Greetings! My name is Austin Charnis and I am a classical and contemporary acoustic guitarist from Westchester, NY. My mom bought me my first acoustic guitar at age 6, and I literally played it until it broke into pieces. After that I switched to electric guitar, which I studied throughout high school until I discovered and fell in love with classical and Brazilian guitar.
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62 customer reviews
Jacquelyn M.
Austin was a dream to work with - his kindness and generosity was beyond appreciative during our planning process! Austin was able to take on learning a special request to play during our wedding ceremony. Austin also played during our cocktail hour and was a hit with the guests!! Having Austin play as guests entered the ceremony, for the ceremony and for cocktail hour true gave our wedding an elevated feel and made our special day truly feel magical! thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!!! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Jackie M
Austin was a dream to work with - his kindness and generosity was beyond appreciative during our planning process! Austin was able to take on learning a special request to play during our wedding ceremony. Austin also played during our cocktail hour and was a hit with the guests!! Having Austin play as guests entered the ceremony, for the ceremony and for cocktail hour true gave our wedding an elevated feel and made our special day truly feel magical! thank you again from the bottom of our hearts!!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Katelyn F.
Austin made our wedding, truly. Using him for ceremony & cocktail hour brought such a special touch we would not be able to replicate. His song list is huge and covers a lot of ground, he even mentions he’ll learn a specific song for couples if not on his list! Austin was very kind and easy to work with. We felt very confident and supported going into our wedding. Do not think twice about trusting Austin with your live, beautiful music!! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Kate Farnen
Austin made our wedding, truly. Using him for ceremony & cocktail hour brought such a special touch we would not be able to replicate. His song list is huge and covers a lot of ground, he even mentions he’ll learn a specific song for couples if not on his list! Austin was very kind and easy to work with. We felt very confident and supported going into our wedding. Do not think twice about trusting Austin with your live, beautiful music!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
J AntoMiran
We were so delighted to have Austin play at my son's wedding. He was very professional and a pleasure to speak with as we discussed music selection. In its simplistic form Austin played such beautiful music creating an intimate, warm and wonderful atmosphere for the garden ceremony. Thank you, Austin, for the lovely music. Highly recommend Austin! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Judy M.
We were so delighted to have Austin play at my son's wedding. He was very professional and a pleasure to speak with as we discussed music selection. In its simplistic form Austin played such beautiful music creating an intimate, warm and wonderful atmosphere for the garden ceremony. Thank you, Austin, for the lovely music. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Chris A
We couldn’t be happier with our decision to book Austin Charnis for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour. Not only is he an incredibly talented classical guitarist, but he also went above and beyond by learning the specific songs (Country & Classic Rock) that we wanted for our special day. Austin provided everything we needed, including the sound system and microphone for the ceremony. The microphone and speakers sounded crystal clear with ample projection and zero feedback, and he even brought his own power source, allowing us to have our ceremony at a remote location without needing direct power!!! We highly recommend Austin—1000%! Thank you, Austin, for making our day unforgettable!!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Rebecca H.
Austin was so incredibly wonderful to work with. He was attentive and patient, and his music fit in perfectly for our special day! Additionally - especially as my family is full of audiophiles - his microphone quality and PA system overall was top notch. We'd totally recommend him to anyone getting married in the area in the future! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Rebecca H. Clarke
Austin was so incredibly wonderful to work with. He was attentive and patient, and his music fit in perfectly for our special day! Additionally - especially as my family is full of audiophiles - his microphone quality and PA system overall was top notch. We'd totally recommend him to anyone getting married in the area in the future! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Danny M.
