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Ceremony Music

BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment
in New Jersey
What live musicians have you used or are you planning on using for your ceremony. My DJ wants to charge me $300 to play piano! I feel like that's a lot consitering he is already there. I would love either piano, classical guitar, quartet or harp. I am getting married at the Highlawn Pavillion in West Orange.
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Re: Ceremony Music

  • JCbride2015JCbride2015 member
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    What DJ are you using?  We are thinking of hiring a string quartet for the ceremony but I'm not sure we can afford it.  Our total budget for music is about $2000.
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  • JCbride2015JCbride2015 member
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    We just got some quotes back from musicians.  Vogue Music Events in Hoboken: $245 per musician for the first hour, $95 per musician for each additional hour.  Classic Touch Ensembles in Teaneck: $995 for a string quartet for 2 hours, or $795 for a trio for 2 hours.

    I'm also going to talk to the "preferred" DJ companies from Highlawn.  Barry Herman events has been calling me and I want to see if we can save any money by combining under the same company.

    But based on this, I'd say $300 for an hour of solo performance is not unreasonable.  Since it's your DJ though, I would hope you'd save some money as he's already there.
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    I am going with damico entertainment they are a dj but they also sing play piano and I am adding a sax player. For the reception and cocktail hour with the two musicians it's 2700 which is a lot for a dj but not for 5 hours with 2 musicians and a dj. They were at my friends wedding and were so talented and entertaining we had to go with them. I got a quote from rose trio for $675 you might be interested in them for strings.
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  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
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    edited February 2014
    BrianaJane said:
    What live musicians have you used or are you planning on using for your ceremony. My DJ wants to charge me $300 to play piano! I feel like that's a lot consitering he is already there. I would love either piano, classical guitar, quartet or harp. I am getting married at the Highlawn Pavillion in West Orange.
    I don't think $300 is too expensive.  Keep in mind, you're not just having your DJ load up songs and play them......he's playing live.  There's also a different ambiance that comes with that.  It usually comes at a higher price.  I think we paid just under $1k for a string trio that played for our ceremony and cocktail hour.

    ETA - What does your DJ charge to just DJ and play songs during the cocktail hour?  I think ours charged $100, so then live music in your case would only be $200 more.
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    He included playing piano and sax playing live in my price. It isn't any different weather I use them or not.
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  • JCbride2015JCbride2015 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    BrianaJane said:
    He included playing piano and sax playing live in my price. It isn't any different weather I use them or not.
    I'm just confused now-- so where is the $300 coming from?  Are you saying, that's additional to show up early and play for the ceremony?  BTW, what DJ are you using?
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  • Jenn7778Jenn7778 member
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    I am getting married in a church so we have to use their in house musicians but they are $125 each for the entire ceremony. We are likely going to hire the guitarist and organist so it will run us $250 for both.
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    Ok I am using Damico entertainment 2700 for piano/sax/dj for cocktail and reception. Additional 300 for ceremony.
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    Royal strings will do it for $380 with a guitar and violin.
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  • SewInLoveWithDMBSewInLoveWithDMB member
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    Ardis Cavin is lovely harpist - http://cavinharpstudio.com

    She played at our ceremony.
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    I am the original poster
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    I was just updating with anything new I found and was answering other posters questions. I'm not sure what you are reading but it's pretty clear to me. Making fun of my posting skills is not being helpful. If you would like to help me out with a ceremony musician it would be appreciated. Since that is what this post is about.
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  • Jenn7778Jenn7778 member
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    @brianajane I don't think @maidoftoy was making fun of your posting skills at all. I think she was just saying oopsie that she thought you were not the OP.
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  • BrianaJaneBrianaJane member
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    It's ok!
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