Keeping family happy

So usually the bride chooses most of the "stuff" for the wedding. She usually even chooses all of the music, unless the groom happens to be a musician or has some outstanding reason why he wants to do the choosing. So you want a little tip on how to keep the new in-laws happy? Ask the groom and his parents to choose some tunes they like, especially a tune for them to walk down the aisle to as they are seated (and possibly light a candle). If they have a background that you can take a note from, such as Italian or French or the like, then help them choose a piece or two that will reflect that heritage. How about an aria from a famous Italian opera as they walk down the aisle? It is always nice to include in the other family, and it certainly adds some character to the music. It will be appreciated for many years, and probably end up being one of the best memories of the wedding. Maybe have the musicians play for the cocktail hour as well, and let the groom have some tunes that reflect his heritage as well. Makes for a lot more interesting listening! And besides....variety is the spice of life!

Music Selections

Want a great tip on selecting music that will be great when played by a string quartet? Best tip is to listen to the piece you have in mind and ask yourself if it has a theme that you can hum or sing and is still recognizable. Many piano pieces, especially Chopin and Beethoven, are beautiful on piano, but will be disappointing by a string group. The piano style that makes it special will be lost. Instead, listen to recordings of string music. There are sooo many pieces for strings! If you are in love with a lot of solo piano pieces, find a great pianist. There are many out there. Our aim is to give you what you will be happy with, and that works best when we are playing music that was written for our intstruments.

Who will play for my wedding?

Ah! Smart question! So you choose a group from a website, and then the big day comes and the musicians that you "hired" are not the musicians that you saw or heard on the website. OUCH! Especially if the folks who showed up seem to be students, or not the same caliber as what you thought you were booking. Word to the wise.....ask specifically if you are getting the same people you saw on the website ad, or if there are subs. If there are subs, then ask if they are playing with the manager or owner of the group. In the case of Georgia String Ensemble, and with any other group, the owner/manager will not play with a student or amateur, as it will lower their standard as well as ruin the chance for a great rating and referral from a bride. Just make sure and ask. Better safe than sorry!

What size group do I need?

Time to plan the big day musically....have the budget all set...contact musicians and now the big question..."What size group do I NEED?" Forget the budget for a second, you just want to know that no matter what you spend, you get the music you really wanted. How disappointing to save $100 and have music that you can't hear, or that sounds "thin". How much better to have spent the extra dollars and had what you wanted. But how does one know just what size group they need? Hard to answer that question without knowing the exact venue, but here are some guidelines.
1 If you are not having many people, and the venue is small, a duo may be fine. Forget Pachelbel's Canon, though, because it won't be a canon (which means a "round" like Row, Row Your Boat) without a quartet.

2 If you are having lots of guests (150+) and the venue is outdoors and you are walking down a decently long path to the front, you need a quartet.

3 If you are somewhere in between these two sizes, a trio might work.

4 A soloist if fine if the wedding is a small outdoors one, or if the venue is a church (where the sound is easier to control due to lack of traffic noise and the fact that sound evaporates in unlimited air).

What is the real answer here? Simple. Ask your person that is booking your group. They want to do a good job, and know that budgets are an issue, so if you talk to them they can get the specifics and let you know exactly what you need. Listen to what they say, and remember that if they really feel that an extra musician is needed, you are better off listening and paying the small difference in fees rather than being disappointed in the sound. This is a one time event, and there are no "do overs."

Unexpected Musical Bliss

I just had the coolest experience at a wedding that me and a cellist did last weekend. We had done the ceremony and most of the reception and were taking a quick dinner break....as we sat outside eating we heard piano inside and assumed it was a recording. When we went back inside we found the bride's cousin seated at the piano playing his heart out. I took a chance and asked him if I could play violin with him. He said "yes" and the cellist sat out. Wow! I had the most fun you can imagine playing with this guy. It turned out to be so much fun that we had folks gathered around the piano clapping.

What is the moral of this story? Sometimes the best laid plans can be changed on a whim, and the changes might actually be more than you could have ever hoped or planned for. I learned that night to take chances and go with my gut instinct. We could not have planned a better way to end the reception if we had tried....and we included a member of the family to boot!

What surprises do you think could be waiting for you at your wedding?

Fall Weddings

Ahhhh...Fall is in the air! Now is the time for brides to be thinking of those beautiful fall colors and an enchanting evening wedding outdoors in the North Georgia Mountains. Just think of the hard cider you can serve at the reception, and the beautiful yellow mums you can carry down the aisle. Now think about your music...how about a string quartet playing music from the Firework Music written by Handel for the King's cruice down the Thames River in London. How about Trumpet Voluntary to herald in the bride in the crisp autumn air? Inspired yet? I hope so. Weddings in autumn can be beautiful, and September and October now eclipse June in popularity. Popularity also means you have to think ahead and go ahead and book your musicians now; don't wait until the last minute.