Austin was recommended to us as a preferred musician of The Garrison and we are so glad we went with him! After checking out his site and listening to him play, I was immediately sold. He is an excellent guitar player. His repertoire of songs is so big that he can play to whatever your preference may be. He was friendly and communicative during the planning phase. Importantly, Austin also provided the microphone and sound setup for our ceremony. The sound during our ceremony was perfect, which can really make or break a ceremony. We 100% recommend Austin to play your wedding! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Danny McCabe
Austin was recommended to us as a preferred musician of The Garrison and we are so glad we went with him! After checking out his site and listening to him play, I was immediately sold. He is an excellent guitar player. His repertoire of songs is so big that he can play to whatever your preference may be. He was friendly and communicative during the planning phase. Importantly, Austin also provided the microphone and sound setup for our ceremony. The sound during our ceremony was perfect, which can really make or break a ceremony. We 100% recommend Austin to play your wedding! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Angelina Schwartz
Austin did an amazing job at our wedding! He was so great with planning and communication well in advance of the wedding and he played absolutely beautifully during our ceremony and cocktail hour. Additionally, we had an unexpected massive rainstorm moments before the ceremony and he was the picture of professionalism. We can't say enough with how happy we are with Austin and we truly appreciate all he did for us to make it the perfect day. We would absolutely recommend him to everyone we know. Thanks Austin! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Rawda Turchin
We had the pleasure to have Austin play at our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. His music added a very nice, warm, and intimate vibe to our wedding. From the start he was very attentive, prompt, professional, flexible, and was on top of every detail and was easy to reach. His music was top quality and professional. He had all the tools and speakers to setup. He also had a broad selection of music that he can play which was amazing!! Our guests loved his music and so are we. I highly recommend him and I'm sure you'll be happy same as we are!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Szilvia Tobak
Austin did an incredible job providing music for the ceremony and cocktail hour of our wedding this past June. Not only is he a very talented musician, he offers a large variety of song choices and was willing to learn new music as well. He is very easy to work with, responsive and professional. Highly recommend hiring Austin if you want to set the mood for an event! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Szilvia T.
Austin did an incredible job providing music for the ceremony and cocktail hour of our wedding this past June. Not only is he a very talented musician, he offers a large variety of song choices and was willing to learn new music as well. He is very easy to work with, responsive and professional. Highly recommend hiring Austin if you want to set the mood for an event! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Irene Harrigan
Event Entertainment
Austin has incredible talent and is very responsive
Brittany Molta
First off we planned our wedding in about two weeks, and when we originally began we hadn’t thought twice about having music until my husbands mother gave us the suggestion. We are super low key people and were unsure if a musician would fit the vibe, but when we found Austin we knew right away he was the perfect addition to our little elopement / micro wedding. He was so kind and flexible and easy to reach. He made us so comfortable. We got to choose our own set of songs and when they would be played, and let me tell you it made the day even more magical. Hearing Moon River while we read our vows to each other absolutely melted my heart and made me cry even harder than I already was! Thank you l, Austin, for being a part of our day. I hope we can work with you again one day!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Brittany A.
First off we planned our wedding in about two weeks, and when we originally began we hadn’t thought twice about having music until my husbands mother gave us the suggestion. We are super low key people and were unsure if a musician would fit the vibe, but when we found Austin we knew right away he was the perfect addition to our little elopement / micro wedding. He was so kind and flexible and easy to reach. He made us so comfortable. We got to choose our own set of songs and when they would be played, and let me tell you it made the day even more magical. Hearing Moon River while we read our vows to each other absolutely melted my heart and made me cry even harder than I already was! Thank you l, Austin, for being a part of our day. I hope we can work with you again one day!! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Cassidy Anthony-Wood
Austin was incredible right from the start. He is extremely responsive which made for stress free weeks leading up to the event. We had him play our cocktail hour, where we received so many compliments for how well he played, his music selection, etc. We even had guests in he middle of the wedding ask for his contact information so they could potentially use him for other events. I cannot recommend him enough!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Cassidy
Austin was incredible right from the start. He is extremely responsive which made for stress free weeks leading up to the event. We had him play our cocktail hour, where we received so many compliments for how well he played, his music selection, etc. We even had guests in he middle of the wedding ask for his contact information so they could potentially use him for other events. I cannot recommend him enough!! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Antonia Robinson
Austin was so easy to work with. I had gotten so many compliments. He played during my ceremony and cocktail hour which added such a nice touch. He communicated well. He had a great variety of music. And we booked him on short notice but he was so accommodating. 10/10 More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Kristy Tougas
Austin is such a talented musician, and his acoustic guitar added the perfect romantic, personal touch we were looking for for our wedding ceremony! He has a large repertoire of classical and modern songs to choose from, and was so kind and helpful throughout the planning process. He also was very flexible on our wedding day when the weather caused some logistical changes. We highly recommend him to add that special something to your wedding or event! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Kristy T.
