This might seem as a very small issue, but to us it is somewhat important – where should the musicians be positioned for certain events? 

In my opinion – it depends on the event. If the musicians serve as a background effect for a cocktail hour, dinner reception, or any other private gathering, then they should not be placed in the middle of the room, or any place where people will bump into them, or where musicians will be too loud.  Also, placing them near the bar  where the drinks are served is also not a good idea.   For such events it is usually not a big issue. Wedding ceremonies, however, present a more important issue of visibility. At least one of the musicians has to be positioned in such a way so he/she may see the bridal party and the bride walking down to the site of the ceremony. That is how musicians know when to stop or fade a piece of music currently being played.   Many times our musicians were placed next to the ceremony spot  in such a way that after the bridal party walked down, they blocked our view of the bride and it was hard to see her coming down. The solution? Either the musicians should be placed where the bridal party and the bride are visible to them, or someone else (wedding coordinator or ceremony administrator) should give musicians a cue to when to stop playing.

Another issue, mostly visual. Especially for weddings, our  musicians know that wedding photographers will be taking photos of them for the bride and the groom, and having our cases, purses and bags laying around us is not a good visual on a photograph. Many times it is unavoidable due to the lack of space. Our most recent job at Robert Morris University presented just that. It was a beautiful chapel with incredible acoustics, but limited space. So, musicians ( violinist and a cellist) had to have their cases right next to them due to the lack of space. Sometimes, we ask if there is a room near by so we can leave our cases there. In this chapel there were none. Again, it is not a major issue in the big picture of wedding preparation, but it does make a photo more attractive without the clutter of our equipment!