Wedding season in full swing now!

Wow! April began with a "bang!" Weddings are planned for every weekend coming up in the near future. How exciting! Just played at Chota Falls last week, and now getting ready to play at Emory Presbyterian this weekend and then a new event facility in Sugar Hill the week after. I just love seeing all the happy couples and their friends. Playing while they wait for the ceremony, and then as they celebrate during cocktail hour are some of our favorite times. Don't get me wrong....symphony concerts are great to play for, but playing within a few feet of an audience that is laughing and enjoying what they hear (and not afraid to tell you how much they love it) is what makes a great gig for us.

Need some help choosing music for your own wedding? Try looking into some new tunes by ColdPlay or Katie Perry, or Jason Mraz. It makes for a fun and contemporary wedding! Always share with the musicians what style suits you and your fiance, and listen to their suggestions as well as suggesting songs that mean a lot to you as a couple. Make your day special with music that you select!

Relaxing with my birthday puppy!

Linda Williams
Violinist and manager
Georgia String Ensemble

June is NOT the only month for weddings anymore!

June is not the only month, or even the most desired month for weddings anymore. When I got married 25 years ago, June was THE month for brides! Now it seems that October is the biggest month. Many more brides are choosing to get married outdoors, and the venues in the mountains are at their best in October. Many more wineries and event facilities are popping up every day in the North Ga Mountains. A string quartet is a MUST for the open outdoor weddings.....so plan for beautiful colors and elegant music!

Local Symphony Orchestras

How many of you live in an area where there is a local symphony orchestra? Look carefully and see if there is one, before you answer "no". Many times the budgets don't allow for any advertising, yet they are a sweet gem that you and everyone else should know about. Even small cities will have orchestras that are full of professional musicians that travel in to perform. This is a great way to hear wonderful musicians in a venue close to home and not pay a bunch of money for tickets!

Resolutions

This is the time for New Years Resolutions. What will yours be? More practice time on violin is a big goal of mine. It is so hard to find "free time". I remember hating to practice when I was a kid, and now I would give my right arm for just a few uninterrupted hours with the violin. Ahh....sweet practice time! Why is it that the things we disliked as kids we long for as adults? Remember hating naps? What I wouldn't give for one today! Bring things to mind that you tried to avoid as a youngster but would enjoy now? How about quiet time to curl up with a book? How about a few minutes of "time out" alone in your room?

Make this year the one where you determine to add one more resolution list....and make it a nostalgic one. Something you didn't like as a child, but would love to do now. I dare you!

big wedding season

Big wedding season coming up. Brides already calling. Christmas must be engagement season....it's when I got my ring 25 years ago! Valentine's Day will only add to the rush! Gotta love it!
Linda Williams
violinist and manager
Georgia String Ensemble
www.georgiastringensemble.com
404-643-6902

Concert tonight

Played with Adlan Cruz in a concert tonight that was truly amazing! Check him out on YouTube.com and prepare to be amazed!

Linda

Sent from my iPad

Awesome wedding reception yesterday with my trio. We rocked the house with Cole Porter, Michel LeGrand, and Latin tunes.

Great wedding

Just played a great wedding at Flint Hill in Norcross with my quartet. They are sooooo totally awesome to play with! Sent from my iPad

Sunday is World Communion Day

I will be playing at HMUMC on Sunday for World Communion Day. I will
be playing an electric violin for the blended service at 9:30am.

New tune suggestions

I found some great new tunes for you brides! Try "Song from a Secret Garden" for an elegant and romantic bridal entry. The whole album by the group Secret Garden is relaxing and romantic, but this tune for solo violin is just a gorgeous piece to walk down the aisle to. Listen also to "Bitterweet Symphony" by the Verve for an exit tune. It is upbeat and happy, and makes a different kind of statement to walk down the aisle to as opposed to the traditional Mendelssohn' Wedding March.
Listen carefully to the next romatic movie soundtrack, and you will get some new ideas of your own. Traditional music is wonderful, but choosing just one tune to set your day aside as a little different from the rest can certainly be doable with very little trouble. Make sure to check with the musicians to see that they are willing to play something a little outside the box, and then have a field day listening to music and watching movies....something is bound to hit you as "your perfect song."

researching music for your wedding

There are some great books out there for you to read in order to familiarize yourself with the "music world" as it pertains to your wedding. Relying on a professional that is the leader or manager of the music ensemble  is the smartest thing to do, but reading and preparing ahead will make it easier to communicate with her. Here are a few recommendations I have. 

