WEDDING MUSIC LIVE BAND: STRING QUARTET HIRE
String Musicians Australia has provided live music for over 1,000 weddings Australia-wide and is registered with the Australian Government for providing trusted award-winning musicians and recording artists. Our full-time musicians perform with Australia’s leading symphony orchestras.
A STRING QUARTET IS BEST FOR YOUR WEDDING
We recommend hiring a string quartet for your wedding, which comprises two violins, viola and cello. Our wedding music band provide ample acoustic volume for indoor and outdoor weddings. If you have special song requests that you’d like us to perform, please ensure you hire a string quartet, as this ensemble provides the richest harmonies for recognising your songs.
For those on a tight budget, we also offer string trio, string duo and solo options. Please be advised that the smaller the band, the more restrictive the repertoire becomes. A string duo, violin solo or cello solo will be limited to classical music.
FROM WHAT TIME SHOULD WE BOOK YOU?
Our string band will arrive 15 minutes prior to the start of your booking time. This allows them to set up and start performing on time.
We suggest a booking start time of 15-20 minutes prior to your wedding ceremony. This will provide entertainment for your guests while they arrive and mingle.
HOW LONG SHOULD WE BOOK YOU FOR?
Most wedding clients book us for 1.25-1.5 hours (75-90 minutes).
The duration of most wedding ceremonies is 45-60 minutes. From our experience, 4 in 5 weddings get delayed and do not end at the planned time.
As a result, we suggest a booking end time of 15-30 minutes after your ceremony is due to conclude. This will allow for possible bridal party delays and longer than expected speeches.
If you don’t book us for long enough, our musicians may have to leave during your ceremony if they have another performance booking.
On the other hand, if your ceremony concludes early or on time, our musicians will continue to perform until the end of your booking time, while guests mingle and exit, and during post-ceremony photos and drinks.
For wedding ceremonies, we perform live music during the following times:
- As guests arrive (as many songs as possible)
- Processional: Bridal party entrance (one song)
- Signing of the Register (two songs)
- Recessional: Bridal party exit (one song)
- As guests mingle and exit: (as many songs as possible)
We can also perform during other times, so just let us know.
OPTIONAL FREE EXTRA:
We can perform soft, slow background music during your entire wedding ceremony. If you’d like this option to be included, please specify this in the comment box when filling out our booking form. Please inform your celebrant prior to your wedding ceremony and ensure your celebrant is miked or speaks audibly.
Our valued clients may select four feature songs to be performed.
- One song for the processional
- Two songs for the signing of the register
- One song for the recessional
DO YOU PERFORM SONG REQUESTS?
We want you to walk down the aisle to your favourite song.
If we can’t source the sheet music for string band, we’ll arrange it for you at no cost.
Up to three special song can be requested at no additional charge.
Alternatively, your song requests may be selected from over 200 of our recordings and from our popular shortlist below.
For music while guests arrive and exit, please entrust us to perform a variety of music to suit the ambience.
LIVE MUSIC BAND FOR CATHOLIC MASS
For a catholic mass, we suggest a booking duration of at least 90 minutes.
Please book us at least 15 minutes prior to the start time of the mass and allow extra time for a delayed start and longer speeches.
For catholic mass, we can perform live classical music as per your request.
For example:
- As guests arrive (as many songs as possible)
- Processional: Bridal party entrance (one song) Signing of the Register (two songs)
-Communion
-Recessional: Bridal party exit (one song)
-As guests mingle and exit: (as many songs as possible)
LARGE WEDDING VENUES: ACOUSTIC OR AMPLIFIED?
Acoustic is always best. For wedding venues up to 400m2, our string quartet will be heard. From our experience of performing for over 1,000 wedding ceremonies, guests mingle quietly before the ceremony and are quiet during the ceremony. There will be no problem hearing our beautiful music.
10% OFF WHEN YOU BOOK US FOR BOTH YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY AND RECEPTION
Many clients request us to perform for both their wedding ceremony and reception. For these clients, we now offer 10% off both bookings.
AMPLIFICATION FOR WEDDING RECEPTIONS
Guests are louder at wedding reception. As a result, we recommend booking our live string band for only the first hour, as this is the quietest hour. Guests will be able to hear and enjoy our music during this time. If you book us 15 minutes early, we can perform while your guests arrive and for the first 45 minutes of your reception. After that, we recommend having music played over speakers.
If you’d like us to perform for a longer period, we might need to be miked, depending on the size of your venue and number of guests. While we don’t provide amplification, most large venues provide sound equipment and a sound engineer to set up a microphone in front of the string band. Alternatively, they can set up individual microphones in front of each musician. Please note that a soundcheck will be required and takes approximately 15 minutes. Please consider extending your booking by 15 minutes to allow for a soundcheck with the sound engineer.
WHAT ARE YOUR REQUIREMENTS FOR WEDDING CEREMONIES?
An armless chair per musician setup upon arrival.
- Adequate reading light.
- Adequate protection from direct sunlight, rain and wind.
- No performances on or near the beach due to instrument damage risk.
- 2.5m x 2.5m for a string quartet. Trio 2m x 2m. Duo 1.5m x 1.5m. Solo 1.5m x 1m.
- 10-minute break each hour for bookings over 1.5 hours.
- Meal per musician for bookings over 3 hours.
- If booking a pianist, venue must provide tuned piano.
- Song requests may not be possible if function is within 14 days.
WHAT ARE YOUR PAYMENT TERMS?
- $300 non-refundable deposit to secure your booking.
- Remaining balance at least 30 days prior to wedding date.
- In the event of a cancellation, payments are non-refundable. However, a full credit can be issued if given at least 7 days’ notice. Credit is valid for 365 days from cancellation date.
- Overtime is subject to musicians’ availability.
- Overtime fees are calculated at $50 per 10 minutes per musician.
- To avoid overtime, please extend your booking time in advance.
If you’re ready to hire us, please fill out our booking form.
POPULAR WEDDING SONGS
Processional
Signing of Register
Recessional
OUR AWARDS
- Atheneum Chamber Music Award
- ABC Young Performer of the Year Award
- Australian Chamber Music Competition
- Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition
- Hephzibah Menuhin Competition
- Australian Concerto Competition
- Australian National Piano Award
- Fine Music Australia Young Performer Award
- 4MBS Musica Viva Sid Page Memorial Prize
- Dorcus McClean Travelling Scholarship
- Kendall National Violin Competition
- Geelong Advertiser Music Competition
- Musica Viva Grand Prize
- Geoffrey Parsons Award
- Melbourne Abroad Travelling Scholarship
- Austral Salon Instrumental Competition
- Mietta Song Recital Award - Best Pianist
- Centenary Medal for Service to the Arts
- Margaret Sutherland Bursary Award
- Australia Council for the Arts Award
- E.V Llewellyn Memorial Scholarship
