Special Request
Love Notes
I wanted to tell you thank you for everything. Everyone keeps asking me and my family "who was that band", "they were the best band ever!!!!"and I could not agree more. You were FANTASTIC. I appreciate you being so nice and helpful to me and working with us when we were the least organized people I know. I met your husband, he is such a great guy.
I will mention you guys to everyone. You are all so incredibly talented. The whole Youngstown/Columbus area has never had a band like yours and they were blown away.
You guys are fantastic. I never worried about the music from the moment I met Darla.
I literally had the PERFECT wedding day.
Love,
Dr. Mandy Caparso
Bride
The band could not have done any better. We were all thrilled!
Michael Caparso
Father of the Bride
You guys are absolutely the best! What a great night and a great performance. Thank you for accommodating us...we had a mob around LeBron and needed to get the music cranked. Appreciate you working with us on that!
The music was perfect and everyone has commented on what a great night it was!
Thank you for helping SUMMA and the Women's Health Center!
Julia Bianchi
Dear Darla and John,
I want to personally thank you for providing a wonderful musical backdrop to this year's Summa Foundation Sapphire Ball.
As a new employee, your professionalism, experience and customer service elevated my comfort level enormously, for which I am most appreciative.
It was a pleasure meeting both of you and certainly look forward to working with you in the future.
Thank you for everything,
Sincerely,
Diane Bray
Donor Relations Coordinator
Thank you! We have heard so many great compliments ...in regards to the band!
Sarah Houser
Assistant Director of Development - Special Events
Dear Darla and John,
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you. Your wonderful band provided the perfect music for our daughter's wedding. Jim and I have the distinction of knowing the talent and diversity provided by Special Request from the number of functions we have attended through the years. When I first heard you I turned to Jim and said 'when Molly get's married, this has to be the band!' And the surprising thing was, I could afford you! Why you don't charge double, I will never know.
John was the perfect emcee - he took charge of the evening and everything flowed beautifully. And you certainly lived up to your name. You met all of our 'special requests' and you exceeded all of our expectations. The dance floor was filled to capacity, even to the last song.
Darla, special hugs to you. Thank you for singing so beautifully for Molly and her Dad to dance to. We all had tears in our eyes.
You were a pleasure to work with from our initial contact, follow-up communications, and up to the special day. I have recommended your beautiful talents to friends and family and would not hesitate to request your services again.
Again, on behalf of Jim and myself and especially our daughter Molly, Thank you.
Sincerely
Elaine Psarras
When I first learned of you fee for the wedding, I thought it was high. Their performance was worth every cent.
My husband and I expected a good performance from...Special Request. They delivered a GREAT performance. We were thrilled!
Linda Strong
Mother of the Bride
...continue to emphasize the personalized experience that each client will receive from start to finish.
So many people told us what a fabulous reception we had. I directly attribute that to the atmosphere set by John, Darla and the whole Special Request team. Thanks for everything!
Joe Lowry
Groom
As always, a wonderful concert.
Holly Passalacqua
Assistant Executive Director (Chagrin Falls Summer Concert in the Park)
You all were every bit as good as you were when I booked you over twenty years ago. You are the 'Best'!
Russ Scarvelli
Father of the Bride
You guys were fantastic! The most fun we ever had on the dance floor. You set the tone for a fabulous night!
Christian and Tricia Taske
Bride and Groom
Darla,
We will recommend you to anyone & everyone! Thank you!
Valerie Vavruska
Mother of the Bride
Thanks so much. A good time was had by all!
Wendy Shapiro
Mother of the Bride
This is our second time around as presidents. The compliments we received referencing your performance was overwhelming. The dancers wished we could have you at all the dances!
Thank you & we will be in touch for next year
Doug Zimmerman
President, Q.U.A.D. Annual Dance Club
Great performance & music selection. Everyone was raving after the event!
Cheryl Eckley
Med Staff Supervisor
Dear Darla and John,
We wanted to thank you and the rest of the band for doing such a wonderful job at our wedding! We had the best time and you helped contribute to the amazing evening.
First of all, the band did a great job learning the music for our first dance. Although we could not find any sheet music for the song, you went above and beyond to learn the song by listening to it. We really appreciated the extra effort. You sounded amazing and it was exactly what he hoped for! Thank you for making it happen!
