Wedding How to search for ceremony musicians?

[lliang_chi]

Do you need to know what songs you need? Do you need to know your budget? I don''t know how much things cost or what''s the appropriate amount of musicians to hire. E.g. a string quartet same decibel presence as a harpist? Does it make a difference if it''s an outdoor wedding? Any guidance would be great!

~Lisa

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Hello! We''re having a harpist and flutist(person who plays the flute?) for our outdoor wedding. I went by way of my vendor''s recommended list. I also did some searches for local ceremony musicians, there were also some at the bridal show. It does make a bit of a difference if it''s outdoors because a lot of the instruments can''t be in direct sunlight and if it rains they will definitely need cover. Also need to know your budget in that the max you''re willing to spend. Not sure how they run in FL where the venues you looked at were, but quartets ran about $550-750 here which wasn''t crazy. I fell in love with the harp though! Hope that helps some!

 

[lliang_chi]

Thanks Sarah, it does help. I really don''t know where to start with ceremony musicians! If you find a band, can you just book a vocalist and instrument and call it a day? And what are you doing for your outdoor ceremony, Are you providing a tent for them?

 

[swimmer]

I used Myspace. Just searched for local quartets, there were acoustic guitars, zydeco, whatever you could possibly want. And you get to listen to them first and see their pics. That is how I picked our reception band too. Actually, I had friends vote on that one based on their myspace sites.

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Date: 8/21/2008 7:50:49 AM
Author: lliang_chi
Thanks Sarah, it does help. I really don''t know where to start with ceremony musicians! If you find a band, can you just book a vocalist and instrument and call it a day? And what are you doing for your outdoor ceremony, Are you providing a tent for them?

Hmm..probably as to the answer for vocalist and instruments. But you might want to look for a full band through even an entertainment/agency group. They can help you find a band and book it. Check with your venue on the outdoor noise restrictions. I know that at my venue..since there will be multiple weddings going on there is no amplified sound allowed during ceremonies. So only live non-amplified sound..singing would be okay..but I don''t think you can set up huge speakers and a mic. Anyway, just a thing to consider! As for the tent, I won''t be because there''s a small covered area of the structure at the ceremony site. So they can kind of sit under there and gets some shade and protection if it randomly started raining. BUT if it was anywhere else..unless there was clear shade..I think I would have to provide a tent. I am not sure how sensitive violins are, but apparently harps can''t get very hot/a lot of direct sunlight? Ahh! It can be so frustrating! Haha.

 

[Octavia]

Do you have a conservatory or university with a good music program in your area? These are often great places to look for musicians who are highly trained but don't cost a fortune. Costs are going to vary by location, the musicians' training and experience, the length of time you want them there, etc., so comparing quotes from a few groups is probably a good idea.

A string quartet will be louder than a harp, but unless you're going to be spread out across a huge area, it should be fine either way. If it's a really large area, the sound will eventually dissipate and be sort of muddled toward the edges. You could also try for a duet or trio, there are plenty of arrangements for smaller chamber groups, not just quartets.

A lot of the sensitivity of instruments depends on their age and pedigree -- some of the best string instruments are 200+ years old and worth millions of dollars, but even the modern, less expensive instruments (which is all relative...even these can cost many thousands of dollars) are highly weather-sensitive. Extreme humidity or dryness can cause the wood to crack or the glue holding the pieces together to deteriorate, and direct sunlight and heat can affect the varnish, which is an important part of the instrument's sound. Other wooden instruments (harps, clarinets, oboes, etc.) are also prone to weather-related problems, although there are some instruments (mainly the brass ones) that can take a little more. Even so, they're finely tuned machines (pun intended) and have their limits. It's really not the musicians just being difficult, though -- repairs are extremely expensive and some instruments never sound quite the same after a drastic repair, so protecting the instrument is a high priority for most musicians.

If you're going for fairly standard wedding songs (i.e. Pachabel's Canon, the Wedding March, etc.) it should be easy enough to find musicians that sound good playing them. If you have more eclectic tastes, you should probably have a list of songs you'd like before you book the musicians, and double-check it with them. They may be willing to learn your pieces if they don't already know them, or they may not...best to find out up-front.

I hope this was helpful!

 

[SarahLovesJS]

Also one last thing!! When you''re looking for songs to play..I found this on PS before..http://www.vitaminrecords.com/web/page.asp is awesome to get an idea of what contemporary songs sound like in strings!

 

[urseberry]

I was able to rent a market umbrella from the same company that provided my chairs to cover the string quartet and their instruments in full shade.

 

[lliang_chi]

Octavia, thanks that was very helpful. There are a few local colleges in the city I'll be getting married but I don't know of any conservatories. I'll try to keep looking.

swimmer, wow myspace, really? I've never used it before, I guess I'll have to try it out. Side note, I feel so old saying that, but I'm really not. I just didn't follow the whole myspace, facebook, etc phenomenon... You crazy "kids" these days, with your new fangled websites... Ha ha.

 

[HollyS]

We knew we wanted a classical guitarist. I picked up a copy of Austin Wedding Day and perused the back of the magazine which contained ads for all things bridal, separated by venue, food, florals, photogs, lighting, music, etc. Found an ad for our guy, which led me to his website, and I was able to listen to his music online. We set up an appointment to meet him , listen in person to him, and decide our music selections.

If you don''t even know what you want yet, hmmmmm.....

If you think you might like a quartet, flutist, harpist, pianist for a cocktail hour, light jazz for dinner, but are concerned with the cost, consider a local college group or individual.

Also, many of the musicians who work by referral from your planner will probably allow you to meet them and ''sample'' their work, prior to making any firm commitment.

 

[clop]

Hi Lisa,

The musicians I contacted provided recommendations for popular songs. The rates I received ranged greatly, from $100 to $250 an hour, people also had 2 hour minimums. They will ask if it is indoor, outdoor, number of guests, and make recommendations. My best friend''s sister, a cellist, requested we have at least a duo or trio to accompany her because she said the cello alone would not carry as well. We posted ads in the area music colleges, the students'' starting rates were $125. Harpists were $150, with an extra charge for playing outdoors. We also posted and checked Craigslist, with some success (We''re going with people we found there). Good luck with your search!

 

[musey]

We found our guitarist through gigmasters.com. It worked really well for us. You enter in search parameters, and they have an automated request form you send to musicians you're interested in. Then they'll respond to you with their availability and pricing.

It's helpful to know which pieces you want, because though many musicians will learn new pieces (ours offers up to 2 for free, each one after is $35... TOTALLY reasonable IMO), some--especially groups--won't.

 

[swimmer]

Date: 8/21/2008 3:25:38 PM
Author: lliang_chi

swimmer, wow myspace, really? I''ve never used it before, I guess I''ll have to try it out. Side note, I feel so old saying that, but I''m really not. I just didn''t follow the whole myspace, facebook, etc phenomenon... You crazy ''kids'' these days, with your new fangled websites... Ha ha.

Ha! I''m 31 and don''t "do" any of those sites because I don''t really get them...and all my students do, but Myspace was great for finding musicians and getting a good listen. Though, we actually found our ceremony group through our officiant.