Don’t Make An Era-Era-Error: Consider Hiring Live Musicians Too!
Often when planning weddings and other events, people don't realize how important the music and entertainment aspect is to the success of their event! If you leave planning this important part of your event or wedding until last minute you probably won't get the best musicians or have the most options available to you! So make sure you give yourself plenty of time to do the proper research before making a decision!
Guitarist/Violin Duo for Wedding Ceremony, Brian Sensor & Brittany Stockwell
Why do so many people hire a DJ for the entirety of their wedding? It might be because DJ's are their first thought when it comes to entertainment, or they think a DJ is their most affordable option. In reality, when it comes to entertainment for any type of event, there are so many affordable musicians out there who are eager to share their talents with you and your guests! While hiring a DJ does give you many options when it comes to a playlist, there are many different types of musicians you can hire to perform your favorite songs live at your event! And the cost to hire these musicians may actually be less than you’d initially think! The best thing about entertainment for any type of gathering, is that you can combine options: you could hire a classical quartet for your wedding ceremony and hire a DJ for your wedding reception! The mixing and matching options are endless!
When It Comes to Weddings...
When it comes to wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours, and receptions, there are so many different types of musicians you can hire to perform live, many of which accept requests for specific songs. What is more special than a live musician performing a special rendition of your favorite song as you walk down the aisle or while you have your first dance as husband and wife? And the best part is you can mix and match any type of entertainment you want for the different parts of your special day!
Suggestions for live musicians for weddings:
- Classical Musicians: This could be any type of musician from a harpist to a guitarist, to a pianist to a quartet consisting of violins, viola, cello, or bass. Traditionally, many people choose classical music as the genre of music played/performed at their weddings. Click here to access my list of traditional wedding song suggestions. If you have a specific type of musician in mind, you should do your research and reach out on social media websites specifically designed to help you find live performers. What you are looking for is out there, you just might need to dig a bit deeper than you would to find a DJ. (Scroll to the bottom of this page to check out my suggested websites for finding musicians!)
- Jazz Musicians: Guitarists, pianists, bassists, singers, brass players. There are even jazz bands and groups you can hire consisting of any or all of these types of musicians! I’ve even played jazz on my violin alongside a jazz guitarist for a wedding cocktail hour!
- Modern Musicians: Lately I’ve been getting more and more requests to play pop and rock songs on my violin for wedding ceremonies! Whether playing these songs on my acoustic violin or my electric, this is a really unique and special way to make a wedding that much more memorable. I also have friends that have played ukulele and upright bass for weddings. These type of choices add a unique touch and flair you and your guests won’t soon forget. And if you find the right musician, whether a violinist, guitarist, flutist, pianist, whoever, you should be able to request almost any song you have in mind for them to perform. Make sure you give them plenty of time to prepare of course :)
INDIGO HEART BAND, Sylvia DiCrescentis, Kathryn Skudera, Brittany Stockwell
Every wedding is as unique and special as the love the bride and groom share. So why not incorporate that into your entertainment choices? The best thing about planning the music for your wedding is the fact that you have so many different options, and can even hire several different types of musicians for the various parts of your celebration! You can hire a classical quartet for the ceremony, a jazz musician for the cocktail hour, and a DJ for the reception! I suggest mix and matching! Having so many different choices can feel overwhelming at first especially if you are not super familiar with different types of musicians, so try Googling or Youtubing different wedding musicians and songs to get a better feel for how the performance will sound.
After playing weddings as classical musicians for almost fifteen years, Sylvia, Kathryn, and I are so excited to be able to also offer our services as a band playing our electric instruments for weddings through our project, INDIGO HEART! When people think of a wedding band, they most likely assume it includes singers, guitarists, bassists, a drummer, etc. INDIGO HEART consists of us three ladies playing all different types of genres and song covers on our electric violins and violas. Hiring this type of unique band for your wedding is just another option that would make your day that much more unforgettable for you and your guests!
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*My Suggested list of websites that makes finding musicians easy:
Google!- Professional musicians should have their own websites where you can access everything from their rates to their recordings, check out our rates here.