You also performed the traditional Jewish songs perfectly with an unbelievable amount of energy. As we requested, the Jewish dancing lasted for quite a long time. You never seemed to tire! It was great. That actually goes for the entire evening. You all had so much energy and sounded so incredible. Everyone was raving about how great you sounded and how much fun you seemed to be having!
Finally, thank you both for being so flexible and easy to work with during the whole wedding planning process. You are both true professionals. We were confident that once you were onboard for the wedding, that we never had to worry about this main part of the evening again. We were right. Thanks for helping make everything run so smoothly!
Thank you so much!
Jon and Danielle Eisenberg
Dear John, Darla & Special Request,
We wanted to thank you again for putting on such an incredible show at our wedding on May 31st! It was the best day of our lives and you guys were amazing! We told you what was important to us was to have a great party and get people dancing. You played with energy and enthusiasm through the night. Everyone we have spoken with raved about the music selection and the quality. We loved singing along with you to "New York, New York" at the end of the night.
On a more sentimental note, we appreciate so much that you learned "Making Memories of Us" and "I Loved Her First". Both of these songs meant alot to us.
You guys were everything we could have hoped for on our wedding day and SO MUCH MORE.
All our love,
Sam and Jennifer Taylor
Best band ever!!! Everyone had a great time because of the fabulous band!! They were amazing and we had tons of compliments.
Caren Wishnek
Mother of the Bride
Thank you again for another entertaining year. It's always a pleasure to have Special Request play. Journey was a wonderful surprise!
Lauren Boveington
Events Coordinator
You were fantastic!
Stella Dillik
Director
Thank you so much for another great event!
Lauren Smith
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Thank you so much for making our wedding so special. Your company is amazing and we will recommend you to everyone!
Megan Gallagher
Bride
WOW! You made our celebration a real party! You're the Best!
Tom and Sue Trimbur
Parents of the Bride
Dear Darla & John,
WOW! From the moment we booked Special Request a year ago until the last note played at our daughter Danielle's wedding on Saturday, your group was a dream to work with.
You all treated us with the utmost respect, kindness and understanding. We had some "special requests" and you live up to your name. Never could I imagine how you would be able to blend the Klezmer musicians with your own.
Everyone has been calling and raving about the band. It was so much fun having you be a part of our celebration!
Thank you again for everything. You are all the best!
Nanci and Earl Stein
Dear John & Darla,
Thank you SO much for helping make our special night so wonderful! Adam and I were very pleased with the selection and how you were able to perform the wedding dance song we requested. The energy and excitement and celebration was palpable and Special Request set that tone!
...and now that the "transaction" is complete, I can tell you - Charge MORE - you guys are worth it!
Again, Adam and I so appreciate what you added to our very special night.
Fondly,
The Zangerles, Claire and Adam
Dear John & Darla,
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!
You all made our wedding a huge success! Everyone commented on how much FUN it was!
Nancy Osborne
Mother of the Bride
The music was Wonderful. Everyone at the wedding commented about how wonderful the band was. We had lots of fun. It was perfect!
Judy Thomas
We are still getting compliments on the band weeks after our wedding!
Lisa Dregella
Dear Darla and John,
Thank you for providing the fabulous entertainment for Morgan and Kevin's wedding. Everyone had a great time listening and dancing to the sounds of Special Request. The band's energy was contagious. My guests enjoyed the singer's attention when they joined us on the dance floor. Lot's of fun!
The Brass Quintet (University Brass Quintet) was also very enjoyable.
Thanks again for making Morgan and Kevin's wedding day so special. It has been fun working with you both. I will keep you in mind for future events.
Sincerely,
Lisa McKenna
We were very pleased with "Special Request".
Council Woman Pat Edington
Thank you for a great evening! I've already had two calls!
Holly Passalacqua
Dear Darla and John + ALL the band members,
You were all fabulous! This was my one and only chance to really throw a big party & the band was perfect! I just can't say enough about how wonderful Special Request was. 100% of our guests complimented me on the band. They MADE the party a success. -- even my older cousins were dancing -- I've never seen THAT before!!! :)
John was GREAT & went the extra mile & did an excellent job with the "traditional toast" we requested of him! And, John, thanks for your extra help in the Plate event. It came off perfectly! Kurt & Petra were very pleased!
