Important Info
Dear Ariana Strings Couple,
We are so excited to work with you! Here is everything you need to know about planning and working with us. Please reach out if you have any questions.
Musically yours,
Ariana
Song Selections
How to choose your music
About 3 months prior to your wedding, I will send 1 questionnaire to gather your wedding day information and song selections. Please submit your responses within 7 days.
Then, I will then send you a calendar link to schedule your Official Planning Call (usually held 8-10 weeks in advance of your wedding) This helps us get your music ready, coordinate with your vendors, and to plan accordingly.
Most of our couples listen to the samples on our website, Instagram page, YouTube, and look at our song library. If you'd like to hear individual selections performed live, you're always welcome to add on a Performance Consultation to your package ($150). Then, we'd meet online and I'd perform songs for you to help you choose. If you'd like to add on a performance consultation, please reach out anytime.
Repertoire
An Important Note
Each of our ensemble's song libraries (repertoire) is listed separately because they're all different. If you have booked the string trio, please select only from the trio list. The songs on the quartet's don't work because the arrangements are not interchangeable.
For example: The quartet version of Can't Take My Eyes Off of You (Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons) passes the melody between all 4 instruments. If the trio were to play this same version, the melody would drop out partway through the song!
If you book the string quartet and want us to play something from the trio list, this is technically possible, but not recommended. When the quartet plays a string trio arrangement, it means 2 players are playing the same part ("doubling"), which affects the balance and overall sound of the ensemble. It would be better for us to create a quartet version, instead, so you get the full quartet experience.
Arrangements
What if I'd like you to perform a song that isn't in your library?
We can do that for you! First, e-mail me with the name of the song and artist. If it's unique, please include a YouTube video link.
Please provide at least one month's notice. Arrangers will charge a rush fee and we cannot guarantee arrangements with too short of notice.
Your package may include a song arrangement credit, but if it doesn't, please note that arrangements can be anywhere from $45 - $200 per song. I will always give you a quote and get confirmation from you before starting any work on an arrangement.
If you fall in love with an instrumental/strings version of a song and you would like us to replicate it, please note: Many YouTube videos show an acoustic group, but sneak in a backing track and editing. Though Vitamin String Quartet, by name, is 4 players, many of their arrangements feature 10+ instruments! Our arrangements will complement your AS ensemble and be designed for live performance, so it'll be true to the original artist and beautiful.
Ceremony Information
What we need to make sure your wedding is perfect
I will send you a questionnaire to gather your wedding day information, including the processional order and how many people are walking in each processional.
If you make a change at the rehearsal (or the week of the wedding), please call me directly at 860-385-2448 and text me the new order. Our music director will check in with you and be leading the cues, so the more information we have, the better.
Setup Requirements
Storage
Each ensemble brings a TON of equipment for your wedding day. To avoid our cases, personal belongings, and backup equipment making an unwelcome appearance in your photos, please arrange to have a separate storage area or closet ready for us upon our arrival. Many venues have space for this, but they need to know in advance.
Please confirm with your venue coordinator that they are saving space for us (a closet, coat room, storage room, etc. is fine. Outdoors is NOT acceptable.) Being parted from our necessary equipment is dangerous for our instruments (heating up in cars) and it will delay your wedding day timeline and take away from the performance time.
For example: If a string breaks, that means we would have to leave the premises, go all the way to our car (and back), and find a space to do the repair. It turns a 5 minute hiccup into a 20 minute upheaval that takes away from your performance time.
Setup considerations
We read off of iPads (usually), so we may need to change the angle of our ensemble depending on the lighting (if there's a glare on the screen).
For safety reasons, please keep us away from walkways, thorough-fares, the bar, anywhere that guests will congregate, making sure to leave plenty of space. A guest who innocently tries to sneak in between us and another guest can knock into our instruments and cause irreparable damage. A stage is always recommended, especially for our larger ensembles.
Arrival
We arrive approximately 1-1.5 hours prior to the ceremony, depending on your venue, the length of your prelude music, and our setup needs.
Weather
Please review our weather policy (below), as this has information about tents, shade, and back-up performance areas.
Here are the requirements for each ensemble and service offering. Please make sure these items are ready upon our arrival (up to 2 hours prior to the ceremony), to avoid any delays. When we arrive, we have a lot to set up, so having in place makes all the difference!
