Dear Wedding Planner,
We are so excited to work with you! Here is everything you need to know about working with us. Please review each section carefully and reach out if you have any questions.
We appreciate all that you do and look forward to collaborating with you.
Musically,
Ariana
Our Team
Meet our incredible team who handles all the behind-the-scenes magic. Leading up to the wedding day, you will be working with Ariana. At the wedding, expect to work alongside one of our music directors, the liaison between our teams.
Song Selections
When and how your couple chooses music
We will send the couple a questionnaire to gather their wedding day information and song selections at the 3-month mark. Once they've completed that initial questionnaire, they'll be invited to schedule their official planning call. That's when we help them finalize their selections, solidify their processional orders, and how it all translates to the music. You are welcome to attend this call, if you would like.
Ceremony Information
What we need to make sure our music is perfect
During our planning call with the couple, we gather their wedding ceremony information, including the processional order and how many people are walking in each processional. Our coordinator (either Billy, Julie, or Michelle) will check in with you upon arrival to double-check this information, in case anything changed last-minute.
Setup Requirements
Storage
Each ensemble brings a lot of equipment for a wedding day. To avoid our cases, personal belongings, and backup equipment making an unwelcome appearance in photos, please arrange for a separate storage area to be ready for us upon our arrival. Most venues have space for this, but they need to know in advance. We cannot leave equipment in our cars or outside. It is unsafe to do so.
Setup considerations
Please remember that we need to have a clear view of the aisle and the person cueing the ensemble. Please remember that we are seated when we perform. Any visual obstructions will hinder our ability to time the music well. We usually read off of iPads, so we may need to change the area our ensemble performs, depending on the lighting (if there's a glare on the screen).
For safety, 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.
Arrival
We arrive approximately 1 hour prior to our downbeat (first note).
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 your help makes all the difference!
String quartet (acoustic)
Minimum Space requirements 8' x 8'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 4
Electricity requirements: None
String quartet + Singer
Minimum Space requirements 8' x 12'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 5
Electricity requirements: 1 power outlet, for backup
String trio
Minimum Space requirements 8' x 6'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 3
Electricity requirements: None
Acoustic duet (violin duet, violin/cello duet, violin/viola duet)
Minimum Space requirements 6' x 4'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 2
Electricity requirements: None
Violin & Guitar Duet
Minimum Space requirements 8' x 6'
Number of armless, straight-backed chairs: 2
Electricity requirements: 1 power outlet, for backup
Ceremony Sound
*This service requires a flat, solid, and dry surface for the safety and efficacy of our system. If the ground is wet, slippery, or muddy, we cannot safely provide this service.
What we need to make sure your wedding is perfect
Cues
This is how we make it look easy!
Our MD will cue the music and lead the processionals. This ensures we can time the music exactly as per our couples' vision.
We will perform continuous prelude music even when a ceremony is running late. Please update our MD, so we can plan extra music accordingly.
Big scary note: Please do not just start sending people down the aisle without telling our MD and waiting for their confirmation that we are ready! Your patience and assistance is KEY for making sure our couple has a wonderful ceremony. Thank you!
Weather
Beautiful music, no matter the forecast.
We want your client 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 below 60 degrees or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity is a huge factor and, if conditions are such that the 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 and subject to availability, so please inquire with Ariana at least 72 hours prior to your wedding to add on this option.
For outdoor performances, it is the responsibility of the client to provide the ensemble’s protection from the elements and inclement weather as follows:
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 70 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.
Would you like to rent our tent? Inquire with Ariana one week prior to the wedding day. This add-on is $100 and includes setup and breakdown.
Changes
We'll bend over backwards
Sometimes, couples need to 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 so 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 need to change, please contact Ariana immediately so we can do our best to accommodate. We do our best to help, but please note that only the event details listed on your contract are officially covered.
Food & Drink
Don't mind if I do!
We would appreciate it if you could provide water for the ensemble, especially if it's a hot summer day. Often, caterers and venue coordinators will invite us to have a bite (after the guests have left the cocktail hour), but we will not partake during our performance. A vendor meal is not required for ceremony & cocktail hour bookings. For longer bookings (like ceremony through dinner), vendor meals are in our contract.