We provide live musicians and entertainers for a number of weddings. It is always a pleasure to work with brides who are so happy and excited about their special day. And wonderful when we hear how music has transformed their wedding day.
We also hear from many people at network meetings who say "I wish we had heard about you" and then tell me a dreadful story about how a musician didn't show up/cancelled two weeks before the wedding because they had a better offer/walked through the wedding ceremony to set up for the party.... The list is endless. I am always horrified - and they agree that if they had spent a little more money, they would have been totally satisfied.
Weddings are very emotive with people quite rightly wanting the very best. It is also a worrying time, and you need people around you that are trustworthy and will do the job well. We only use professional musicians who I have personally interviewed and auditioned. I know that they are representing my company and they have to be excellent musicians and great communicators.
I have been reading "How to have a wedding in a credit crunch" articles in the press recently. I do agree that there are savings to be made, but getting in experienced music students for 10% less than our prices is only going to lead to disappointment. Unfortunately, you do get what you pay for with musicians.
I always give brides a variety of options so that they can compare the price of a string quartet or trio with a harpist and classical guitarist. I am not judgemental about what they choose - but it does give them the option of saving some money whilst still experiencing live music. Also, because we are an established company, we are not going to 'disappear' - which is something that happened to some local brides that had paid the deposit for a guitarist... I send out a FAQ sheet which gives advice on saving alittle money on the refreshments for the musicians (supply sandwiches from Waitrose not paying for a high priced meal from the venue) and also making the most of the musicians when they are at your wedding.
If you need any advice on musicians for your wedding, please do not hesitate to contact me.
