Let’s face it – weddings can be expensive. I recently read an article on Yahoo that reported the average U.S. wedding costs $27,000!
Wow.
Sure, you want to have a beautiful ceremony and really fun reception that your guests will be talking about for months. And of course, you want a wedding that’s truly unique. Truly “you.”
So, how can you accomplish all that and still have enough left for an unforgettable honeymoon?
Here are three tips for having great wedding musicians without breaking your budget:
1. Book your ceremony and cocktail musicians with the same company.
Better yet, book the SAME musicians for both. Many companies will offer a discounted second hour because the musicians are already at the venue. Booking with the same company for both your ceremony and cocktail hour (rather than contacting two separate companies) means that you’ll have one less vendor to coordinate, thereby reducing time and stress for you!
2. Hire musicians for a half hour rather than a full hour.
If your wedding ceremony isn’t long and you don’t want to have prelude music, consider booking musicians for 30 minutes only. You’ll get music for your processional, special requests during the ceremony itself, and the recessional – the most essential times to have music!
3. Don’t underestimate the power of one musician.
My favorite ensemble for a wedding is a string or woodwind trio. If you’re on a budget, however, rather than deciding to use recorded music, consider hiring just ONE musician. A solo violin or flute sounds fantastic and will create the elegant atmosphere of live music. If your tastes are more on the jazzy side, a solo saxophone projects very well. Finally, a guitarist can play both melody and harmony, so you can get a fuller sound with just one musician. If your wedding venue has a piano, booking a pianist will give you a versatile range of musical styles to entertain all your guests.
Yes, a wedding is expensive, but you deserve to have the classy, elegant atmosphere created by live musicians. If you follow these tips, you can stay within your budget and STILL have the perfect soundtrack to the wedding of your dreams!
Wow.
Sure, you want to have a beautiful ceremony and really fun reception that your guests will be talking about for months. And of course, you want a wedding that’s truly unique. Truly “you.”
So, how can you accomplish all that and still have enough left for an unforgettable honeymoon?
Here are three tips for having great wedding musicians without breaking your budget:
1. Book your ceremony and cocktail musicians with the same company.
Better yet, book the SAME musicians for both. Many companies will offer a discounted second hour because the musicians are already at the venue. Booking with the same company for both your ceremony and cocktail hour (rather than contacting two separate companies) means that you’ll have one less vendor to coordinate, thereby reducing time and stress for you!
2. Hire musicians for a half hour rather than a full hour.
If your wedding ceremony isn’t long and you don’t want to have prelude music, consider booking musicians for 30 minutes only. You’ll get music for your processional, special requests during the ceremony itself, and the recessional – the most essential times to have music!
3. Don’t underestimate the power of one musician.
My favorite ensemble for a wedding is a string or woodwind trio. If you’re on a budget, however, rather than deciding to use recorded music, consider hiring just ONE musician. A solo violin or flute sounds fantastic and will create the elegant atmosphere of live music. If your tastes are more on the jazzy side, a solo saxophone projects very well. Finally, a guitarist can play both melody and harmony, so you can get a fuller sound with just one musician. If your wedding venue has a piano, booking a pianist will give you a versatile range of musical styles to entertain all your guests.
Yes, a wedding is expensive, but you deserve to have the classy, elegant atmosphere created by live musicians. If you follow these tips, you can stay within your budget and STILL have the perfect soundtrack to the wedding of your dreams!