A Very Beetlegeuse...Wedding?10/30/2023 When I tell people I sing for weddings, they usually assume I mean wedding receptions. In truth, I sing for the actual wedding ceremonies! Typically those are very straightforward and follow standard American wedding customs and traditions. But the wedding I played for Saturday night didn’t just skirt convention. It broke the mold (in a surprisingly fun way). This was the first (and probably only) Beetlegeuse-themed, Halloween wedding I’ve ever been hired to play. The bridal party danced down the aisle to “Jump in the Line” played by the Florida Street Blowhards (traditional jazz band), and I played Iz’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” for the bride’s walk down the aisle. The sunset setting over the sugar cane fields of south Louisiana provided a beautiful, country backdrop for the ceremony, and almost all the guests were decked out in elaborate Halloween costumes. I had no idea what to expect when I was initially hired for this gig, but the evening turned out to be a very fun and surprisingly sweet experience. Congrats to the happy couple, and here’s to more fun adventures as a wedding singer :D With gratitude, Ashley P.S. I'm scheduling now for the holiday season (private parties, holiday markets, etc.), so if you'd like a bit of jazz vocal/ukulele or a Christmas sing-along to brighten up your event, reach out to me soon before I'm all booked up! 
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Ooh La La, It's Autumn!10/23/2023 I don't know about you but I'm oh so grateful that autumn is finally here (and with that, a break from the oppressive heat of this past summer). October has been a bit of a whirlwind so far. I had a great trip to Texas at the beginning of the month to perform for the grand opening celebration of the new Annabelle Brasserie in Houston's Autry Park development (near Memorial Park)--Our "French Chocolatte" band provided a lovely French-inspired soundtrack on the patio (watch the video for a full peak at this new high-end restaurant).  I also got to see friends and rehearse for a few upcoming events. The only downside to this trip was that I came back to Louisiana with a head cold that knocked me out of singing for the next week :/
Thankfully I'm on the mend now and looking forward to another quick trip to Houston later this week to perform at the Dosey Doe Breakfast, BBQ and Whiskey Bar on Friday, Oct. 27th. If you're in the Houston area, I hope to see you there! With gratitude, Ashley Charisma Made Simple10/2/2023 For being a true introvert who doesn’t need or seek much attention, it still amazes me how good my husband is at ATTRACTING and HOLDING attention when he DOES want it. For example, occasionally on mornings when I’m still sitting at the breakfast table as he’s heading off to work, he’ll pause at the back door just long enough to catch my eye. Then, knowing I’m wondering if he forgot something, he holds up his key-ring high in the air like a sports referee about to wave a starting flag, and with great flair, he “presses” the remote start button on his car key fob. We both hear a sudden “whoosh” outside as his Chevy truck engine comes to life in the driveway. Then he smiles at me cheekily. I roll my eyes, laughing, even though I’ve seen this pageantry hundreds of times. His mission complete (making me laugh AND starting his car AC), he walks out the door with a big grin on his face. That, my friends, is charisma—the ability to turn even simple, mundane daily actions into points of connection and joy. How do you do this in your daily life (or how could you try this) to bring a little extra joy to those around you this week? With gratitude, Ashley  Join me Friday, Oct. 27th, for my next JAZZ UKULELE SHOW at the Dosey Doe Breakfast, BBQ & Whiskey Bar in The Woodlands, TX. I'll be accompanied by Kenneth Fowler on ukulele and Barry Sames on piano. Get tickets at DoseyDoeTickets.com.
See you there! AuthorAshley Orlando is a jazz vocalist/ukulele artist and joyologist on a mission to help 1 million women find their voice through music, inspiring stories, and communication skills. Archives
May 2025
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