su is warm, caring, thoughtful, witty, quick to reply to emails, and, above all else, brimming with musical talent (She toured with Bjork's orchestra at one point! How cool is that?). The Golden Gate String Quartet boasts a catalogue sure to please anyone's musical needs and taste -- from classical to contemporary, they've got it covered. My husband and I had a particular Andrew Bird song in mind that we wanted to walk down the aisle to. Su was able to quickly write a custom arrangement of the tune, and we couldn't have been more pleased with how it turned out. Many of our guests mentioned to us how great the music was before and during the ceremony, and throughout the cocktail hour (I only wish I'd gotten the chance to listen to all of it!). And my Mom and Aunt were super excited to hear their favorite Moody Blues song "Knights in White Satin." =) To Su and the rest of the Golden Gate String Quartet: Thank you for contributing to, and truly enhancing, our magical day! read more

Su and her quartet are simply amazing. We worked with Golden Gate Music as the quartet for our wedding this past weekend and everyone loved the music. From her very own arrangement of "Home" for our processional to a fantastic "Game of Thrones Theme Song" for the recessional everything was perfect. Su works with you as a couple to really understand what you want for your wedding and has an extensive repetoire of classical rock music that really set the tone we wanted for our wedding. I highly recommend Su and Golden Gate Music for any event where you want that special touch! read more

Su Buchignani and the Golden Gate String Quartet are amazing! I found them via previous glowing yelper reviews, and quickly learned why everyone loves them. We hired them to play at our outdoor wedding ceremony over Memorial Day weekend and were so pleased with the outcome. Friends and family are still giving us compliments on the music three months later! Su is so helpful, responsive and talented, and she and the group have an amazing repertoire of both traditional and modern music compositions. I walked down the aisle to Billy Joel's "She's Got A Way" which was so perfect and special. We chose other amazing selections from The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Air Supply, U2 and more. I highly recommend Golden Gate String Quartet for your wedding or special event! read more

From the very beginning, Su Buchignani was a delight to work with. She was responsive and wanted to make sure that I got exactly what I wanted for my wedding day. We corresponded several times via email and we also chatted on the phone. Su is warm, thoughtful and incredibly easy to work with. I wanted a mash up of Canon in D with U2 to walk down the aisle to, and Su not only happily agreed, she even wrote the sheet music for it after listening to the sample I sent her. She also had some great recommendations when I couldn't think of songs. After the ceremony, they continued to play for our guests through cocktail hour. We got so many compliments from regarding the music the played. I would highly recommend Su and Golden Gate to anyone who's looking for classy and fun strings for your wedding or other special event! read more

We hired Su and Golden Gate Music for our holiday party and they were fantastic. Working at an ad agency we weren't really looking for classical music...we wanted more of an edge and this quartet definitely brought that to the table, playing us a super fun selection of pop music, holiday music and my special request of hip hop music, given our theme was a sort of ghetto holiday ball. I asked Su if she could possibly learn a couple hip hop songs for us and they were able to play a great version of 2Pac's 'California Love' which really made for some fun times. We even got the Legend of Zelda theme which was a huge hit at the party. All in all, it was a great experience working with Golden Gate Music, collaborating on a setlist and even going out of their way to learn a few special requests for us ahead of time. read more

We hired Su and team for our May 26 wedding, and what a great decision that was. Su was so fabulous to work with leading up to the big day, and she genuinely cared about making it special and getting a feel for who my husband and I are as a couple. She has had a ton of experience with weddings over the years, and we leveraged her expertise, which she generously offered in the form of guidance/suggestions/helpful tips on everything, not just the music (e.g., processional process and styles, etc.) Golden Gate Music offers such a fun and wide-ranging selection of pieces that we had a great time selecting a mixture of classical and pop pieces. Our guests thoroughly enjoyed requesting eclectic pieces for them to play. This quartet is a wonderful addition to any special event! read more

