Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on October 11, 2016•From Des Moines, IA
Dana just played at our wedding in September at the Botanical Garden in Des Moines and he did an amazing job for us. He really is a talented musician and everyone tremendously enjoyed his music. What's more, he was so easy to work with and really went out of his way to understand what we wanted. He was always on the ball with follow-up and planning and everything was exactly as he described. To say he over-delivered is an understatement. He was our favorite wedding vendor, hands down. Book him for your next event, you won't regret it!!!!!!
Review by Mar Ann O.
Wedding•Reviewed on July 23, 2016•From Galena, IL
Dana was amazing to work with for our wedding. He is incredibly talented, creative and beyond professional. He was such a pleasure to work with and his music was loved by all of our family and friends. Thank u Dana!!
Review by Jean D.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on February 26, 2015•From Chicago, IL
With 3 days notice, I contracted with Dana to provide music for a very small chapel wedding to surprise the bride and groom. Dana's website was an enormous help, allowing me to listen to the pieces before we selected the music.
Dana did a great job. We were delighted with his professional, unobtrusive service. Most importantly, the music was positively lovely and truly added to the special day. The guests commented on how much they loved the music. We wished he didn't have to stop and that we could have taken him along to play for the rest of the evening! I highly recommend Dana for a wedding and think he'd be great for a full night of musical entertainment.
Review by Ana P.
Bridal Shower•Reviewed on August 13, 2013•From Chicago, IL
Dana played at my future daughter in law's shower in Chicago. He was great.!! Our guests (and myself) loved his music. He was punctual, highly professional and accommodating. I would definitely invite him back for future parties.
Review by Theresa M.
Celebration•Reviewed on June 20, 2016•From Cedar Rapids, IA
Dana was perfect for our wedding shower.
I received many compliments on his performance. He tried to provide soft and enjoyable sounds to allow the crowd to socialize thru the event. Thanks again Dana.
Review by Kevin K.
Wedding•Reviewed on August 5, 2013•From Orland Park, IL
Dana played at our wedding in Orland Park, IL. He was wonderful and professional during the whole planning process and on the day of the wedding. He called us immediately after we inquired about his services. He kept in contact during all of the planning and even played us songs over the phone when we were choosing our selections. Dana was flexible and professional throughout the whole process. He even learned a song that meant a lot to us. On the day of the wedding, he was timely, professional, and played beautifully. He even took the time to speak with my husband's uncle about their shared interest of classical guitar. I would definitely recommend him to others.
Review by Dan M.
Corporate Function•Reviewed on June 19, 2013•From Chicago, IL
If I ever need a performer for an event, I will call Dana and see if he is available. He was totally accommodating when I asked him to make a change or 2 to his list of songs; he was a joy to work with both pre-event and at the event; his rate of pay was terrific; and, we all really liked him!!!! Mary Louder
Review by Travis D.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on May 19, 2013•From Saint Louis, MO
Dana,
You went above and beyond to make our ceremony and reception enjoyable for us and all of our guests. Your pre-session planning was crucial to making sure all of the details were finalized and that things went according to plan. Your music provided a great atmosphere for the cocktail hour and multiple guests have inquired about you with compliments.
You are a very talented musician and you did an outstanding job.
Thanks again and best of luck!
Travis Dearmont
Review by Halley C.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on June 7, 2013•From Omaha, NE
Dana was absolutely fabulous to work with! He was responsive to all of our emails and questions in a timely manner and very easy to get in touch with--which I cannot even begin to say how much I appreciated. Dana took time to go through all our wedding music selections with us (played everything through, offered suggestions, noted music styles we liked/disliked, and got to know us).
Dana made the very long 4.5 hour drive to and from Omaha. He was punctual, professional, and arrived early to set up, meet the bridal party, and rehearse with our vocalist.
We highly recommend Dana and his talent. We are so glad we decided to have him play on our wedding day!
Review by Ray B.
Concert•Reviewed on August 4, 2013•From Winnipeg, MB
Hi Dana,
I can only say that the evening here was magical, and everyone else agrees. You've got a winning formula with music, historical stuff regarding the classical guitar, and context provided by stories from your trip to the Amazon. I spoke to Margaret today and the wheels are turning already for next year. Ray
Review by Haley T.
Wedding•Reviewed on June 14, 2008•From Davenport, IA
Dana,
We want to thank you so much for performing at our wedding ceremony. Our wedding would not have been the same without you. The music was absolutely beautiful and you were delightful to work with. We had many lovely compliments. Thank you for adding that extra touch to our big day. You were wonderful! Thanks so much!!!
