Live music at your wedding or event can transform the average into the extraordinary. You may not have a horse-drawn carriage, tens of thousands of dollars in floral arrangements, or access to the Westminster Cathedral, but for a comparably nominal cost, you can walk the aisle or enjoy your meal to the music of princes and princesses (or Charlie Daniels, if that's more to your taste).

Live music is an ancient tradition of man, stretching back to earliest civilization. Whether a Gipsy fiddle band or full orchestra, princes and paupers alike have been married, fêted, and buried to the strains of live music. I have never heard a regret from a bride or host about using live music. Not one has ever said, "This would have been so much more glorious with a boombox and a cheap wedding CD." We go to concerts because live music is more entertaining, more memorable, and more intimate than an mp3.

Fair question.

Take a listen to some of the live recordings on the Demo page. They give a very good sense of the sound and quality of each ensemble: quartet, trio, and duo.

In a word, Yes.

I have been personally playing weddings and events for 20 years, and can help you design a highly traditional or totally non-traditional music experience. You will receive as much personal attention as you need to help you make your choices.

The Music page contains extensive musical samples to which you can listen. For more detailed help, see our Wedding Music Guide, which has music suggestions for each part of the wedding, along with streaming samples.

For some fun wedding music facts, visit the Wikipedia Wedding Music entry.

No, the cost is surprisingly low, compared to what you are probably paying the photographer, videographer, florist, limousine, caterer, and venue. Wedding music is one area in which there has remarkably little inflation over the last decade. While other wedding services have doubled or tripled in price, wedding and reception musician costs have risen only marginally. This is bad for us, but good for you.

If budget is a major concern, the Trio and Duo represent a significant reduction in price over the Quartet. See the Fees page for a detailed breakdown.

A good question, with a somewhat complex answer.

Unamplified strings have a definite problem carrying outdoors, especially in an open-air environment. Since there are no walls or ceiling off which to bounce the sound, the volume decays rapidly as you move away from the instruments.

If you are having a small, intimate outdoor wedding, this is not a problem, and strings can be very complimentary.

If you are having a large outdoor wedding, it is not worth the expense unless you also have a competent sound engineer who can mic and broadcast the strings over the sound system. String mics are not vocal mics, so you need a sound engineer with the appropriate equipment and experience, not the wedding DJ who happens to have a couple extra mics in his closet.

Finally, be aware that outdoor weddings involve special contract riders related to weather, temperature, seating areas, shade coverage, and concert dress. These are not onerous requirements, but measures designed to protect musicians' equipment investment and personal well-being.

We require a $50 deposit along with your signed contract. The balance is due the day of the engagement, prior to the performance start. Sometimes people choose to pay the entire amount up front. This is not required. We accept cash, checks, and PayPal.

There is a very simple answer to this question - Maybe.

We have a large and always growing selection of music from which you may choose. But if you really want a certain special piece, I will purchase it, if available, or write an arrangement. If purchased, you will be charged the purchase price, or some portion thereof. With enough advance notice, I will arrange one piece for free (within reason - not the entire Ring Cycle). After that, prices typically run around $100 per arrangement.

Be aware that just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be. Anything is possible, but not everything sounds good when played by a strings. Some things sound, well, silly, and other things just sound boring or inappropriate. If you do have special requests, I will be more than happy to guide you through this minefield.

Finally, don't ever be afraid to ask. We can pretty much play everything from Abba to Zappa. Of course, if you ask for something by the Bay City Rollers, I will have to laugh at you and publish your name on the website.

We hire bounty hunters to find them and punish them.

No. But people do have medical emergencies and car accidents. For this reason, we have contingency music for smaller ensembles. I have personally been in this business for 20 years, and it has yet to happen to me, but there is always a first time.

If a musician, for whatever reason, misses the entire gig, we will happily refund you their portion of the total. Then we will call the bounty hunter.

Go to the Contact page and submit the form.