Su and company ROCKED! The Golden Gate String Quartet made our wedding beautiful and there are not enough words to put down on yelp to say how grateful I am to find them and book them for our wedding. The ceremony is the reason everyone shows up for a wedding and it's the most important part to the bride and groom. I love music and wanted to make sure that our processional and recessional music matched my passion. The Golden Gate String Quartet was so amazing and powerful, the entire crowd was moved listening to them play. There sound was full, played to perfection, and it filled the vineyard giving you tingles. They made our wedding so much more special that i can't imagine the day without them. Also they rocked out at the cocktail party, they were playing classic rock hits , modern songs, hell they even did Black Eyed Peas. People were tapping their feet and bobbing their heads without thinking about it they were amazing beginning to end. Lastly Su was surreal, she worked with me throughout the whole experience and was quick to respond, professional, and just a lovely person. She loves what she does and it shows. read more

I hired Golden Gate Strings for my wedding in Fall 2014 in Napa, and they were, simply put, amazing. They have an incredibly extensive and expansive repertoire in both classical music and pop music (they played "Legend of Zelda" and Journey back to back!!!), and their manager, Su, was so fun and nice to work with. The best is that Su and the musicians are so passionate about their music and performance. They really work hard to tailor their playing performance to your specifications, like fun, intimate, formal, etc. I was even able to work with Su to have her write an arrangement of a traditional Chinese song to play during our cocktail hour to surprise my family. She transposed the melody from a Youtube recording, and arranged it for a Western-style string quartet(!!) If you're looking for something special to put your event over the top, Golden Gate Strings is it. read more

We used Golden Gate Music for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour in March, and they were fantastic. Su and her group already have an impressive (and diverse!) repertoire, but they also learned new songs for our ceremony, patiently gave advice when we were deciding between options, and showed up the day of and sounded amazing. When I spoke with Su before the wedding, I immediately felt at ease with her commitment to quality and detail -- an amazing group! read more

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! John was just fantastic. I had arranged a special romantic violin serenade for my beloved and got in touch with Su. She was extremely sweet and quite accomodating given the short notice. John was incredible with the Violin; all the songs I requested were just delivered with such masterpiece perfection. They allowed us to enjoy an experience of a lifetime. Strongly recommed them for your special events, I will sure let all my friends know. read more

I wish I could give Su and Golden Gate Music 1000 stars. They were simply amazing and quite a delight to work with! My now husband and I went to a wedding last year in Healdsburg and we LOVED the music - they played Beatles/Jack Johnson/etc. but on strings! I had never heard anything so beautiful yet not at all boring/stuffy. When we got engaged and started planning our wedding, we knew we needed them at our wedding. Su and I coordinated the details over email. She is a prompt replier and if she cannot reply right away with an answer, she lets you know that she is busy and will reply asap. We had 5 songs composed for our wedding that they hadn't done before and she sent us MIDI files of each one. On the day of our wedding (which was in an outdoor, redwood tree lined venue), the music sounded heavenly. I didn't get to hear much until we were lining up for the processional but it was amazing - I heard a bit of Elton John's "Your Song," Michael Jackson's "I just can't stop loving you," the Beatles "With a little help from my friends" and finally the song I walked in to "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. AMAZING. I cannot say enough how amazing Su and the group was. They stayed and played for FOUR HOURS which I know is taxing. They even moved locations 3 times. Some of our guests requested songs and Su happily obliged. I cannot be happier with how things turned out. I hope someone else I know gets married and hires Su just so I can hear them again!!!!!! read more