Haley and Brent
Review by Lisa B.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on May 7, 2013•From Kewanee, IL
Dana,
Lisa and I are in Mexico pool side and just downloaded your songs! Your music has gone much further than the ceremony. Listening to your wonderful music here on our honeymoon is unbelievable. Words cannot express the joy in our hearts. Your playing during the ceremony was amazing and to hear it now as we celebrate our new life together with the music we wed to is simply amazing!
We had so many compliments on your playing. We are so happy our guests could enjoy your music as much as we did!! You did such an amazing job at our ceremony. We will never forget that day and your music.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Mr and Mrs Salisbury
Review by Mary C.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on May 30, 2013•From Iowa City, IA
Dana Starkell was wonderful to work with and his music was outstanding at my daughter’s outdoor wedding at The Celebration Farm in Iowa City, Iowa in May 2013.
Thank you Dana!
Review by James B.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on June 19, 2013•From Ames, IA
The perfect classical guitarist for a perfect wedding day. Dana was extremely courteous and professional. He always promptly returned our phone calls or emails.
Very well organized and experienced.
Look no further in selecting a musician for your wedding or special event. Dana Starkell would be our only choice.
Jim & Carol Borschel
Marion, IA
Review by Marc S.
Country Club Event•Reviewed on December 31, 2007•From Davenport, IA
We had the pleasure of having Dana Starkell entertain our members and guests on New Year's Eve. His music was a perfect fit for an elegant evening. The different style he played made his performance noticed while remaining unobtrusive. As people were leaving at the end of the night, several people commented on how much they had enjoyed the music. We look forward to having Dana back soon!
Marc Struelens, CCM
General Manager/COO
Crow Valley Golf Club
Review by Amy G.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on June 21, 2013•From Iowa City, IA
Hi Dana,
We were very happy to have you play guitar at our wedding and want you to know that you did a fantastic job! You're music is absolutely beautiful, and several guests told me how much they enjoyed you. Guests also commented on the church having a very romantic feel due to your music, which is exactly what we were going for.
Review by Heather P.
Wedding•Reviewed on November 10, 2007•From Davenport, IA
Dana Starkell performed classical guitar for wedding ceremony at St. Ambrose University Chapel and reception at the Outing Club.
Review by Michele S.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on July 6, 2013•From La Crosse, WI
Thank you again so much for everything! We absolutely loved having you play for us. It was really beautiful and we would recommend you to everyone we know getting married!! Glad you made it home safe!
Michele and Jason Sobotta
Review by Amy G.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on June 21, 2013•From Coralville, IA
We were SO happy to have Dana play guitar for our wedding ceremony and reception cocktail hour. He did a FANTASTIC job! He is great to work with and responds promptly to emails, phone calls, etc. His music is beautiful and our guests thoroughly enjoyed his performance. We would certainly recommended him to others and would hire him again for future events requiring music.
Review by Aly B.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on September 8, 2012•From Omaha, NE
Dana was so wonderful to work with for our wedding ceremony. He worked hard to make our ceremony special for us. He went above and beyond when it came to learning songs that we requested. We felt so lucky to have found him and could not have been more pleased with his services. Not only is Dana very talented, he is also a genuinely great person and we felt he truly took great interest in making our ceremony perfect.
Review by Sally D.
Wedding•Reviewed on October 14, 2007•From Ames, IA
We were so impressed by Dana's talent. He provided such great music for our wedding and reception-his music and style fit just perfectly with our wedding. Dana was very flexible and helpful during the planning process as well. We would highly recommend Dana, and were so happy to have him join us on our special day.
Review by Joann P.
Wedding Reception•Reviewed on July 3, 2012•From Chicago, IL
Dana played for both our wedding ceremony and our cocktail hour at our reception. He arrived on time, was incredibly professional and played beautifully. We could not have asked for an easier person to work with and felt he did a wonderful job. We got so many compliments for having such beautiful music played at both the ceremony and cocktail hour. It really set the mood for the rest of the evening. Thank you so much Dana! We would recommend you to friends and family in a heartbeat!
Sincerely,
Rick and Joann Cikowski
Review by Janet K.
Wedding•Reviewed on August 18, 2007•From Chicago, IL
Dana added an truly elegant touch to my daughter's wedding. He easily handled a request to play classical Spanish guitar for the entire 1 1/2 hr coctail reception. My guests have all commented on both his performance and professionalism. It was wonderful.
Review by James U.
Wedding Ceremony•Reviewed on October 2, 2011•From Canmore, AB
Dana, Thank you for making our wedding day very special. The music was perfect for our backyard wedding, and we had many compliments during the evening and afterwards. We and our guests were also thrilled that you were able to share some of your amazing stories about your travels.
Review by Tarlac W.
Wedding•Reviewed on August 26, 2006•From Austin, TX