Austin is such a talented musician, and his acoustic guitar added the perfect romantic, personal touch we were looking for for our wedding ceremony! He has a large repertoire of classical and modern songs to choose from, and was so kind and helpful throughout the planning process. He also was very flexible on our wedding day when the weather caused some logistical changes. We highly recommend him to add that special something to your wedding or event! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Leah Goldman
Austin was an incredible part of our wedding! We hired him to do the ceremony music and I'm so glad that we did. The guests loved it during the before the ceremony and he was so easy to work with when we had a few special request songs not in his repertoire. We had a vision of having my sibling sing one of our favorite songs as I walked down the aisle and Austin worked with them, learning the song, scheduling some practice time and made it happen seamlessly for what was a really incredible moment. I am so happy that we had him as a part of our wedding and would highly recommend him. More...
Reviewed on The Knot
molly nassimos
Austin was incredible to work with! We cannot recommend him enough! He played music during our ceremony and cocktail hour which made that time so beautiful and created such an ambiance. He even learned a song by Kenny Chesney for us which I walked down the aisle to with my dad. It was so special to us and truly made our day. He is very talented and so passionate about what he does! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Molly N.
Austin was incredible to work with! We cannot recommend him enough! He played music during our ceremony and cocktail hour which made that time so beautiful and created such an ambiance. He even learned a song by Kenny Chesney for us which I walked down the aisle to with my dad. It was so special to us and truly made our day. He is very talented and clearly so passionate about what he does! He is also very responsive and flexible with his music. He was able to put any wedding worries at ease as we knew we were in great hands! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Jose Gamo
Austin played for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour and sounded fantastic! Very responsive and easy to communicate with, and even learned a song for the bride's entrance that wasn't already on his list. No stress at all re: getting him set up, and he hit all the cues for the ceremony perfectly despite not attending the rehearsal. Would strongly recommend him to anyone seeking a live guitarist. More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Jose G.
Austin played for our wedding ceremony and cocktail hour and sounded fantastic! Very responsive and easy to communicate with, and even learned a song for the bride's entrance that wasn't already on his list. No stress at all re: getting him set up, and he hit all the cues for the ceremony perfectly despite not attending the rehearsal. Would strongly recommend him to anyone seeking a live guitarist. More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Cate Bartilucci
Austin was incredible! We hired him to play for our ceremony and cocktail hr portion of our wedding. Not only was he professional and helpful through the planning process, but it's clear he's an expert musician and in what he does -- he truly created the most perfect and magical experience for our outdoor ceremony and barn cocktail hour. He did not miss a beat, was able to smoothly transition between songs when we had to switch gears and everyone who attended our wedding were so impressed. Looking for a special and cool way to highlight your wedding ceremony?! Look no further!!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Deborah De Pinto
I'm so happy to have worked with Austin for our wedding ceremony! He learned two new songs, that meant a lot of my partner and I, which speaks to his flexibility and affable demeanor. Austin's music elevated our wedding ceremony to a more romantic and personable experience, and set the tone for the rest of the day. We received many compliments on his guitar playing from our guests and the music brought a lot of joy to our day. Definitely don't hesitate about hiring Austin! He is the sweetest guy, very easy to collaborate with, allows a lot of freedom on music choice/vibe and works really hard to make the day as special as can be! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Deborah G.
I'm so happy to have worked with Austin for our wedding ceremony! He learned two new songs, that meant a lot of my partner and I, which speaks to his flexibility and affable demeanor. Austin's music elevated our wedding ceremony to a more romantic and personable experience, and set the tone for the rest of the day. We received many compliments on his guitar playing from our guests and the music brought a lot of joy to our day. Definitely don't hesitate about hiring Austin! He is the sweetest guy, very easy to collaborate with, allows a lot of freedom on music choice/vibe and works really hard to make the day as special as can be! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Cassandra Vondrak
Austin provided the music for our wedding ceremony. He is a great guitarist, as you can clearly tell from his videos, and was incredibly easy to work with. His website with samples was really helpful and his repertoire encompasses a wonderfully broad range of music in different genres. We had some specific requests for the ceremony songs, but gave very general guidance for the prelude/postlude to the ceremony. He worked with us at both levels of specificity - a few short conversations, along with a simple form for music requests, was all that it took to prepare a great performance. Though I wasn't able to listen to most of the performance (as I was preparing for my entrance with my spouse-to-be), what I heard was beautiful, and we received compliments about the music from our guests. We would definitely recommend Austin for anyone looking to have a talented guitarist play at their wedding! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Cassandra A.
