How much is everyone paying for ceremony music?

[MelissaSue]

Obviously, you don''t have to share this.. but I''m just trying to get an idea.
I''ve sort of procrastinated on finding ceremony musicians, because I kept changing my mind (quite honestly, I would have been happy with music on CD, but no one else liked that idea... and I''m not using the AWFUL singer/pianist that is employed by FIs church.. )
So.. I saw a recommendation on the knot for ceremony musicians, the price seemed good, and honestly it was the only reccomendation I''d seen for one. I''d looked up the local musicians union and there were several string quartet/musician options, but they would have just been totally random.. with no recommendations from anyone
So they finally call me back tonite, and the pricing is like this
for the entire ceremony
Violin plus flute- $200
Violin/flute/cello (I think this is the option I''d pick) -$300
String quartet -$400

Honestly this seemed like a really good price to me, since we had been told that a string quartet would run us at least $500. I was basically ready to book them.. I just wanted to decide for sure how many musicians we''d need.
So I come home and was all excited to tell my parents.. and my dad got all bitchy about it.. he said that $100/hour per musician did NOT seem cheap to him (Even though he is the one who told me that string quartets would cost at least $500). And he wanted me to tell him all the places they''ve played and blah blah blah.. The recommendation on theknot was enough for me!
I really don''t even think that $400 in the grand scheme of things is that much money. We really are not having a "cheap" wedding..
I mean I guess it doesn''t matter. FI told me that he''ll pay for the musicians, because he didn''t want a CD, and every one was spending so much time bitching about the price of musicians.. so who cares what my father says.. I guess.

 

[ky6]

I am using a string quartet for my ceremony and a jazz trio for the bulk of my reception. The string quartet is charging $300 and the trio, for 2 hours, is $350. However, I am getting a bit of a deal (I think) because one of the members of the quartet is the wife of a co-worker of my mothers. And the jazz trio is headed by her son. I do not know what they all normally charge, but I can tell you that I consider it a great deal- including your $100 per hour per musician deal.

I say if you guys are paying for the music yourselves, and you feel it is a fair deal, then go for it. However I do understand your father wanting you to check into the amount of wedding experience this group has. I also think that it is important to at least have heard a demo of the group. Also, there is something to be said for a group who has played together often and developed a sort of chemistry together musically. They are able to pick up better on certain cues throughout the ceremony and deal with any hiccups that may happen appropriately.

So to answer your question, I do think it is a good deal. Anyhow, just my $.02.

 

[mistylark]

we are just doing the organist from the church for $75.

but the $400 for live music is very fair. even here in Central IL a string quartet is at least $500. So I say out vote Dad!

 

[MelissaSue]

FI and I have decided to pay for it ourselves.. So I don''t even have to deal with my dad. Anyway.. the violinist and flautist I believe are husband and wife.. so I think they have lots of experience working together.
I cant'' find the knotties full review of them, but she totally raved about them, and was very pleased with everything!
I would be very happy with the trio, but FI is insisting on the quartet, since he seems to think that is what I want.

 

[JessesGrl]

I paid 200 per piece, I just the piano to play during the enterance and recessional..he also played music as guests arrived. It was also 200 per piece during cocktail hour, I chose the flute and violin I believe...don''t even remember and was taking pictures during this time and completely missed this part of my wedding...people enjoyed it though

 

[ame]

I hired a harpist for like $300 I think? She was fantastic. But then I knew that bec all my friends hired her.

 

[lmurden]

We are going to use a cd probably or a get a pianist/student from the University of Maryland School of Music to play for a half an hour.

 

[gingerBcookie]

my friend''s wedding coordinator told me a fair price is $100 per musician per hour. I CANNOT find ANYONE here who is going for that price so I totally jealous you did!!! I really want a string quartet and the prices here are $650 and up!!!!

 

[Faerievert]

I wish I could aford live strings! I''m paying zero for my ceremony music. We''re just using the room''s sound system to play music off my computer. I''m going to go through my dad''s big collection of classical CD''s to get most of it, and we''ll walking back down the aisle together to The Lion Sleeps Tonight (on a CD my FH owns)!

 

[icekid]

can I get the phone number for your music people, MS?

 

[flopkins]

I''ve book a spanish guitarist for $275. Kinda high overall, I suppose, for one musician, but then, it''s pretty standard pricing in SF. not as bad as Ginger/NY prices, but still blah.

 

[Dodger Gurl]

The lowest quote we''ve gotten for a professional string quartet was $450. I still have to contact our local university''s music groups.

 

[MelissaSue]

Somewhat humorous update- So after my dad got all bitchy about the string quartet costing too much money, he talked to a fellow he knows through work that is also a member of a string quartet, last night. So today he told me that the guy he talked to said he charged the same amount ($100 per piece).. so tonite, he introduces me to the guy and he gives me his business card. He is the Cellist in the SAME string quartet/trio as the people I originally called! Needless to say, we''ll be booking them.. and it looks like my dad is back to willing to pay for it again, now that he did it on his own terms..

 

[Tybee]

LOL!
brilliant! As long as it all worked out, right?

 

[teebee]

Glad to hear it all worked out MS - strings will be sooooo lovely!!

I was originally thinking I''d like to have a classical acoustic guitar, again, keeping everything very natural & organic. And our chapel has a pianist for $125.... But, the fee that my DJ charges includes his services for the entire day so we''re going to go ahead and ask him to handle the ceremony music as well as the reception... Might as well save money where we can!!

 

[FireGoddess]

I personally think that is super cheap - I had a harpist (which was so awesome) and I had to pay $300 just for her, only to play the ceremony and cocktail hour.

 

[LollyBear]

Glad to hear you got what you wanted. I love the idea of a string quartet and I think you are definitely getting a good deal.

Because our location had spanish architecture (why I chose it) and my dress and mantilla were also very ''spanish,'' I decided to go with a solo acoustic guitar. He played for about 1.5 hrs (maybe longer), as guests arrived and through ceremony, for $225. I could have found someone to play for half the price, but this guy could actually play in the flamenco-ish style that I wanted.