SMT MUSIC - A GUIDE FOR CHOOSING WEDDING MUSICIANS

This week Stephen Taylor founder of SMT Music shares with us tips and advise on how to chose the perfect music ensemble for your wedding. SMT Music provides all types of live music for your entertainment needs.  Of course they provide ensembles for ceremony music but they also have strolling groups, western and swing bands, vocal ensembles and other unique niche groups.  Please visit SMT Music's website to learn more. (click here)

Your wedding day is set. You’ve got a million things to think about
among which is what you are going to have for your ceremony music. Let
me “stipulate” at the beginning, we’re assuming you are having live
musicians for your wedding: not recorded music. You have chosen your
venue be it a church or garden setting. You know approximately how many
guests you’ll have. You may even know how many maids you are having and
if there are any children, i.e. flower girl(s) or ringbearer(s). At least these
are things that the musician(s) playing for your wedding will want to know
at some point.

But, for now let’s look at it from your perspective. You are planning
what is one of the most important events in your life. This is a day you’ll
want to look back on with fond memories. You obviously have to be
realistic in terms of what will work for your budget. Like any important
undertaking, the budget can change over time. Being prepared will help to
keep your costs under control.

If your wedding is at a church then something as simple as a piano or
organ could suffice. Upside, it’s not real expensive. Downside, it might be
a tad “pedestrian”. There are some marvelous pianists and organist who
can provide variety and quality. A lot depends on who’s playing. That
goes for ensembles as well. One size does not fit all. Therefore, you
should ask if they can provide you with some information . Any ensemble
that plays for weddings on a regular basis should be able to provide you
with audio sound samples. Perhaps they have a demo CD or can send you
some mp3 sound examples via the internet. Some groups post sound
samples on their web site. It might be more difficult for an organist or
pianist to do that. They often rely on referrals or the fact they are
employed by a church to prove they are worthy. I wouldn’t necessarily
accept that as “proof positive”. You could ask them to provide you a
couple names or testimonials of brides they’ve played for. Also, ask for a
repertoire list of what songs they play for weddings. They should have
musical selections organized according to what they might play for the
prelude portion of the wedding which is the period when your guests are
arriving, and they should have a list of songs for the processional part of
the ceremony, i.e. when the bridal party and bride and officiant enter.
There are a number of standard marches and pieces commonly used for
that. The reason they are used for weddings is they can be shortened or
lengthened as needed to accomodate time needed for those walking. For
example, for the maids, whether you have 2 or 10, the Kanon in D by
Pachelbel works quite well. It can be a fairly short piece or it can be
“stretched out” as needed. Some brides ask for music that may not be
practical as “walking music”. Some songs cannot be edited to fit the
length of the processional. So, keep in mind, when the musician leader
recommends certain music or tells you your choice may fit better at the
reception, they may be thinking in terms of what works in terms of
logistics.

Pricing

As a musician it sometimes is demoralizing to realize that a couple
flower settings at a table probably cost as much your ensemble. Musicians
are providing a very important service for you. This is one of the most
important events in your life. You have dreamed about this day, done lots
of planning and are spending a small fortune. Don’t jump at choosing the
least expensive group, unless they prove to you they are up to par. The
memory of a beautiful performance will long outlast the cost.
Pricing will vary between groups. Most ensembles will have a web site.
On the site some will list their pricing. If not stated, you need to find out
what time the group will arrive in relation to the start of the wedding. Ask
how much prelude music the price includes. Some groups will provide 30
minutes. Some will play for as short as 15 minutes. So, ask if it’s not
stated. Most protestant weddings are about 30 minutes in duration.
Some things can cause a wedding to run long. They include starting late, a
longwinded minister, dismissing of attendees by row or having a receiving
line. Most ensembles play a recessional that gets the bridal party and
immediate family dismissed. If you plan on having a row by row exiting of
guests and you expect the music to continue throughout you should
discuss that in advance with the musicians. There may be an extra charge.
We anticipate some running over by including a 10 min. “margin” onto the
30 min. If the wedding runs over more than 10 min. then the bride incurs
one unit of overtime. Typically Jewish weddings last about 40 min. and a
Catholic mass will run about an hour for the mass not including prelude
music. So, the pricing structure varies according to the type of service.
One other note about pricing. Not all weddings will occur within a
convenient driving distance for the musicians. You may be having your
wedding some distance from the city where the musicians live. For
example, we are based in Louisville, KY. But, we also play weddings in
surrounding cites such as Lexington, Elizabethtown or Frankfort.
Obviously, the rates posted on our site won’t apply in all cases. So, a
musician will take into consideration the time involved in getting to your
wedding. Most musicians I work with are paid by their time. So, if it takes
45 min. to get to your wedding they are dealing with an hour and half of
travel time. Most musicians are quite conscientious about being on time
so they will allow extra time on the front side to make sure they aren’t late
due to traffic or other. It’s always a good idea to give the leader a good
contact cell number for the day of the wedding. That way, in case of an
accident which causes a delay or other contingency, they have a way to
let you know. That rarely happens but it’s important to have a line of
communication available.