Austin provided the music for our wedding ceremony. He is a great guitarist, as you can clearly tell from his videos, and was incredibly easy to work with. His website with samples was really helpful and his repertoire encompasses a wonderfully broad range of music in different genres. We had some specific requests for the ceremony songs, but gave very general guidance for the prelude/postlude to the ceremony. He worked with us at both levels of specificity - a few short conversations, along with a simple form for music requests, was all that it took to prepare a great performance. Though I wasn't able to listen to most of the performance (as I was preparing for my entrance with my spouse-to-be), what I heard was beautiful, and we received compliments about the music from our guests. We would definitely recommend Austin for anyone looking to have a talented guitarist play at their wedding! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Carly Bracken
We had the best experience working with Austin. He is so talented, professional, responsive, and really tied our whole event together. Our guests loved not only his music, but how personable he is. We couldn't have asked for a better experience from initial phone call to event. Thank you, Austin! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Sean A.
We had the best experience working with Austin. He is so talented, professional, responsive, and really tied our whole event together. Our guests loved not only his music, but how personable he is. We couldn't have asked for a better experience from the initial phone call to the event. Thank you, Austin! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Natalie Shevchuk
We had a wonderful experience working with Austin. He is an amazingly talented guitarist who helped make our wedding day everything we envisioned and so much more! We were planning a small intimate wedding and were looking for a guitarist for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. We were very fortunate to find Austin. His reviews were exceptional, so we decided to listen to some of his music samples. We were impressed with his music and set up a meeting with him. He was very personable, provided valuable input and was very flexible with our requests. He played the perfect assortment of music throughout the day, including a song that he learned especially for us and requests from the group. He had a great sense for the vibe in the room and changed things up throughout the night. Everyone had so much fun! We are so happy that we chose Austin to be part of our special day. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for a musician! We hope to work with him again in the future! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Anne Marie S
I found Austin online while searching for the perfect music for our wedding day. I loved his work and after speaking to him I knew he would provide us exactly what we were looking for. Austin is really personable and super talented, you will not be disappointed. Our guests enjoyed the music. We highly recommend Austin Charnis Guitar! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Anne M.
I found Austin online while searching for the perfect music for our wedding day. I loved his work and after speaking to him I knew he would provide us exactly what we were looking for. Austin is really personable and super talented, you will not be disappointed. Our guests enjoyed the music. We highly recommend Austin Charnis Guitar! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Natalie
We had a wonderful experience working with Austin. He is an amazingly talented guitarist who helped make our wedding day everything we envisioned and so much more! We were planning a small intimate wedding and were looking for a guitarist for our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception. We were very fortunate to find Austin. His reviews were exceptional, so we decided to listen to some of his music samples. We were impressed with his music and set up a meeting with him. He was very personable, provided valuable input and was very flexible with our requests. He played the perfect assortment of music throughout the day, including a song that he learned especially for us and requests from the group. He had a great sense for the vibe in the room and changed things up throughout the night. Everyone had so much fun! We are so happy that we chose Austin to be part of our special day. We highly recommend him to anyone looking for a musician! We hope to work with him again in the future! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Nadeane Friend
Such beautiful music for my ceremony! Loved it!!!
Reviewed on The Knot
Nadeane F.
You will not be dissapointed! Everyone raved how amazing the music was!
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Kate Carlucci
Austin was so easy to work with for our wedding ceremony. He even learned/played new songs at our request. We highly recommend him!
Reviewed on The Knot
Kate
Austin was so easy to work with for our wedding ceremony. He even learned/played new songs at our request. We highly recommend him!
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Brian Arko
There are not enough stars in the galaxy to rate Austin! His professionalism, dedication and skill will make your special day or event come alive! I cannot put into words how his playing and presence at my wedding was a complete game changer. Look no further for somebody to be attentive to you, your guests and the event. He communicated with us from day one and helped us orchestrate and pick the absolute best songs, best play list and when to play them. His knowledge of music is unparalleled to none! Whether it was songs you've heard before, or beautiful renditions of already written songs, Austin's skill are incomparable. Look no further for somebody to fill even the biggest shoes of your special event, this guy is the real deal and as good as they get. I am forever grateful for having him there for my special day, as I'm sure you will feel the same for yours! Thank you again Austin Charnis Guitar for kicking some serious ass and for making people cry......in the best way possible of course! It wouldn't have been the same without you! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Brian A.