String quartet
Space requirements 8' x 8'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 4
String quartet + Singer
Space requirements 8' x 12'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 5
String trio
Space requirements 8' x 6'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 3
Acoustic duet (violin duet, violin/cello duet, violin/viola duet)
Space requirements 6' x 4'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 2
Violin & Guitar Duet
Space requirements 8' x 6'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 2
What we need to make sure your wedding is perfect
How will we time the music?
Our music director will work with you closely and cue the musicians for your processionals. If our director is unavailable, your we will work with your venue coordinator or wedding planner to ensure cues are delivered seamlessly.
Weather
Beautiful music, no matter the forecast.
We want you to receive the highest quality performance from our classically-trained professional musicians. Stringed instruments are very fragile and susceptible to irreparable damage from temperature fluctuations, humidity changes, and precipitation. If your event is held in conditions that are unsafe for the instruments, the ensemble will not be able to perform. For the protection of the players' livelihoods, we are unable to make exceptions to this policy.
The ensemble is unable to perform in temperatures under 60 degrees or above 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If conditions are such that the ensemble players determine that it is dangerous to take out their instruments, the ensemble will not perform until such conditions are remedied. In this event, the contracted start and end times remain in effect.
If you plan to have an outdoor event and we are unable to be outside with you, we can provide amplification and perform from an indoor location. This will keep our instruments safe and still provide your music. It is an additional cost, requires additional personnel, so it is subject to availability.
In case of rain, a tent or umbrella large enough to cover the ensemble must be provided to protect each member of the ensemble. If the protection provided is not adequate, the ensemble will not perform.
If the temperature is over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, significant natural shade or a tent which covers the entire ensemble and their instruments must be provided.
If the temperature is over 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the heat and/or humidity is affecting the instruments, the ensemble must be moved indoors to a temperature-controlled location in order to perform.
If the temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the ensemble must be moved indoors to a temperature-controlled location in order to perform.
If the couple opts for an outdoor event without providing protection from the elements, the ensemble will not be able to perform. There are no refunds in this case. Please see our amplification options (bolded above) to see how we can help accommodate you.
We now have a tent available for rental. Please inquire with Ariana to add it onto your booking.
Requests
All the hits from 1645 to Today
Guests will often ask us if we can take their requests, so please let us know if you would like us to take requests. If we have it in our repertoire, we are happy to oblige.
If a guest requests a song that doesn't fit with your musical vision, we can simply decline (by saying we don't have that one available), so they're none the wiser!
Changes
We'll bend over backwards
Sometimes, couples change the time of their event or even the location. Please remember that we are not a full-day vendor (like photographers, for example) and we perform for multiple weddings per day. We need to leave plenty of time for travel (and traffic) and to be fair to all our couples. If your plans do change, please contact Ariana immediately so we can do our best to accommodate you. Please note that only the event details listed on your contract are officially covered.
Food & Drink
Don't mind if I do!
Please provide water for your ensemble, especially if it's a hot summer day. We greatly appreciate it.
Often, caterers and venue coordinators will invite us to have a bite (after the guests have left the cocktail hour). We will not eat during our performance, but will have water on hand.
We don't need a vendor meal for ceremony & cocktail hour bookings. For longer bookings (like ceremony through dinner), a separate room with a table and chairs is required. We will bring have our own meals ready.
Support for Strings
Amplification
You found the best classical wedding musicians and should truly hear them! While our acoustic groups are heard well under most circumstances, there are spaces which benefit from the added boost.
We bring our own dedicated sound engineer, who continuously monitors and masters our sound as we perform.
Depending on your package, amplification may be included. Choose from two unique styles: top-of-the-line electric instruments or traditional concert instruments fitted with specialty pick-ups.
We've invested in top-of-the-line equipment and pros, so the warmth and velvety tone you love will still be there.
Be heard
Ceremony Sound
Your friends and family want to hear your love story, so you need a great ceremony sound system: Professional microphones and speakers to pick up all the voices in your ceremony (like you, your officiant, and your readers).
Our Bose system ensures high-quality sound that is true to life, without altering the sound of your voice, and there's no need to worry about unpleasant interruptions like sudden feedback.
No power source nearby? We've got you covered with battery-powered options.
Custom Attire
Our standard attire is concert black, but we can always wear formal attire or match your wedding or event colors. Below are a few examples from past performances, but feel free to request any color. We love any excuse to glam it up!
