How to Choose a String Quartet for Your Wedding


By Kyung Lee

You have decided to have a string quartet for your wedding ceremony music, but aren't sure how to proceed next? What are some of the most important factors in choosing your string quartet and where do you find the best and most reliable group? I've outlined some of the most important qualities and questions to consider when choosing a string quartet.

Music Quality

When hiring a string quartet for your wedding, the quality of the music is paramount. It can be daunting for a non musician to assess the musical competence of a string quartet, but fortunately there are many criteria that you can use to help you decide. Sound clips(and video clips) are the best way to get a sense of the quality of the group. Listen to these clips with high fidelity headphones rather than computer or laptop speakers. Take into account the sound quality of the group. Are they able to achieve a pleasing sound and blend? How recently were these sound clips recorded and how well does it reflect the current membership of the group? Take a look at member biographies if listed on their website. Are all members accomplished professional musicians?

Experience

The more experience your group has, the more your mind will be put at ease and the more adept they will be at adapting to any curve balls that may arise on your big day. When was the group established? What types of venues have they performed at recently? What types of weddings do they have experience performing for? These are all questions that you should consider. Often this information is posted on their website. Don't hesitate to contact the group directly with any questions and concerns regarding your ceremony. And again, take a look at member bios if possible to get a sense of individual experience levels.

How large is their library of music? Do they have experience playing many different styles of music? Some groups offer additional services. For example a custom arranging service for a special piece that might not be available for string quartet. Do they have experience colaborating with other musicians that you might also want to have as part of your ceremony? Take all these factors into account when judging the experience level of your group.

Reliability and Professionalism

You can begin to get a sense of the group's professionalism even from your first visit to their website. How well organised is the website? Are there photos of the performers on the website? How are the performers dressed? Do they give off a classy and elegant vibe? Also take into account how professional and quickly email communications are handled. Quick and clear communications will put your mind at ease.

Pricing

Depending on your locations and common going rates, pricing for string quartet can vary from group to group. Many groups also have different pricing structures, depending on the event type and duration. Some groups have a set per hour price, while others charge less per hour after the first hour. Travel fees or time between events(for example if there is a break between your ceremony and cocktail hour) can also come into play. Give the group as much information about your event as possible to get the most accurate price quote and to make sure you are comparing apples to apples when comparison shopping. When taking the above criteria into account, you can make a better decision on what is the best balance of quality and value. Lastly if you have fallen in love with a certain group but they are just out of your budget, ask them if they offer a string trio. This compromise might limit some of the repertoire choices but can often save you some money.

Where to find your string quartet

The major search engines are a great place to start. Be sure to use many different keywords and search deep into the results, because local groups can sometimes be overshadowed by larger or non wedding artists or institutions. Local business search can be a good way to more quickly hone in on local groups. Some of the top local search engines are:

http://maps.google.com/maps/

http://local.yahoo.com/

http://www.bing.com/maps/

The next great resource to find string quartets are the traditional wedding websites. The most popular ones among musicians are:

http://www.weddingwire.com/

http://www.theknot.com/

http://www.gigmasters.com/

These sites offer customer reviews and ratings. They also make it easy to compare many groups. Be aware that gigmasters.com acts as a quasi-agency and takes a cut from their musicians, so this may increase the cost to the client. Using these resources in conjunction with the other criteria in this article you will be able to choose a fantastic string quartet with confidence.

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