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SF Wedding Violinist

Category: Live Solo Performer

Type: Solo instrumentalist

Genres: Arabic or Persian

+11 genres

About SF Wedding Violinist

SF Wedding Violinist

Ilana Thomas

This is about you-- not about me! Your day, your taste, your style, your passions is where my focus is from our first interaction through the event. I have played on concert stages across the world, with renowned orchestras including the SF Symphony, and with artists including ODESZA, Yandel, Beck, the Eagles, Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Sigur Ros, Kygo, Faye Webster and too many others to list. But most of all, I love creating a totally customized and memorable experience for my wedding clients-- I play over 150 weddings a year and am a preferred vendor at SF City Hall, Mountain Terrace, and many other venues.

I play every genre, but my particular passions are R&B, Latin, recent pop and Bollywood-- your special requests are enthusiastically welcomed! I trained at the top conservatories in the US, played in Broadway pits for years, but now this is my focus, since I love being in direct contact with my audiences and bringing music to people. Unlike many wedding 'groups', I play all my own events and work exclusively with only a few elite and trusted partners for my duo and ensemble bookings; I am not an out of state agent or manager like many so-called 'local' acts. I serve a diverse groups of couples and welcome all LOVE!!

Performance samples

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Services

Services

  • Learning new songs
  • Music during breaks
  • Sound system capability audience <300 -

Musical genres

  • Arabic or Persian
  • Bollywood or Bhangra
  • Classical
  • Country/Folk
  • Disco/Funk
  • Gospel/Christian
  • Latin
  • Motown/Soul
  • Pop/Top 40s
  • R&B
  • Rap/Hip Hop
  • Rock

Event types

  • After party
  • Cocktail hour
  • Couples luncheon
  • Elopement
  • Engagement party
  • Farewell brunch
  • Rehearsal dinner
  • Wedding ceremony
  • Wedding reception
  • Wedding shower
  • Welcome party

Reviews

Write a review
Rating: 5.0

5.0 out of 5

3 reviews

  • B

    Bridget

    Rating: 5
    •Feb 18, 2026

    Expert Violinist

    Ilana was great to work with start to finish! I’m a wedding planner, and she performed for a recent wedding of mine. She is communicative, has an exhaustive list of songs to choose from (and can learn new ones quickly), and has performing at City Hall down to a science. Listening to her beautiful music fill that space was amazing! Highly recommend.

  • DA

    Deanna A.

    Rating: 5
    •Jan 18, 2026

    Custom Playlist of Our Dreams

    We couldn't have been happier with SF Wedding Violinist Ilana's services. Her performance was unforgettable and she put us at ease immediately from the very first contact. She clearly has SO much experience and her resume is incredible, she's been onstage with literally all of our favorite artists, everyone from Andrea Bocelli to Kygo, Odesza, Yandel, and even classics like the Eagles and Beck! Her playlist has 1500 songs and counting, plus she takes requests, so we were able to create a totally custom playlist which represented our unique (and very different!) tastes. Her contracting process was easy and her prices seemed like a bargain compared to many of the other vendors we initially reached out to. We hope we can book her again-- or that all of our friends do! Also, we liked that she runs her own business and plays her own bookings, so we weren't just getting a random member of a group managed by someone else who happened to be free that day.

  • GS

    G S.

    Rating: 5
    •Jan 18, 2026

    Reasonable Pricing & Unforgettable Performance!

    We had the pleasure of working with SF Wedding Violinist for our wedding, and we couldn't be happier with the experience. From the very first interaction, Ilana's communication style was warm, professional, and reflected a true commitment to making this an unforgettable experience. The quality of her performance was unparalleled - she truly is an expert violinist who has been on concert stages all over the world! Her performance left all of our guests talking about the beautiful music-- she accommodated all of our special requests which were really important to us to represent our cultures. We highly recommend SF Wedding Violinist to any couple looking for an exceptional musician to make their wedding day even more special.

Preferred vendors of SF Wedding Violinist

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My standard event attire is classy, semi-formal (but modern) all black. But I am happy to match your color scheme, or even play in costume, depending on your vision. I also have many options for black tie formal, Bridgerton attire, and some other fun options. Again, this is about you and your vision!
Yes, nearly every day! I have a current list of 1200+ songs and make an effort to keep current (hello, Billboard top 100! ;), but YOUR requests are really how I learn what people want to hear, especially when it comes to cultures other than my own. I don't charge extra for special requests except for any fees to cover sheet music which helps me learn songs quickly-- many things are available for free, or for minimal charge (usually only around $5).
Yes, I carry liability insurance that meets the standards of even the most strict wedding venues and I am happy to provide proof of insurance if requested. Additionally, since I play so many events, many venues will already have my information on file which makes things a snap!
Please tell me I don't need to choose just one! Musically, I am all over the map. My personal favorites might be R&B and Latin, but there are songs from every decade that make me weak in the knees, and every week there are new songs that come out that I can't get out of my head. Bollywood is also amazing :) And my first love was classical music, and I still love playing traditional music written for the violin!
I am always onsite at least a half hour before scheduled performance start time, but usually closer to 45 minutes early, unless that's inconvenient for my client/venue. It depends also if it's an acoustic gig or if I'll need to connect with a DJ or sound tech. In those cases, I allow around an hour for setup/soundcheck. The set up time is always on my time-- you are never billed for that time.
Travel is included in every quote I send, there are no added or extra fees on top of the quoted price.
You wouldn't want me taking photos or setting up lights. ;) BUT, I can provide a wired mic on a stand and speaker for ceremony sound if you're looking for a super basic setup for that purpose. Extra fees do apply for carting that extra gear.

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