CDs and MP3s as demos

If you are considering booking a group of musicians, make sure that you get more than just a CD in the mail, or listen to MP3s on a website. It is easy to download music from anywhere and make a CD or post MP3 files to a site. Look for a group with video that includes live music and sound. You need to make sure that you are booking the group that you think you are in love with, not some group that has pirated some tunes and added their own label. Do not be fooled by video that is just a slide show with music either, as the photos may be real, but who knows where the soundtrack came from. Don't let this frighten you, as most of us in the business are legitimate professionals that know what we are doing, but always beware the new ones that pop up here and there and don't have the experience or the sound that you are looking for. Your wedding only happens once, and the music sets the stage for it to be elegant or not.

Father Daughter, Mother Son, and First Dance

Consider something a little new for a dance. How about a string quartet for the Father - Daughter dance? Maybe "Sunrise, Sunset" played by a string quartet as you float over the floor with your dad. How about "My Favorite Things" for a Mother - Son dance. Best idea yet....."Some Enchanted Evening" as your first dance as a couple played by a classical string quartet. It won't be like EVERYONE else who uses the old standby of a DJ and some "canned" music. Let's face it, you want this to be memorable!

Thinking outside the box

Want to have some beautiful traditional music but want to stand out a little from the crowd?

Try thinking outside the box. Maybe ask the group you are using if you could have a flute player in place of the first violin, or an oboe. Same music, still traditional, but a little different flavor. Something to capture your guests attention. Maybe a harpist and violin soloist, instead of a piano and violin. Still do the same traditional tunes, but a more beautiful, light and angelic sound. Maybe easier if you are in a venue that doesn't have a piano on site.

Whatever you can think up, just ask the manager of the group you are using, and see what they can do. It never hurts to ask!

Saving Money in a Tough Economy

We are all a "little tight" on money right now. Brides included. What do you do to have the fairy tale wedding music on a budget? Here are some ideas:

1. Book a string trio or duo instead of a quartet. This can save several hundred dollars.
2. Consider using the same musicians for the cocktail hour and reception. It is going to save money to have the same group stay, rather than pay another group to come in. All musicians charge a base rate, and after an hour to an hour and a half, you are saving money to just keep the same folks playing.
3. You can downsize from a quartet or trio to a duo for the reception. Ask if they can use electric instruments. As to the Georgia String Ensemble, we have a guitar player that plays viola during the ceremony then switches to guitar (with amp) and a violinist who switches to electric violin for the reception. Check us out at www.georgiastringensemble.com
4. Ask if the group you are using can accept a credit card through PayPal. This defers the money you have to come up with before the wedding. As things settle down later, you can catch up financially.

Relax, and enjoy. Many couples have the most differences over finances, so talk about a budget and a plan ahead of time and STICK TO IT! It will save you in the end!

Wedding Season in Full Bloom!

It may still be a little chilly outside, but the wedding season is in FULL BLOOM! With weddings being booked left and right, all of the musicians are getting smiles on their faces. If you are waiting until the last minute to book a musical group, consider the fact that most brides book about 6 months to 1 year in advance. If you need to book at the last minute, don't hesitate to ask, as we sometimes have last minute cancellations due to unforseen reasons. Visit my site at http://www.georgiastringensemble.com/wedding.html and see how we can help you get the best music for your money.

wedding season starting up again

Well, the phone is ringing off the hook and the in-box is staying full. Looks like wedding season is here again! YAY! For all of you planning a wedding, remember the following:

Any group you choose to hire will have a minimum charge. It is not cheaper to hire them for just one tune.

All musicians should be pros. Hiring students may save money, but you get what you pay for in experience, so that is not the place to save money.

Make sure you have an alternate plan if you are getting married outdoors....rain means the musicians won't unpack! We must play under a shelter if it is even "drizzling" outside.

Have fun!!! It is your BIG DAY!!!!

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!