The Bride, Groom, and Event Planner’s Q & A

We’ll bring soul, life, and the warm sound of real players to your important day. We’ll time the moment with you as you walk down the aisle or have your special dance. A live performance is always unique!

We recommend booking at least six months in advance. Wedding weekends are a hot commodity! But, we will play for your wedding on short notice if we are available.
 

Our standard arrival time is 30 minutes before the music is scheduled to start. 

So, if your ceremony starts at 5:00, and prelude music (for the guests) is scheduled to start at 4:30, the musicians will arrive by 4:00. Some musicians prefer to arrive 45 minutes to one hour before start time. 

If you would like your musicians to arrive earlier than our standard arrival time, you will need to pay for the extra time.

It varies by instrument and/or ensemble. In general, Sweet Harmony has a repertoire of thousands of classical pieces, love songs, Broadway music, jazz standards, pop and rock from the 1950s through today, music from movies and TV and video games, Christian songs and church music, Jewish music, and cultural selections such as Irish, Italian, and Bollywood. Please visit our “Songs” link on the navigation bar to see the lists… and if you have specific requests, please ask!

You are welcome to choose up to 10 pieces of music for your prelude, ceremony, and postlude. You can arrange these how you like. If you need help, please ask! Please note that there are limits to how much music you can program, due to the time it takes to prepare and also the coordination for cues. 

*** Many song changes in your ceremony will require the musicians to be present at your rehearsal, which will be billed as an extra booking as long as the musicians are available.***

You can choose some specific music for these portions of your event, but you don't have to. Many people prefer to choose a general style of music that fits their event -- upbeat, fun? Mellow and romantic? Timeless and traditional or unusual and modern -- or maybe a mix of everything! We love to help you create your vision. Also, it's important to let the musicians put their knowledge and experience to work for you having played for hundreds of events. They'll know how to arrange a set list that works well to keep an event flowing.

We love to learn new music and frequently learn new songs for our customers! Most new songs will cost $35. If we need to commission a special arrangement, the cost will range between $85 and $300. 

By one month prior to your wedding, in your customer portal on our site.

What instruments you choose depends on four things…

1) your taste. Do you like the melodic sound of the violin and cello together, or do you prefer the chordal sound of the violin with a guitar or piano? Do a little bit of listening research and see what sounds good to you!

2) your budget. Some instruments carry extra fees due to the heavy lifting and additional time for setup and breakdown.

3) which specific pieces of music you would like to hear. The violin and cello together do very well with classical composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Vivaldi, although they can also play contemporary songs in a classical style. The violin and guitar or violin and piano are more versatile. The violin and harp will play mellow, beautiful, flowing music. The violin and piano can sound more upbeat.

4) the weather. Are you having your wedding outdoors in cooler weather, or on the beach? Some instruments are sensitive to temperature, sunlight, and humidity. Please see our question below on weather considerations!

We love to play music that you love, although it is important to consider your instrumentation when choosing music. For example, some modern R&B or rock songs do not translate well to solo violin. We are happy to help you choose songs that will sound great on the instruments you have booked! If you have a special song in mind, please ask before booking, and we can guide you to a good set of instruments for your song.

For those interested in the how and why of things, there is a reason that a solo violinist or cellist works better for yesterday’s hits than today’s hits. In a popular song, there is the lead singer, and usually there are also guitars, bass, keyboard, and drums (or electronic sounds) supporting the singer. The part that they sing is called the melody. All of the other instruments play rhythm and harmony.

What part does the violin or cello play? The melody only, like the singer, but without the words.

Without rhythm, harmony, or words, the melody needs to be strong and varied and interesting enough to stand on its own. But in the last 10-20 years, popular song melodies have become greatly simplified. An entire song may have just three or four melody notes! And often the same note is repeated many times in a row. A few examples of this are the verse of "Golden Hour" (JVKE), the chorus of “Never Really Over” (Katy Perry), and the verse of “Truly Madly Deeply” (Savage Garden).

So for these types of songs, when a solo violinist or cellist plays the unaccompanied melody, it doesn’t sound like the song. The melody doesn’t carry enough of the “song” in it. You’ll need to hire at least one other musician, or add a backing track option to your booking, to make it work.

(And remember -- most of the videos you'll see online are made with backing tracks, even if it says "solo" violin or cello.)

Events of various cultures and purposes will have different musical needs, which we are happy to provide to the best of our ability. We're grateful for the diversity of our customers that enriches our musical lives. 

We feel it is a testament to our inclusive nature that musicians of various backgrounds are attracted to our company, feel comfortable here, and want to play for us. 

We also actively look for talented, hardworking musicians from underserved communities. We have given a volunteer workshop on careers in music at a special program for kids in North Brunswick, NJ, organized by https://sharpenedmindz.com/ . We're looking for more opportunities like this!

Our billing and contract system is incorporated into our website. Everything is available for you in your online portal. You will receive an email confirmation of your booking (including contract terms) at the time you book. Then the website sends automatic reminders for balance payments and additional info to submit, such as music requests. You'll need to log into your portal on our website to pay your balance and submit the information. Your contract is downloadable as a PDF from your portal.

Our website portal uses Stripe to accept all major credit cards. Please reach out to us if you need other options for payment. 

When you book Sweet Harmony, we will choose the musicians for you depending on who is available in your area, on your date. Our musicians are highly accomplished performers, teachers, and members of orchestras and bands.

