Booking a string quartet for just the wedding ceremony.
On the whole, quite a large proportion of string quartets have a ‘minimum booking period’ of at least 2 or 3 hours, particularly for peak Saturdays over the summer months. This is simply because in the busiest and best string quartets, all four musicians will not only be in demand for the quartet itself, but will have offers of orchestral or recording work anyway. To play in the quartet for just the duration of a ceremony, although it might seem like only one hour, in effect each player will have to turn down that whole day of work (evening concerts often have afternoon rehearsals), in order to take on any playing engagement, so they’ll need to earn an equivalent fee to make it viable.
If you’re looking at amateur or part time groups, then these are more likely to give you a quotation for a single ‘one hour’ booking, but professional groups will normally have a longer period that they need to charge for.
If a client really only wants music for a wedding ceremony, they should bear in mind that a string quartet can be used in quite a variety of ways throughout the wedding proceedings, to really enhance the day.
Firstly, many couples opt to have the string quartet playing for up to half an hour before the ceremony to create a lovely atmosphere as guests arrive and are seated. Well chosen music can perfectly set the tone or atmosphere of the day - whether it’s serene, uplifting, celebratory or elegant, the musicians will be able to suggest some pieces that will work well for the feeling you are aiming to create.
For the ceremony itself, usually the quartet will provide music for the entrance of the bride, during the signing of the register, accompany any hymns and provide music for the exit of the married couple. After that, as guests spill out of the ceremony rooms or pictures are taken, again the musicians can provide background pieces to keep everyone entertained - ideally moving outside to the area where people are congregating - and by switching to upbeat, celebratory music it can create a real talking point among the guests.
By including pre-ceremony music and considering background music during photographs, many couples realise that they need the group for longer than just the ceremony itself and a two hour booking is more appropriate anyway.
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