Got any great tunes you have used and would like to share with the other readers? Please do!!

Smooth Transitions from the Ceremony to the Reception

The ceremony was beautiful! You floated down the aisle to the strains of Pachelbel's Canon, and said "I Do" to your gorgeous groom. Now you need to take photos, the guests are ready to party, but you would like to transition them smoothly from the elegant ceremony to the "rock the house" reception you have planned. But you would rather them wait on the house rocking until you and the groom can arrive and start the party with the first dance. Come to think of it, the guests would really like to talk and mingle and make comments to one another about how lovely everything was and how long it has been since they have seen one another. This may be a little hard to do once the DJ has the sound system at full volume. So now what?

This is where the "cocktail hour" comes into play. While the bride and groom and family are taking photos, they can entertain the guests by having upscale, elegant, easy-listening type music played by a string quartet or small ensemble. A little Sinatra style, a few Italian love-songs, a few Broadway classics from Cats or Phantom of the Opera will fit the bill nicely here. The guests can easily talk over the music of a string quartet, yet the mood will be transitioning from traditional classical to more contemporary, and the stage will be set fot the DJ or band to take over when you are done with photos and ready to be introduced for the first dance.

Talk about romantic!!

Fall Weddings

Summer is wrapping up now, and Fall is right around the corner. Time to think about heading to the mountains to say "I Do." How beautiful! Fall leaves in full color, crisp mountain air, the smell of apple cider, gorgeous bridesmaids in full Fall colors.....wow! Now is the best time to secure those venues in North Georgia if you haven't already. Try Brasstown Valley Resort. Last time I played there it was beautiful, and they can accomodate more that one wedding at a time! Check out Glen Ella in Clarkesville also. I am personally in love with the covered balcony at Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonega. The view from the balcony while you say your vows was outstanding.

Take a drive to the mountains this weekend and take a peek at these venues. You can find them all listed on www.atlantabridal.com. Just pack a cooler of wine and take your fiancee and have a weekend get-away to find the perfect place to make those vows. You won't be sorry!!!

What type of music should I choose?

What style wedding are you going to have? Traditional, eclectic, religious, or a mix of a couple of these? If you can define the "feel" for the ceremony that you are trying to convey to your guests, then choosing music will be much easier. A professional musician, usually the one bringing the musicians to your wedding, will be able to make suggestions quickly and easily based on the style wedding you tell her you want to have. Rely on tunes that your guests will easily recognize, and you will have a truly beautiful day without the headache of hours of music planning!

Try not to mix too many styles. For instance, don't start with classical music in the prelude, send the bridesmaids down the aisle to " All You Need Is Love" and then have the bride enter to the traditional "Wedding March" by Wagner. You need to keep a cohesive feel to the whole ceremony.

Does that mean you can't "rock out" like crazy at the reception? Absolutely not! Go for it! This is the time to bring in the DJ and "let it all hang out!" Don't worry about changing styles after the ceremony is over.

"I Do" Outdoors Part 2

OK, so you want to say "I Do" outdoors anyway. Good for you. It can be very lovely and romantic. Now keep in mind a few things and you will find it a pleasurable experience.

1. Have soemthing on hand for beestings. Benadryl is best. Never know who might have an allergy. Don't want the groom to have a puffy face in the photos!
2. Have a covered place to actually say your vows, unless it will be close to dark.
3. If it will be close to dark, talk to the videographer about filming. There are special concerns when there is little lighting.
4. Have a safe walkway down the aisle. Runners on top of grass are very dangerous!!!!
5. Have a cool place for folks to wait inside, with cool drinks, before the ceremony begins.
6. Have a place out of the sunlight for the musicians. They have very expensive instruments, and can suffer damage easily in direct sunlight and heat if they are string instruments.
7. Have a covered place to put musicians if it indeed looks like rain. They will have to run for cover quickly if it begins to sprinkle, even though the guests might be fine sitting still. Again, remember the instruments are delicate and expensive.
8. Don't plan on lots of crinolines and puffy, scratchy underlayers with your wedding gown. The lighter and simpler the better outdoors.
9. Remember their will be airplanes and traffic noise and maybe dogs barking in the background, so plan on some type of sound system if you want the officiant to be heard.
10. The larger the musical group playing the better. It is hard to hear a duo outdoors, so think quartet when planning.
11. Be flexible!!!! Don't "loose it" if you indeed need to have the ceremony indoors at the last minute. Just be OK with whatever happens.
12. If you can pick a venue with a covered deck you can do the ceremony regardless of rain. I recently played a string trio outdoors at Frogtown Cellars in Dahlonega and it rained and rained!! It was actually very romantic playing outdoors in the rain, though, and watching the storm come over the mountains! With a deck raised off the ground and a full cover over it, the rain didn't affect anyone....it just added to the ambience. Keep this in mind when looking at locations.

