Ceremony music opinion

So i have my heart set on a 4 string quartet to play at my ceremony. However, I am getting married at JT and my ceremony will probably be about 20 minutes long.

Right now i just have it set so that my dj is just going to do the music...

What do you think would you do the 4 string quartet for just a short time?

see if they can stay and play during the cocktail hour too. that would be a really nice touch

this way you are getting more time with them.

or even ask one person to stay: violinist just to play during CH

It depends on how important it is to you. Personally, I wouldnt spend the $ for the short time.....but I am spending the $ on a chocloate fountain

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Posted by boky17

It depends on how important it is to you. Personally, I wouldnt spend the $ for the short time.....but I am spending the $ on a chocloate fountain

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oooohhhh Chocolate fountain, a must HAVE!!!

Regarding String Quartet...if that's what you've always and it will make you happy and have no regrets, then it's worth the money. I personally was going to have live music until I asked an Officiant what she felt was a waste at ceremonies, and she said she felt live music wasn't needed. I think I'm just going with the DJ music for the Ceremony.

I had to have live music at the ceremony - for me it was a MUST have........

we wanted a quartet but saved money by getting a trio instead.....

they are also staying for our CH which 1 1/2 hours - they will be there for 2 hours total. 30 min ceremony + 90 min CH

FH knows the guy through the DJ company he works for so we got a good deal for the trio and live percussion.

Also if you are having them stay for the CH, its a good idea to have one member start playing at the CH immediately after the ceremony while the others pack up and move into the CH room. FH said sometimes it takes awhile for them to move into the CH room from the ceremony and if you are paying for that time at least you have a soloist for a few minutes until the other members arrive.

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Posted by Future Mulligan

I had to have live music at the ceremony - for me it was a MUST have........

we wanted a quartet but saved money by getting a trio instead.....

they are also staying for our CH which 1 1/2 hours - they will be there for 2 hours total. 30 min ceremony + 90 min CH

FH knows the guy through the DJ company he works for so we got a good deal for the trio and live percussion.

Also if you are having them stay for the CH, its a good idea to have one member start playing at the CH immediately after the ceremony while the others pack up and move into the CH room. FH said sometimes it takes awhile for them to move into the CH room from the ceremony and if you are paying for that time at least you have a soloist for a few minutes until the other members arrive.

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Which instruments do you get with the trio?

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Posted by jnkcrunk

see if they can stay and play during the cocktail hour too. that would be a really nice touch

this way you are getting more time with them.

or even ask one person to stay: violinist just to play during CH

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I agree- have them for ch also

I just went to a wedding last weekend where they had the string quartet for just the ceremony (they played a bit also when ppl were taking their seats)

It was a nice touch.

The RH most likely has music playing at the CH so you really dont need them unless you want them.

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Posted by DNS91308

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Posted by Future Mulligan

I had to have live music at the ceremony - for me it was a MUST have........

we wanted a quartet but saved money by getting a trio instead.....

they are also staying for our CH which 1 1/2 hours - they will be there for 2 hours total. 30 min ceremony + 90 min CH

FH knows the guy through the DJ company he works for so we got a good deal for the trio and live percussion.

Also if you are having them stay for the CH, its a good idea to have one member start playing at the CH immediately after the ceremony while the others pack up and move into the CH room. FH said sometimes it takes awhile for them to move into the CH room from the ceremony and if you are paying for that time at least you have a soloist for a few minutes until the other members arrive.

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Which instruments do you get with the trio?

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FH booked it but I am almost positive its a cello, violin and viola

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Posted by Future Mulligan

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Posted by DNS91308

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Posted by Future Mulligan

I had to have live music at the ceremony - for me it was a MUST have........

we wanted a quartet but saved money by getting a trio instead.....

they are also staying for our CH which 1 1/2 hours - they will be there for 2 hours total. 30 min ceremony + 90 min CH

FH knows the guy through the DJ company he works for so we got a good deal for the trio and live percussion.

Also if you are having them stay for the CH, its a good idea to have one member start playing at the CH immediately after the ceremony while the others pack up and move into the CH room. FH said sometimes it takes awhile for them to move into the CH room from the ceremony and if you are paying for that time at least you have a soloist for a few minutes until the other members arrive.

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Which instruments do you get with the trio?

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FH booked it but I am almost positive its a cello, violin and viola

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Very cool, ill check that out too, thanks for the help ladies!

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Posted by MPAS

Is your DJ willing to do the CH music? Will they be playing music off of their system?? I say go for the string quart. Why do they need to play for only 20 mins??

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Yes, right now the dj is playing the ceremony, cocktail and reception.

For the ceremony and cocktail they are playing off their system,

For the reception i have a live sax and percussion player along with the system.

Its just when i think about walking down the aisle, i always thought about having a pretty string quartet/trio playing while i walked down. I dont know how i feel about a man behind a curtain playing my music off a system...

I know im being silly

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Posted by DNS91308

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Posted by MPAS

Is your DJ willing to do the CH music? Will they be playing music off of their system?? I say go for the string quart. Why do they need to play for only 20 mins??

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Yes, right now the dj is playing the ceremony, cocktail and reception.

For the ceremony and cocktail they are playing off their system,

For the reception i have a live sax and percussion player along with the system.

Its just when i think about walking down the aisle, i always thought about having a pretty string quartet/trio playing while i walked down. I dont know how i feel about a man behind a curtain playing my music off a system...

I know im being silly

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i dont think you are being silly - i felt the same exact way. FH agreed - he is the man behind the curtain most of the time so he knows the deal and he wanted live music too.... i think its soooo romantic to hear strings playing and its how i picture walking down the aisle. and since they are already there we figured we might as well have them play some christmas music during the CH. good luck! i hope you can get them it will be really beautiful!

I am a recent bride and also a violinist, and I play at weddings all the time. Most of the ceremonies that i've played at, and also my own ceremony that my friends played at average aroung 15-20 minutes. Usually we get there a half hour before the ceremony starts to play while guests are arriving, that way if the bride or groom is running late there's not just awkward waiting around. At my wedding some of my mom's relatives were running really late because there was a storm and a bunch of traffic lights were out on nichols road, so my friends who were playing ended up playing for a while before the ceremony started. Often we also play for the cocktail hour.

But it is totally normal to be booked for a short ceremony. I don't know what other people do, but I charge a flat fee that includes music for a half hour before the ceremony and music during the ceremony. The fee only changes if it is going to be a full mass.

Hope this helps, let me know if you have any questions!

do you have or know anyone that plays stringed instruments?

I made up my string quartet with college aged kids from my church that grew up playing those instruments their whole life. And it was FREE! They're actually amazingly good (one went to julliard...the other two went to LaGuardia for music...and the last one is one of those prodigy types).