There are not enough stars in the galaxy to rate Austin! His professionalism, dedication and skill will make your special day or event come alive! I cannot put into words how his playing and presence at my wedding was a complete game changer. Look no further for somebody to be attentive to you, your guests and the event. He communicated with us from day one and helped us orchestrate and pick the absolute best songs, best play list and when to play them. His knowledge of music is unparalleled to none! Whether it was songs you've heard before, or beautiful renditions of already written songs, Austin's skill are incomparable. Look no further for somebody to fill even the biggest shoes of your special event, this guy is the real deal and as good as they get. I am forever grateful for having him there for my special day, as I'm sure you will feel the same for yours! Thank you again Austin Charnis Guitar for kicking some serious ass and for making people cry......in the best way possible of course! It wouldn't have been the same without you! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Kathryn Harder
Austin was incredible to work with for our wedding ceremony! We had many acoustic options to choose from, varying in genre and tempo, that allowed us to customize the mood and set the tone perfectly for our wedding. Austin was prompt with his responses and very professional. It was so special to have him as part of our day! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Kathryn
Austin was incredible to work with for our wedding ceremony! We had many acoustic options to choose from, varying in genre and tempo, that allowed us to customize the mood and set the tone perfectly for our wedding. Austin was prompt with his responses and very professional. It was so special to have him as part of our day! More...
Reviewed on WeddingWire
Kelly DeBellis
Austin was the absolute best choice that we made for music for our wedding. We needed to quickly put together a micro-wedding when COVID hit, and Austin was willing and able to accommodate our every need. He was so patient when I took forever to respond amidst the chaos of the pandemic, he was willing to work with us on anything we needed, and he always responded to my emails/texts so quickly. I also come from a family of musicians, so I knew they had to be impressed with our wedding music. The first thing one of my musician aunts said in our group text when our wedding Zoom started was "the guitarist is great!". Austin will be sure to impress even the toughest of critics. Hire him for your wedding!!! More...
Reviewed on The Knot
Kelly D.
Austin was the absolute best choice that we made for music for our wedding. We needed to quickly put together a micro-wedding when COVID hit, and Austin was willing and able to accommodate our every need.
He was so patient when I took forever to respond amidst the chaos of the pandemic, he was willing to work with us on anything we needed, and he always responded to my emails/texts so quickly. I also come from a family of musicians, so I knew they had to be impressed with our wedding music. The first thing one of my musician aunts said in our group text when our wedding Zoom started was "the guitarist is great!". Austin will be sure to impress even the toughest of critics. Hire him for your wedding!!!
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Reviewed on WeddingWire
Christine Kirkwood
I highly recommend hiring Austin to play at your wedding. He is extremely talented, hardworking and super responsive.
From the first call with Austin I knew he was exactly what we were looking for.
Our guests complemented him and he’s just an all around great guy. I’m looking forward to seeing all the great things he does in the future as well.
Don’t even think it through just go ahead and book Austin! I promise you he will deliver.
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Reviewed on The Knot
What do you love most about your job?
Connecting with people through beautiful music and making them smile.
What inspired you to start your own business?
I love playing music and working with people, and I always wanted to perform at weddings and events. I started with local events and friends' weddings, and quickly realized I had found my niche.
Why should our clients choose you?
Music should be meaningful. I work closely and carefully with each of my clients to elevate their events with a special performance.
Wedding Ceremony Music
Prelude, Processionals, Interludes, Recessional, Postlude Song Selection, Wireless P.A. System + Instruments Venue, Planner & Officiant Coordination
Cocktail Hour & Reception Music
Live instrumental guitar for wedding/event cocktail hour or reception
Wireless Microphones
Shure Wireless microphone setup and operation for speaking elements of any event
Private Event/Party Music
Live instrumental guitar for any type of private event or party
Restaurant Music
Live instrumental guitar for casual to fine dining restaurants
Public Event Music
Live instrumental guitar for community events & festivals