We are just so PLEASED with the Kentland String Trio and Special Request. We couldn't have asked for anything more. Too bad I only have one child; Maybe you could play at the Christening!?
Job well done. I will suggest Special Request to anyone I know that is planning a wedding or any special event.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Sincerely, Marcia Fromknecht, Mother of the Groom
Great Band, brought a lot of energy. They were very talented and handled themselves in the most professional manner.
Many, many compliments from our members throughout the night. A very class act all the way around.
Thank you.
Marc Dallas, Club Manager, Cleveland Yachting Club
Darla and John,
Thank you so very, very, very much for an outstanding evening on June 6. Everyone absolutely LOVED your performance! I got tons and tons of compliments for choosing your band (and I of course took full credit!).
Again, thank you for everything. Keep doing what you're doing!
Laura Tripepi, GME Manager
Thank you again for working with us on our song list! We simply had a blast. Everyone raved about your band. Thank you for also learning our songs on such short notice. Your group is a class act!
Darla and John came to my parents home and were fabulous. Everyone wants us to renew our vows because of the party you helped us throw.
Dr. Samuel Taylor and Jennifer Taylor
Dear John and Darla,
We got your thank you note today. I was just getting ready to write YOU a thank you. Bob and I enjoyed talking to you in our home before the wedding for Jennifer and Sam. We've seen a lot of bands through the years but yours is one of the best. They way you organized everything. John, your announcing was great & Darla we saw you in the crowd with the mic. What fun that was. You all kept that dance floor "hoppin". Our 88 yr old Aunt that came from Florida hadn't danced for 34 yrs & got up to dance. Yes, young and old.
We so enjoyed the fact that your band learned the song "I Loved Her First" for my husband Bob and daughter Jennifer to dance to instead of using a CD. That really touched our hearts.!!
Keep on doing what you did for this wedding. We had MANY people RAVING about Special Request!
THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
Jill Baker, Mother of the Bride
We were extremely happy with your band. You sound better in person than your DVD.
Dorothy Schwebel, Mother of the Bride
You guys are the best!
Darlene Lyons, Ohio Valley Society
Everything was great!
Amanda Filkill, Employee Relations Specialist
Thank you so much for everything. Everyone loved the band Special Request. You did a great job playing for Frankie Avalon.
Perfect!! Thank you!
Christine Slomberg
Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital
Thanks for making our event a success. John went the extra mile to visit us and tailor your music to our needs. I can't believe how versatile your group is. Thanks for a great job!
Randy Balaj
Q.U.A.D. Dance Club
Darla and John,
Great job, as always. Nice to work with you again.
Michelle Banks
Wonderful music which made the evening fun for all!
Maxine Frutkin
Mother of the Bride
Once again, another great year! Thanks again for being so entertaining.
Lauren Boveington
Events Coordinator
Very fun filled night!
Lynn A. Lazzaro
Commodore, Cleveland Yachting Club
Dear Darla,
WOW! Some of our guests commented that you and the other vocalists sounded better than the original recording artists! Thanks so much for helping make our daughter's reception a success.
Sincerely,
Evelyn and Jim
Parents of the Bride
Thanks for a great evening. Love all the band members.
- Belinda Jackson, Maureen Walter
Thank you so much for everything. You were wonderful and I got so many compliments on your work
- Mrs. Margaret Male
Bride
Dear Darla and John,
Just wanted to let you know how thrilled we were with the performance you made at Andy and Maggie's reception. What a fun night you provided for all our guests! I don't think anyone could have danced more. The music was perfect and wonderful!
You were all a dream to work with and made our wedding reception a gigantic success. Look forward to working together sometime in the future.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Cathy & Jeff Male
Parents of the Groom
I cannot begin to tell you how many compliments we've received about how fantastic the band was. You made our reception a great party.
Thanks for everything!
- Emily Newhouse Dillingham
Bride
Everyone is still raving about Special Request! You all absolutely made the night. We can't thank you enough!
- Jancie Newhouse
Mother of the Bride
The band was wonderful - we would love to have them at any party we have! Thanks again for all the hard work.
You were AWESOME - Don't change a thing!!