The Golden Gate Trio, headed up by Su, played for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour at Beltane Ranch in Sonoma in August 2013. Our wedding was a destination wedding, so I had to plan everything remotely, but Su made the live music part of the planning very easy. She is a pleasure to work with, extremely responsive and you can tell she really knows what she is doing. She made great suggestions for the ceremony songs without being pushy in any way. The trio's repertoire is very large, and spans everything from classical music to recent pop songs. To top it off, they showed up early and perfectly dressed for the occasion. I did not meet Su until the wedding but I never had any stress about her and the trio doing it right, which was a huge relief in the planning process. Most importantly, this trio the most polished, experienced, professional group of musicians we encountered in our search and were well worth their reasonable price. We listened to quite a few string groups when trying to pick out our live music (some much more experienced than others), and this group easily blew the others out of the water. We actually gave the final decision on the music to a family member who is a band director, and upon listening to recordings from a few groups, he said this quartet/trio was far and away the best. Overall, I was sorry I did not get to hear more the music because I was busy with pictures and talking, but our guests raved about how beautiful it was and how the trio's selections were perfect for the venue and crowd. While we were getting ready, I did not realize that it was time for the trio to start playing and I actually thought someone had turned on a recording! I would highly recommend Su and her team if you are looking for any kind of live strings at your wedding or event. read more

We are so happy we found Su and Golden Gate Music for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. Su was so responsive and helpful for the whole process. We wanted some non-traditional classical music for our ceremony, and Su offered suggestions and advice that ultimately led us to unique songs that we'll associate with our wedding forever. Her trio sounded fantastic and was so attentive to the timing of the ceremony. They added such a special touch to our cocktail hour, and all of our guests loved the music. Definitely reach out to Su if you're considering strings for your wedding! read more

Golden Gate Music recently provided the music for our August 1 wedding ceremony & cocktail reception and they were amazing. Having a full Catholic wedding mass, it was difficult to find musicians who were familiar and willing to perform. We were so lucky to find Golden Gate Music! Su & team provided just the right note of class & elegance for our ceremony and then kicked it up a notch with fun popular songs at the cocktail hour. Our guests loved the simplicity & elegance of the ceremony....and then had fun guessing which popular song they would play next during cocktails! Their range of music is immense. If I could give them greater than five stars, I would.....solely because working with Su was an absolute dream. Her quick responsiveness to emails, her guidance on appropriate song selection for the feelings we wanted to convey, and most importantly her sheer enthusiasm through the process made our planning so much easier.....and even fun! Golden Gate Music provided the perfect touch to an already perfect day. read more

Golden Gate String Quartet provided the music for our wedding ceremony and reception. Working with Su was a delight. She is very professional, organized, helpful, and an amazing musician to boot! She really put our minds at ease. We were pleased with all members of the quartet and will keep them in mind for referrals and future music needs. read more

We had Golden Gate String Quartet do the music for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour and they were fantastic. For the ceremony, they had a wide range of songs to choose from. We chose more contemporary pieces and they learned one new song at our request. The guests loved the arrangements. They chose the songs for the cocktail hour and it was perfect for our setting. read more

Ceremony music was of paramount importance for us considering my families musical background. My mother was trained as a concert pianist and has taught students piano her entire life, and my father was his university's orchestra conductor. I grew up with classical music in my house and wanted this to be a tribute to my parents. Su Buchignani and her team at Golden Gate Music knocked it out of the park. The trio all regularly perform for the San Francisco Opera and are all consummate professionals. And Su makes sure that all the music is just right for the entire event, keeping in close contact with you and guiding you through the entire process. They have Jazz singers and other options so if you need any music, just ask. We had them play Elvis and the Beatles for the tea ceremony because it was my wife's mother favorite. read more

I booked Su and her string quartet for our wedding at City Hall and I could not have been happier. Su was everything you want in a vendor - friendly, professional, and easy to work with. The music itself was beautiful and they have an incredible song list! Would book again without hesitation. read more

I booked Golden Gate Music after they were reccomended by my DJ. Although I never met with Su in person and didnt get to meet Su at the wedding the personalized attention my wedding received was top notch including reccomendations on songs choices. I only got to hear their music during the ceremony but the quartet was the perfect addition to the day. From 80's - Modern music during guests arriving to 20s/30s/40s duringt cocktail hour and a mix for the ceremony I had plenty of song choices to help create the vibe I wanted for my wedding. I just wish I could go back and be a guest to enjoy all of it. Thank you Su and team for being a wonderful addition to my big day. read more