"I Do" Outdoors?

Thinking about getting married outdoors? Sounds dreamy, doesn't it? Maybe. Maybe not. How flexible are you when it gets down to the 11th hour and your plans are "all wet?"

Over the years, I have played sooooo many wedding outdoors. Some were absolutely beautiful, some were a disaster. I'll give you some things to think about if you are thinking of saying "I Do" outside! First of all, is it Spring, Summer or Fall you want to tie the knot? Hopefully not Winter unless you are in south Florida. Keep in mind you will probably have on a long dress, more than normal makeup, maybe higher than normal heels, and possibly a veil as well. Think how you feel in your bathing suit in summer and add quite a few degrees. Fall can be roasty as well. Now think about Prince Charming. Will he be wearing the obligatory tuxedo? Black, no less? This can be twice as roasty as your dress! All this is fine as long as you know what to expect and can "handle the heat," as they say. Fainting as you go down the aisle is not something you want on film!

Keep in mind your elderly grandparents and parents as well. How will they fare in the heat? One option to consider is to have everyone stay inside until just before the attendants process in. That keeps grandma cool, and the other guests as well. It would be nice to have lemonade or water for them to sip on while they gather inside. Make sure you have a cover to stand under while you say your vows.....shade is nice.

Rain? Be prepared to have it inside at the last minute without being utterly destraught. I have seen a bride demand to be outside come rain or shine. She passed out umbrellas. Unfortunately, the chairs were soaked. The tuxes didn't look so great after the ceremony either, so no telling how much the rental store charged her upon their return. Needless to say, the hairdos weren't doing so well either. If it rains on your party, just pull it indoors and smile and keep going!!!

Happy Wedding Planning!!!

How about a DJ for the ceremony? He is already doing the reception, and will give me a great deal!

Good question! DJ's are a viable choice for a wedding reception. Lets leave it at that. Why would it matter whether a live string quartet or a DJ were doing the ceremony? After all, the DJ can get a recording of a string quartet playing "Pachelbel's Canon" or whatever else you want!

Here is the reason, the BIG reason, to always choose LIVE musicians over a DJ for the ceremony.

1. If grandmother takes longer to get down the aisle than the tune allows, in other words "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" has played in its entirety, then the DJ has to start over at the beginning. OUCH! An experienced group of musicians are always prepared for this often seen reality, and know exactly where to add repeats as needed in their music and can keep tunes going indefinitely without any bumps or starting over.
2. If the bride reaches the end of the aisle before "The Wedding March" is done, which happens ALL the time, it is rather a nasty jolt to hear the music just stop mid-tune! Again, a professional group is well prepared for this often needed early ending. We in the profession call it an "early cadence" and are prepared to do it at any time during any piece without letting your audience feel like they just hit the windshield of a car!

Please don't just take my word for it. Ask some of your friends to see their wedding videos and compare the live musicians with any DJs they may have used. Live music has its place, so does a DJ, and the proper use of both is a wonderful thing!

Adding a Vocalist to Your Wedding Ensemble

So you have a cousin or best friend who is a singer, and you want them to sing at your wedding? Should you have the string quartet or brass ensemble accompany them?

NO! Ouch! The amount of times I have seen this done and seen it fail is astounding! First of all, there is little, if any, practice time. Brides usually will not pay extra for a rehearsal with the soloist and ensemble, and they resort to getting together a few minutes before the ceremony. Secondly, without PA monitors for the vocalist, it is hard for her/him to accurately hear the ensemble and know if he/she if singing in tune or in tempo with the ensemble. Thirdly, the ensemble cannot hear the vocalist over their own instruments unless they have a monitor as well. Adding monitors means hiring a sound person, which is an added expense, and may be very difficult or impossible if the ceremony is outdoors.

Finally, a string quartet, brass ensemble or any other small group simply is not the best choice as a back-up group! Leave it to a pianist, guitarist or a large orchestra...that is the way it was meant to be!

where to find musicians

Need to find musicians for your wedding? If you want quality and experience, don't go to the local high school or college and ask for recommendations. Students may come quite a bit cheaper, and they may play really well, but they simply haven't "been around the block" enough to know how to handle the many complications that commonly arise during wedding ceremonies. Just knowing how to end a piece early without sounding like a train wreck takes quite a bit of experience!

Best places to find musicians: popular websites like www.gigmasters.com, www.atlantabridal.com, and others that are focused on your area of the country are your best bet. Why? Because the musicians are paying a fee to be advertised, therefore you know they are serious about their business, and have an investment in wanting to play for you. Check out their website link from these larger sites and see what they look like. If you like what you see, contact them and inquire about pricing.