- Brooke and Jeffrey DeJulia
Bride and Groom
Your services were amazing!! They were EVERYTHING I expected and more - I have already given out your name to many at the wedding - send me cards!!
You made our day absolutely perfect!!
Thank you,
- Marilyn and David Binko
Parents of the Bride
You're Great!....don't change a thing!
- Darci Spilman
Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce
Don't change a thing!
I will happily refer you to "friends in need."
From my initial contact to the big day and right to the lovely note you sent - you are professional, great musicians/singers and a joy to work with!
-Teri Segal
Mother of the Bride
We had a lot of positive feedback from the wedding and the band was a major reason for that!
-Phil & Loretta Nasrallah
You guys did an awesome job! Thanks for providing great service & coming back each year for our event. You guys are awesome!
-Amy Tajgiszer
HR Coordinator
Wonderful job again, like always! See you for the X-Mas Party!
-Lauren Boveington
Event Planner
It was certainly a pleasure working with you and hope to do so again.
-Molly Barnwell
Development Officer
Special Request was Amazing! Great to work with prior to the event and even better during. They read the audience perfectly and had everyone dancing till the end. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!
-Kim Miyoshi
It was such a pleasure having you (for our holiday party). Everyone loved the "Oh, Davey Tree" song. Very creative and entertaining.
-Lauren Boveington
It was a true pleasure working with you again. Mele Kalikmaka! (Merry Christmas - Hawaiian Style)
-Susan Everett
All of the entertainment for the evening was outstanding! I would recommend all of your services to anyone.
Scott, myself and our guests really loved how you guys interacted with the guests on the dance floor. I've never seen that and we really thought that was awesome!
-Cathy and Scott Demchuk
2006 Winners of the Cleveland Indians Ultimate Wedding Giveaway
It was a pleasure planning the reception music with Darla.
-Arlene Miller
Everything was perfect!
Very Favorable response to the awesome music.
-Maureen Walter, Sales Manager Life Styles
Keep doing what you are doing! From the initial contact, to your demo package, to our pre-event meeting with Darla, to your onsite conduct, presence, flexibility and performance you were a pleasure to work with.
We will be happy to serve as a reference for you!!
Special Request was a very special part of our wedding celebration. Our guests continue to contact us to comment about the band. Our guests commented that you "do cover songs better than the original bands." Your interaction with the guests was frequently cited as a reception highlight. Your song list and flexibility in accommodating our many special requests was appreciated. All of your recommendations in terms of event flow were right on. We enjoyed working with Darla & John and were amazed with how you kept things flowing. You sure entertained our crowd of guests ages 2-90 :)
Thanks for creating special memories for us!
-Sandee & Robert Reid
Darla and John:
What an evening!!!! You were spectacular! Everyone loved your music, performance and participation.
From the beginning of planning the wedding, Melissa and Rob's most important desire was a good band, you exceeded their expectations. The day after the wedding, our family and friends kept calling to express their enjoyment of the festivities and how great the band was. As you know, we had a lot of guests from Long Island and New York City, they thought the wedding and the band was the best they have attended and heard.
We want you to know that working with you throughout the process was great, you delivered what you agreed to and more. The most important thing though was the sharing of your experience and knowledge of putting on a wedding.
We want to thank you again for playing at Melissa and Rob's wedding, being a participant in their special day, and hopefully we can work together again someday.
Best Regards,
-Randi and Eric Packer
Dear Darla and John,
Thank you so much for playing at our wedding. We thought that Special Request did an incredible job and helped to make our wedding night such a fun and happy occasion. We loved your song selections. Our goal was to have a packed dance floor the whole night, and it was a success. We will definitely be recommending you to our family and friends.
Thank you for helping us have such a special and memorable night.
Love,
Jill and Neil
Dear Darla and John,
Thank you for being such a huge & fabulous part of our wedding weekend. From the violinist, to the dueling pianos & Special Request, we could not have been more delighted with everyone. You're all PROs!
I was so amazed when you played the Jim Brickman song for me - WOW, that was really special & memorable.
Wishing you much continued success!
Sincerely,
Vivian Richman
You all were great! I couldn't have dreamed of anything better. Thank you so much!
-Wendy Walter
Don't need to change anything - We will use you again for sure! (2 more x)
You guys were awesome!
-Kathy Shearer
John, Darla & the Special Request Gang!
