Things to consider when choosing your musicians:

The wedding music is the backbone of your entire wedding ceremony. It not only provides the atmosphere, but also the structure that will coordinate all the other elements into a memorable and harmonized (or not) experience for you and your guests.


A Professional and Experienced Wedding Musician will:

♪ Have many years of professional performing experience.
♪ Know how to guide you through appropriate music choices for the different elements of the ceremony.
♪ Provide you with a written contract that secures their services for your specific date and time. Be wary of those who offer only a verbal contract as they may try to back out or substitute other musicians at the last moment.
♪ Be well rehearsed. Find out how often the musicians you are contracting with actually rehearse together.
♪ Have invested in excellent quality instruments and equipment.
♪ Be knowledgeable about sound reinforcement and have a professional and unobtrusive sound system that will be appropriate for your wedding venue. If the music cannot be heard well by you and your guests, there is no point in having live music.
♪ Know how to time the music well for the processionals so that the music finishes perfectly with each processional.
♪ Be organized and well-prepared so as to not be a burden on wedding day.
♪ Know how to coordinate with the minister and processional coordinator without a lot of fuss.
♪ Be punctual and arrive early to setup equipment and tune up instruments before guests arrive for the ceremony.
♪ Be unobtrusive and appropriately dressed.
♪ Be flexible and prepared for last minute delays or problems that may arise so that the guests will be unaware if some things are not going as planned. A well versed musician with this skill has saved many a ceremony and turned it into the "perfect wedding."
♪ Have a servant attitude and a willing, pleasant spirit.

Why do musicians' fees vary so much from one musician to another?

When trying to decide how much you can afford for wedding music, think about how much you can lose if your music is poor or mediocre and your ceremony does not run smoothly. Just because some musicians say they “do” weddings, does not mean they are wedding professionals.

Look for professionals who perform weddings on a regular basis and pay them what they are worth. Their years of experience and weekly hours of rehearsal and preparation make up the lion's share of their fees. You are paying for one hour and many years of experience and expertise. Good professional musicians will (and should) cost more.

Make certain that the musician with whom you contract does not substitute various other musicians, but performs with the same musician(s) every time. This guarantees consistency and quality of sound on your wedding day. Get each musician’s name in the contract.

When it comes to creating a successful wedding ceremony, hiring musicians with experience in other types of performing is not enough. In the long run, professional, experienced and specialized "wedding" musicians will provide much more than those with little or no wedding experience or expertise.

This is your most special day; the music for it should be special, too!

For more information, contact us: info@steveandruth.com
or call us at: 828-297-1918