Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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!

Although we try to keep our web site as informative as possible, at times we are asked questions that are not as common as others. The following list  was started just for that reason. We have compiled less common questions that clients have asked us and provided our answers to each…

Your question: “What if I hire four musicians for my wedding and only three show up?” 

Our answer: Knock on wood, it is yet to happen for our musicians.  We have been playing at weddings and other events for close to twenty years and every musician so far has made it. However, it IS a fair question. In the unlikely event of one of the musicians not making it to the wedding – you will get reimbursement for that portion of the payment and we will still play with the remaining number of musicians, doing our best.  Most of our music can be performed with two musicians and still sound presentable. One of the things we have learned over the years is to give ourselves at least forty five extra minutes when we drive to certain wedding locations, those that are over an hour away from Pittsburgh.  That gives us extra time for traffic, constructions, nap times along the way!

 Your question: “What if my plans changed and the wedding will start later or earlier than I indicated on the contract?”

Our answer: Occasionally, it does happen, and we have encountered such situation several times: our wedding musicians were hired to play at a ceremony starting at 2 pm, and one week prior to the wedding, we were asked to start at 1:30 instead.  If the same musicians are booked to play before or after that wedding and there is enough time for the change, especially traveling time – it won’t be a problem. However, sometimes we might not be able to accommodate such a time change. It also depends on the number of  musicians available at that time.  Sometimes we switch players with their jobs assignments, sending a musician to a different playing job to accommodate clients.  Most often, a change within a half an hour window is very feasible. 

Your question: “Will the musicians’ outfits match the bridesmaids dresses?”

Our answer: Unfortunately, no. We have two choices for our dress codes. One is all black – black top and bottom, such as a black dress or black blouse/black slacks/skirt for women, and a tuxedo for men. Two – white top and black bottom for women and a suit/tie for men. You may always let us know your preference. 

 Your question: ” Is there a limit on how many songs musicians will be able to play during a wedding ceremony? Will I get charged if I want more than just music for the processional and the recessional?”

Our answer: You may choose as many pieces for your ceremony as you like, as long as they do not exceed the length of the agreed time in the contract. In fact, especially for weddings, we try to encourage brides to include music not only for the entrance and the exit of the bride, but throughout the ceremony as well.  The musicians are already there, might as well use them as much as possible.

Your question: “Will I get charged for prelude music, or just for the wedding ceremony”?

Our answer: Any time that the musicians are playing we will charge for.  Wedding Prelude and Postlude ARE parts of the wedding ceremony.  Please make sure to include the time for Prelude and Postlude in our contract. If the wedding starts at 4 pm, and you wish the musicians to play a Prelude beforehand, you may put starting time for musicians as 3:30 or 3:45, depending on how long you wish them to play prior to the ceremony. The same logic applies to Postlude. You may opt out of Prelude and Postlude being played by musicians. In that case, we will play ONLY for the wedding ceremony. 

 Your question: “My event is for two hours,but I only need the musicians to play at the beginning and at the end, with one hour break in between. Do I pay for one hour or for two hours”?

Our answer: Any time that the musicians are at the ” job site” they get paid regardless if they are playing or not.  We have committed that time to a given job and ask to be paid for. 

 Your question: “Am I able to reserve a group while I think about it, without putting any down payment?”

Our answer: Unfortunately, not. The only way to reserve musicians is to put a down payment.  We receive many weekly requests for our availability, and cannot rely on a verbal agreement in case a client changes his/her mind.  In order to accommodate more than one event per day, we need to know for sure which ones of our musicians are booked and which ones are still available.  

 Your question: “My wedding was in October. I received one price quote on a string quartet when I called in January, and a different one when I called in September.  The September quote was a little bit higher. Why is that? 

Our answer: The closer a client contacts us to the date the higher price might be quoted.  At times it is harder to find musicians who will be available on a short notice, especially for our company since we work only with the top professional string musicians and do not hire college level musicians. amateurs, or those with only a few years of experience.  We suggest to contact us at least four weeks prior to your event to book musicians, especially for wedding ceremonies.