If the venue has a piano, we will be happy to use it. Some considerations are the location of the piano (is it in the room where your event will be held?) and the tuning. Most venues keep their pianos regularly tuned, but it is a good idea to double-check. If a piano is not available for your event, we will bring an electric keyboard that will have a beautiful piano sound. There is an extra fee for keyboard cartage.

This is an important question to ask, and different instruments have different needs with regard to weather and temperature. Please check out our weather guidelines for more information here.

Wood warping and cracking: String instruments are typically made from wood, which can expand and contract with changes in temperature and humidity. Prolonged exposure to heat can cause the wood to dry out and crack or warp.

Glue softening: The glue that holds the components of a string instrument together can soften in high temperatures. This can cause seams to open or parts of the instrument to become loose.

String tension: Heat can affect the tension of the strings, causing them to go out of tune. In extreme cases, the strings might even break.

Finish damage: The finish on a string instrument can become damaged or discolored due to prolonged exposure to sunlight and heat.

Sound quality: Changes in the structure of the instrument due to heat and humidity can affect its acoustics, resulting in a poorer sound quality.

Beach wedding music is lovely, although there are some precautions to take. Amplification is almost always required, which means there must either be electricity available or we will need to book one of our musicians who own battery-powered amps. (Make sure your officiant is also amplified!) And, string instruments need shelter from direct sunlight, such as an umbrella or gazebo with a solid roof. Harpists cannot play on sand and will need to set up on a flat hard surface.

Here are the approximate space requirements for various ensembles:
Solo string player: four by four
Solo harpist: five by five
Solo keyboardist: three by five
Duo: five by five
Trio: six by six
Quartet: 12 by four

We’ll do our best to play in the style of your favorite recordings. Please remember that the magic of a live performance is the musicians’ individual styles and interpretations of music. Also, musicians often overdub themselves when they make videos — meaning, you are hearing two, three, or four performances at the same time, even if you see only one musician on the screen. (The Piano Guys love to do this!) If you want the music to sound exactly like a certain recording, then it’s best to play that recording through a speaker.

It isn’t necessary for us to come to the rehearsal if your ceremony will proceed in the traditional order. We rely on our years of experience playing hundreds of weddings, as well as detailed communications with your officiant and wedding planner, to keep the ceremony moving smoothly. But, if it’s important to you that we attend your rehearsal, please ask. It may be possible, and it will be treated as an additional (discounted) booking.

We would love to accompany your singer. This will require a rehearsal, and you will be billed for extra time. Generally, the paid rehearsal will occur 30 minutes before the prelude starts.

Yes, but please note that there will be cancellation fees for any change of instruments. Your musicians have been holding the date for your wedding, and have not accepted other work opportunities for that day and time. 

You're always welcome to add instruments according to our current rates, without extra administrative fees.

Musicians often have multiple obligations on the same day including performances and teaching. We encourage you to be sure of your timeline at the time of booking, and please let us know as soon as possible if something changes. 

We will always do our best to accommodate any time change requests. A fee may be necessary on rare occasions, especially if time changes are made with short notice. 

Yes, Sweet Harmony carries an annual general liability insurance policy. We will be happy to name your venue as additional insured and provide them with a certificate.

Sweet Harmony has excellent musicians in local areas throughout the country. Usually our rates include travel, although occasionally we might need to add an extra travel fee based on your event location.

Parking charges of $10 or more per vehicle will need to be reimbursed as per our contract.

At a wedding ceremony, you will be billed for overtime if your wedding goes over by 15 minutes or more. 

Please note that it is not possible for the musicians to approach you or your family at your wedding ceremony and ask if they should stay. If your ceremony starts late and is not finished at the planned time, the musicians will stay to the end, and you will be responsible for the overtime that accrues. This is included in our contract. 

The only possible exception is if the musicians have a booking immediately after yours and must leave at the original contracted end time. But they will do all that they can to cover you with music. 

If you like, you can instruct us to leave at the planned time no matter what (although we would prefer to stay and make sure you have music!).

No one likes to pay additional charges after the wedding is over. If you think your wedding might start a little late, it’s best to contract us at the outset for extra time.

For cocktail hours, receptions, and other kinds of events, overtime will start immediately after the contracted end time. You are welcome to ask your musician(s) if they are available to stay and play overtime.

No, unfortunately we do not provide microphones or speakers for officiants. They can be rented from music stores such as Guitar Center.
 

Please ask your Sweet Harmony sales rep if amplification is an option for your event.

We generally look at a few factors to decide if amplification is needed. For the ceremony, it depends on how many guests you will have and whether the event is indoors or outdoors. For your cocktail hour or reception, we generally need to be amplified (unless it is a small wedding) so that the music will carry nicely among the conversation.

Occasionally, it may make sense to use your DJ’s equipment.

It is common practice to tip your event musicians, but it is not required. 

Please note that ultimately the musicians have the power to decide where to set up as per our contract. They will take all of the factors into account that affect the job they do for you. We are also happy to work with venue coordinators who know their own event space.

For an outdoor event, the location of shade and of electrical outlets will be important considerations. Another important factor for a wedding ceremony is the musicians’ sightline — they need to be where they can see what is going on at the front.

For an indoor event, it depends on how many rooms will be used and where the food is being served. The goal is to set up in a place that will allow the music to flow throughout the space.

There will be cancellation fees for shortening of booking time.

We won’t request meals for a wedding ceremony and/or cocktail hour. We may request one meal per performer depending on the duration of the event. 

Yes, we are glad to support our military service members. In most cases, we will make an exception for active military and move all or most of your deposit to your rescheduled date. If your deployment occurs close to the wedding date, we may need to keep a portion of your deposit to compensate the musicians.