5 Essential Questions to Ask When Hiring Wedding Musicians
Sometimes knowing what to ask is the hardest part! Here are our suggestions for must-ask questions when searching for the perfect ceremony musicians for your wedding.
Do you have experience performing at similar events?
This is one of the most important days of your life, and leaving it to amateurs or groups that have never played together before spells potential disaster. We have played hundreds of weddings and have seen, well, a lot! If your musicians don’t know how to handle a flower girl in full-on meltdown mode, or a bride running late due to traffic, they might not be the right fit for you.
Felt cute, might throw a tantrum later…
2. How do you handle song requests and custom playlists?
Many groups do not take special requests, and for something as intimate as your ceremony, you want your favorite songs played, not a prescribed setlist. We never charge extra for music we don’t already own, and we don’t add on rehearsal fees if we haven’t played your requested music before. It’s our job as professional musicians to show up prepared and to play beautifully!
3. What is your payment structure and cancellation policy?
Things happen (*coughs in Covid*) and understanding financial aspects, including fees, deposits, and cancellation policies, is essential to avoiding any misunderstandings. Our contract is simple and to the point. We never tack on fees above your original quote, but we have seen other companies sneak in travel, insurance, special song requests, and other hidden fees into their contracts. Read the fine print and ask for clarity if you’re unsure about a particular charge.
No hidden fees here!
4. Do you offer packages (and a discount)?
Some companies only provide ceremony or cocktail hour music. Others only provide reception music. You can often score a discount if you book musicians through the same company for the entire event, so it doesn’t hurt to ask.
We offer a discount to our couples who book musicians for the ceremony and cocktail hour, or ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception, so please ask us! We can also provide sound for your ceremony (discounted, of course, when you book ceremony musicians), so don’t be afraid to ask if your vendor can provide more than 1 service, making your planning that much easier.
5. Do you have recordings or videos to share?
If you’re deep into planning mode, you may have already booked other vendors, like your photographer or caterer, because something about their work resonated with you. It’s important to surround yourself with vendors whose work you admire and whose expertise will make your wedding day as stress-free as possible.
As the owner of Mosaic, it’s important to me that everyone playing at your wedding is someone I would trust to play my own wedding. That said, you can sample some of our work on our listen page, or catch us in performances in and around Boston year round. This coming year, our musicians are playing with The Platters, The Temptations, the Brockton Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Children’s Choir, and the Plymouth Festival Choir, to name a few. If you prefer to see us live, reach out and I can let you know where we’re playing next!
There are heaps of additional questions you might have as you start researching which musicians will help you celebrate your wedding- send those questions our way, we’re always happy to offer advice!
What questions have you asked other vendors that you found to be most useful? Least useful? Most surprising?
Happy planning!
-Cassie
