weddings

[pogo97]

A couple of years ago an acquaintance asked me if I'd play his daughter's wedding. I hesitated--I didn't know if I'd have the repertory. He assured me that it would be only for the ceremony and during the reception, not for dancing. So I said sure and it all went swimmingly well. The bride wanted "Thunder Road" for the procession (!!!) and whatever I wanted during the reception. I provided all that was requested (all piano, by the way--no vocals). The bride and everyone were very very happy. I was paid either $300 or $400, I forget, which is about five times what I'd get in a bar around here. And they fed me.

 

The dad keeps suggesting I should promote myself as a wedding musician and I've thought about it but...

 

1) I'm not sure if I have or care to acquire the correct repertoire--what is it anyway?

2) I'm not sure how to promote myself if I did

 

Otherwise, I have the tools--both equipment and skills.

 

Here's a thread about weddings because they seem to be the last frontier of decent money for small musical groups and because there's so very much I don't know about the whole process.

 

Comments? Suggestions?

[rodclement]

The last/best frontier for live music is (IMO) a good booking agent! Private parties like weddings, corporate, country clubs, etc. all come to us via two booking agents.

We play bars for exposure, to stay current, and to have our friends come see us!

 

Weddings are tought but pay really well but also require a different level of involvement that can go all the way up to mc'ing the party, and learning material for the event itself. I try my best to stay away with my duo, and still do the ocasional wedding as a hired gun in other bands.

 

Your best bet is to get a booking agent if you don't already have one, check out his other bands websites for material and see how you feel about it versus your current list.

 

Good luck!

 

Rod

[daddymack]

way back in the 90s, I used to be a 'fill in' for a very busy 'big band', and probably 80% of their work (at least when I sat in) was weddings (they also did 'privates', 'corporates', bar mitzvahs, hey...$ is $).

There are many different 'levels' of weddings, and different requirements at each level. That particular band could be anything from a septet (the smallest ensemble I did with them) to 17 pieces. The repertoire was huge (The Real Fake Book is your friend!).

 

Finding an agent is a great idea. Word of mouth won't get you enough weddings, and good agents will be very careful to match their 'stable' to the right level of wedding. Obviously as a solo or duo, one hopes the wedding planner does not expect you to play big band material, etc...and I have noticed a dismaying trend of DJs getting the really plum weddings over the last decade or so. But many weddings now are smaller, quieter more private, and a solo piano player who can cover material from say the 40s to today will make some $....not unlike working hotel lounges can be fairly lucrative for the right player.

I give the edge to the pianist, because their ability to generate greater polyphony allows them to 'fill' a room on their own, with much less effort; something an acoustic guitarist is going to really have to work for...

[BlueStrat]

I have played a few weddings solo, but none with my band in the past 10 years. When I play solo, I generally play a prelude to the ceremony (usually 15-30 minutes) and one song requested by the couple during the ceremony. I then either go home after or they will ask to rent my PA for their ipod for the reception/dance. Not much of a repertoire m needed for that.

[Notes_Norton]

I dislike doing weddings and generally avoid them.

 

Why? Too much tension.

 

There is an entire industry dedicated to convincing the bride that (1) the wedding day will be the best day of her life and (2) if her wedding isn't better than her girlfriends' weddings, she is worthless as a human being.

 

We did one wedding where the bride walked in and immediately started screaming because the flowers in the reception hall were not exactly where she wanted them.

 

We did another where the bride's mother disapproved so she didn't show up and everybody else in the brides family who did show up sat there with folded arms all afternoon.

 

Oh, we've done some great weddings too, but especially when the wedding couple is younger, they are just too stressful. It's supposed to be a party, not a competition and it is not going to be the best day of your life. At least I hope so, because if it is, then your life will be all downhill after the reception.

 

Another reason is that I simply don't want to play Top40 modern rap music. Top 40 has always meant disposable music. The song is good for a few months, then you can't play it anymore, and you have to learn more disposable music. That was OK when all I had to do was learn the sax part, but as a duo, I have to learn all the parts to put on the backing track.

 

Then they want the first dance to be some obscure CD cut that you are never going to have the opportunity to play again because it never made radio play and nobody but hard-core fans of the artist who recorded it ever heard the song.

 

On the other hand, for those with the right temperament, there is that industry that tells the bride that the wedding is going to be the best day of her life, and for that, you can charge a lot of money.

 

We still do weddings, but only for adults who are not getting married for the first time. These tend to work out very well. By this time they know that the wedding is just supposed to be a party, a celebration, and not a competition.

 

I also let them pick the first dance from our song list. If they can't find one I offer these options. I will DJ anything they like if they provide the CD ... or ... I will learn a first dance song if (1) we can cover it (2) if they want to pay me for my time to learn it and (3) I have enough time to learn it..

 

So if you have the right temperament, go for it. And I hope you are successful at it.

 

Notes

[Vito Corleone]

Selling yourself as a single pianist for just the ceremony and dinner/cocktail background music?

 

Get yourself some music books of "Music for Weddings". They'll contain all the standard repitoire. And also learn some nice romantic standards--old Sinatra tunes and the like. Be prepared that, like with "Thunder Road", they'll no doubt be a couple of songs you'll be asked to learn for every wedding.

 

Good place to get in for gigs is with wedding co-ordinators in your area. Weddings are an entire industry unto themselves, and many brides hire co-ordinators to handle all the details. Find out who these girls are and introduce yourself. Put together a nice little promo kit: A picture of you at the piano, a description of what you do, a short CD with some of your music on it.

 

Look into online sites like Gigmasters and Wedding Wire. These are probably the two most happening spots for people searching online for wedding vendors. Gigmasters will charge you. Wedding Wire has free listing, but depending on how many people are in your area under your catagory, you might look into paying for a better listing.

 

Most cities have "Wedding Faires" where wedding coordinators will round up a couple of hundred brides and let them browse different vendors at booths. Again, you'll have to pay to be at a booth. Think of it like a NAMM show for weddings.

 

Also look into venues that hold weddings and wedding receptions. Large hotels, destination resorts, wineries, and any other place that normally rents out space for events will usually have an event coordinator on staff and many times brides will call them wanting to book their wedding there and then ask "do you know where we can find music?" So you'll want to get them your package as well.

 

Good luck!

[Christhee68]

I've hooked up with a wedding planner who books me for 10-15 weddings every summer. She pays me for the wedding. Sometimes I'll work with the couple and end up doing the reception also, and the couple pays me for the reception.

 

I've also given my business card and promo pack to all the other wedding planners and wedding chapels in town. Most of them have a musician that they use already, but they've got my info in case they need someone to fill in at the last minute.