Yazz Events - Chicago Wedding Band and Music - Vendor Spotlight
Photo: Photography by Lauryn
If you’re looking to really spice up your guests’ experience and entertainment for your wedding day, you definitely need a live band. There is nothing like the interaction of your wedding guests and the live band being able to read the room and play exactly what you want to hear for your reception. Finding a good band that will add the perfect amount of flavor to your wedding day can be difficult, but Yazz Events is lovely band that will be a great addition to your vendor team for your wedding day.
Meet Amy:
What is your background? “I grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois which is a suburb of Chicago. I went to the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida and then Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other than 7 years of schooling, I have been in the Chicago area for over 30 years. I don’t have children, but I have the cutest dog in the world. When I was in school, I studied Jazz and got a job as a booking agent for a music company in Miami, FL where I’d send musicians to weddings taking place on cruise ships. While I was in college I learned a little bit about how to book entertainment for events and always enjoyed it. My singing teacher also had me sub for her in some wedding bands in South Florida and singing “Boogie Oogie Oogie” always held a special place in my heart.”
What do you do when you aren't working at weddings? “When I’m not working weddings and events I’m hanging out with my friends and family, doing yoga, going on walks and traveling. I’m also frequently trying to maintain connections with other event “friendors” and working on innovating our business. One of my other gigs is teaching teenagers singing lessons. It’s great to continue to sing Broadway, Disney, and Taylor Swift songs.”
Photo: Sonce Landa Photography
How She got Started:
How did you get started in your business? “I had worked a few events throughout 2001-2008 but it was 2010 when I was asked by a friend to sing at her wedding with a band and “Amy and the Yazz Men” formed, followed by Yazz Jazz Entertainment. Over the next couple of years, we were hired to play events large and small. In 2012, I had a bride who wanted the band but requested a lot of “DJ-type” songs so I suggested adding a DJ to the band. That ended up opening up a new chapter for our business as the majority of clients choose a DJ over a band. With the relationships built with clients, vendors, and musicians, we added string players, other vocalists, Dhol drummers, and more and we continue to try and customize musical options for all kinds of events. We rebranded in 2022 to Yazz Events to encompass Party Bands, DJs, Musicians, A/V and Lighting.”
How would you describe your business or business model? “I am the owner and founder of Yazz Events. Our lead DJ, Dale, is the Operations Manager. He helps run the business on the backend by keeping our online portal active and updated for our clients to have a seamless music planning process. He is also instrumental in trying to add new and exciting services to our offerings including Cold Sparks, Dancing on a Cloud and Projection Cake-Mapping. One of my other bandleaders, Brooke Zino, helps with band song additions, organizes rehearsals and manages personnel. Mari attends a lot of walk-throughs, helps with social media, and keeps our team energized with her spunky energy. Our company stands out by being woman-owned and other vendors have often thanked my team for being very easy to work with and kind. That’s the best compliment I can think of and makes me appreciate my team that much more.”
Photo: Adams Photography
Her Favorites:
What is your favorite wedding you worked and why? “We have had too many wonderful weddings to pick a favorite, but some of our most amazing memories are from a wedding we played at in Door County, Wisconsin at Northern Haus. Not only was the dance floor full, but the entire wedding was magic and high energy. Another favorite memory is a wedding we did at the Drake Hotel in January of 2020 where the bride had her grandma as the flower girl. It was the most beautiful moment I could remember at an event and it was an honor to be a part of it.”
I love memories like this! Honestly, a packed dance floor truly is one of the most fun things to see at a wedding. I love knowing that you and your guests are enjoying yourselves enough to be dancing the night away! And the grandma flower girl is always a HUGE hit just because it is so sweet and fun!
What is the most interesting/unique/cool thing you've seen at a wedding? “The most unique thing I’ve seen at a wedding was a robot dancer with a CO2 gun and a Boba Bar!”
Now THAT is something to see for sure! Weddings give you a great opportunity for some of the most fun entertainment of the night. A live band also definitely helps with that!
Photo: Photography by Lauryn
Her Advice to You:
What is something that you wish that couples knew when planning their wedding? “When planning an event in the midwest, please always know there's a 50% chance that the weather will be horrible. Make sure you have a great Plan B in place and that you are happy with that option because your celebration should be about your love, not worrying about rain/snow/sleet. Also, choose an entertainment company that will take your vision seriously and will bend over backwards to make sure you are happy.”
This is SO true. The one thing that I truly can’t control as a wedding planner is the weather. Believe me, I would if I could! But DJs and live bands suffer greatly at the hands of the weather, so it’s really important to have a rain/weather plan just in case if you’re having any of your wedding outdoors. Even if it’s just for photos - you don’t want to be caught in a rain or snow storm and only have plans for photos outside!
Photo: Photography by Lauryn
How can couples connect with you? You can find them at their website here. You can also find them on Instagram or Facebook. You can also email them directly info@yazzevents.com or call 224-218-9299.
What are your next moves for your business if anything is coming up or changing? “We are having a fun DJ/Wedding Showcase on July 6th at Arrowhead Club from 6-9pm. It’s a great chance for clients to meet and see our DJs as well cool options like adding a sax and/or drummer to the DJ for their party. We are also expanding and looking for more musicians and vocalists to join our team!”
Amy personally has such an incredibly fun background and her team of musicians is one for the books. You can be sure that your night will have a fun flair to it with Yazz Events being your live wedding band. I am so glad I have had the pleasure of meeting Amy and working with her and her team before and I know that when a wedding I’m on has Yazz Events, it’s going to be a night you won’t forget!