Part II (Order of Processionals in Wedding)

Normally, the grandparents will enter first, if they are being formally
seated, next the parents. If you are having a unity candle later in the
ceremony the mothers will light a candle before being seated. Then
typically, the minister and groomsmen enter. You may keep the same
music playing you had for the parents or you may decide the men should
have their own music. I find a robust sounding piece works well here.
Something like the Rondeau by Mouret. That is a standard march played
for weddings, sometimes as a recessional.

Once the officiant and men are in the maids will enter. They will have
their own music. The Kanon in D by Pachelbel is a popular selection, and
there are many others. The music continues for the flower girl(s) and
ringbearer(s) that follow on their heels. Next comes the bridal march.
Often we will play a short “fanfare” to signal the arrival of the bride. At
this time the attendees will stand.

The officiant will welcome the guests and bridal party. The bride’s
father will acknowledge the “giving” of the bride and be seated. Then,
there are readings or sometimes poems read by close friends, maybe a
short homily by the officiant or minister, and then the vows. The next
music heard would be for the lighting of the unity candle. A unity candle is
optional. If you are having a unity candle, then a special song or
instrumental selection gives voice to deeply held feelings of love,
commitment and joy. Everyone is held captive for a few brief moments
before the official end of the ceremony, pronouncement of marriage and
the final recessional music.

If you are Catholic and are having a mass you will need a “cantor”, a
vocalist who will lead the responses to the old testament and new
testament readings. There are a number of standard “responses” that
work for that and the cantor will also sing and lead the mass portions
that follow. We often choose the music in consultation with the director
of music at the church. If you are not using an organist but are using a
string quartet or trio, then the musicians will have to have arrangements
of music to accompany the vocalist in the singing of the mass responses.
Jewish weddings are similar to protestant weddings in that there is a
prelude music portion and the processional portion. Traditionally, the
rabbi and cantor walk out first, then the grandparents. Next, the
groomsmen, in pairs and the best man. Then the groom enters escorted
by his parents. Then the bridesmaids, maid of honor, ringbearer and
flower girls and finally the bride is escorted by her parents. The parents
will walk up under the Chuppah and the groom will meet the bride and
escort her under the Chuppah. In the more traditional or “conservative”
jewish wedding when the bride and groom walk up under the Chuppah,
(canopy supported on four sides) they will circle one another seven
times. This is a very general outline and there can be a lot of variety
depending on the couple and the rabbi performing the ceremony. But
relative to the music: there will be music for the grandparents,
groomsmen, groom and parents, maids and finally the bride and her
parents. During the ceremony rarely is music needed outside the singing
done by the cantor or rabbi which is not accompanied. The only other
music needed is the recessional which happens after the breaking of the
wine glass and the congregational shout of “Mazel Tov!” . Then the
instrumentalist(s) will launch into the recessional song(s)...typically Mazel
Tov, Simon Tov and other well known lively jewish songs of celebration.
We usually do not require a vocalist for a jewish ceremony. I did have
one a few years ago where the bride’s father sang a special song but that
was an exception. The only singing at a jewish wedding is done by the
cantor and is not accompanied.

For Protestant or Catholic Weddings

If you are using a vocalist for your wedding you might consider having a
vocal selection as the final prelude piece. I have found that works well to
get everyone’s attention focused on the wedding ceremony which is
about to take place. Your ensemble or organist is playing prelude music
and the change to a vocal selection signals something special is
happening. People stop visiting and talking and direct their attention to
the front. That makes a nice transition into the start of the processional
music.

Playing Conditions

If the wedding is outside most string ensembles will require that the
musicians be shaded or out of direct sunlight. That is not so much for the
musicians but for their expensive instruments which can be damaged by
exposure to direct sun. The same goes for rain. Also, we’ve had brides
who schedule outside weddings in mid to late October. Sometimes the
temperature can dip quite low. Again, instruments can be damaged and
it’s important to be considerate of that. What I’ve experienced is it can
be uncomfortably chilly, with varying levels of humidity outside.
Consequently, the guests will often stay inside until the last minute and
the poor musicians will have been outside for nearly an hour before the
actual start of the wedding. In cold weather we risk getting cracks in our
instruments, our hands are freezing, and there will be only a handful of
guests actually seated. Brides and their mothers, who I’m sure under
normal circumstances are even tempered fair minded people, given the
stress of preparing for a wedding and unpredictability of weather
conditions can become somewhat unhinged and lose their normal
equilibrium.

So, contingencies should be planned for in advance in case of possible
rain, or inclement weather conditions.

Most groups will have you sign a contract in advance and also receive a
deposit which will guarantee their service. Best to get a contract from
any vendor that is providing service for you. And while not every possible
detail can be included in a contract it will provide a basic framework of
what you can expect to get for your money. And of course, doing your
homework by getting information about your vendors, (musicians, in this
case) in advance will stand you in good stead. Please contact me at
smtfiddle@insightbb.com for any questions or comments.

Cordially,
Steve Taylor
SMT Music
Louisville, KY
www.smtmusic.net



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