You're awesome! Thank you so much for your professional & fantastic approach to weddings! I love working with you and look forward to our next wedding!
-Tricia Dever, Event Planner
Always Eventful, Inc.
Great Job - as usual!
-Paul Cseplo
You did an excellent job. We were very pleased!
-Faye Glick
You did a Great Job! THANKS!
-Jacquelino S. Mabry
You do an awesome show! Please book us for next year.
-Kim Gustely
Victory Gallop
-Brenda Cummins
Akron Civic Theatre
So many people commented on the music and wanted to know who you were. Some of the comments were: “My feet hurt!”, “Great dance band!”, “How beautiful the music”, "No way a better band!”, “I couldn't’t stop dancing to such fun music!”, "I liked the way the band meshed with the crowd”, etc.
Thank you so much for making my life easy. It was very easy to work with you. You are the best band!
Thank you for you help in making Holly and Tucker’s wedding reception everything we could ask. I hope I have the opportunity to work with you again.
Fondly,
Pam Wharton
Everyone at the wedding raved about how good you were! You lived up to our expectations and then some!
-Lou and Beth Colagrossi
Dear John and Darla,
Oh what a night! It was the best time we could have ever imagined!! Your attention to detail, the talent you present in Special Request, your stage presence and professionalism was all there…just as we had hoped!
We have received SO many compliments on your music. The night was too short, but we have many wonderful memories. Bryan and Amanda were thrilled with the evening.
You appealed to all generations…everyone had a ball!! I could go on and on. Many thanks for a job well done! I wish I had another daughter so we could do it again!
Blessings to you all.
Fondly,
Tom and Cindy Elson
Jim and I were very pleased with the band for our wedding. The crowd loved the music at the reception. Darla was very easy to work with in planning the event, which I very much appreciated. She’s very organized, great ideas, and good follow-up. We would be happy to be a reference!
-Nancy O’Brien
John and Company,
Thank you for the wonderful performance you put on for our wedding. The music was great!
I can’t tell you how many of our friends and family commented on how good you were. Also, thank you for running the night for us. Your customer service was outstanding and exceeded our expectations. We will recommend you to friends/family and would serve as a reference if needed!
Love,
Andrew and Janee
Everyone loved you! We are looking forward to next year-July-our son!
-Judy Varty
Absolutely Fantastic! The feedback from our guests after the event was how perfect everything was & they consistently mentioned “the band”. I was extremely pleased!
-Michelle Evans-Katz
Professional performance! Thank you!
-John R. Miller
Dear John, Darla and Special Request,
Thank you so much for being the Perfect Band!! You all did an amazing job and our wedding would not have been the success that it was without you. We couldn’t have been any happier with your music selection, style and personality. To this day we believe that we had the most fun wedding in the history of weddings, and our friends and family all rave about how awesome you guys were. Thank you so much!!
Love,
Bryan & Amanda
You did so well, people were asking, ”Where did you get them?”
-Dr. Syed Hussaini
You provide a high quality performance with excellent customer relations before and after the event.
-Judy Blevins
Performing Arts Coordinator
City of Orrville
Dear John and Darla,
I want to thank you for performing at the 5oth anniversary of our residency program last weekend. The band was fabulous, and as I am sure you could tell, everyone had a great time. I’ve heard many favorable comments about the band this week from people who attended the dinner. I hope we can work together again in the future.
Sincerely,
-Lois Hengenius
University Hospitals of Cleveland
Professional, well modulated, and very enjoyable! Thanks!
-Dr. & Mrs. Joseph Dagati
Dear John and Darla,
Thank you for making our Fiftieth Celebration such a success. Everyone loved the band.
Best Regards,
Warren Selman, M.D.
Department of Neurosurgery
Dear John and Darla,
All the Silverstein’s and Berger’s would like to than you both for the care you took to make our party a glowing success! Every guest mentioned how fabulous the music was.
I especially enjoyed all of your selections and you do have that “special” way of getting everyone excited and on their feet! John, you were a masterful ‘master of ceremonies’, & the whole band was just a rousing success! I am recommending you to everyone I know! You were truly talented professionals, & a pleasure to work with!! Thanks so much!
Fondly,
Judy Silverstein & Family
Thank you for a great evening!