Stupid emotions. Stupid hormones. Stupid vendors.

TKzilla · March 2013

Just heard from the Etsy vendor who is making the dresses for my flower girls. The original ship date was March 9. Then it was "late March". Now it's April 27th. The wedding is May 18th. If she pushes it back any further, I'm going to reach through the computer and cut a b!tch.

Ceremony musicians contacted me today. Because we didn't put down a definite time in our contract (which they said was fine, at the time) they have overbooked themselves. We requested and paid for a violin and guitar duo. Now all that's available is a violin and cello duo. Oh, and they can only play one of the six songs I requested for the ceremony.

I'm trying to look at this objectively and remind myself it's not a big deal... but I just want to cry about it for awhile. Stupid Etsy. Stupid guitarists. Rwar.

musicalcanadianbride · March 2013

Speaking as a frequent ceremony musician myself, what your duo is doing is not acceptable. If you have paid for a violin and guitar duo, that's what you should get. NOW, that being said, violin and cello will likely be even more lovely, because the cello is just the best instrument (except the violin, which is what I play). :-)

How long ago did you request your songs? Because they should be able to find or arrange those pieces for you, if they are available as recordings or sheet music.

Or did you hire students who don't have much experience?

You should have put down a definite time in your contract, but they also should have checked with you before taking another booking.

MuppetOverlord · March 2013

This would all be annoying to me normally and adding what you're already going through...even more annoying. I'm so sorry.

Hopefully the etsy lady gets her act in gear quickly.

Cello is a beautiful instrument...but if you booked and put a deposit on guitair and violin, that is what you should be getting. If they double booked, they should have made sure that it wasn't conflicting with your event. I would ask them to honor your contract....or maybe ask FI to contact them to do this for you to relieve some pressure off you.

musicalcanadianbride · March 2013

BTW what are the pieces you are requesting? I might able to help...

TKzilla · March 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stupid-emotions-stupid-hormones-stupid-vendors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:017dfb53-ecd2-49ce-9259-ca57cc22085ePost:71a94f99-c776-427d-92f6-888f52c9df11">Re: Stupid emotions. Stupid hormones. Stupid vendors.</a>:
[QUOTE]Speaking as a frequent ceremony musician myself, what your duo is doing is not acceptable. If you have paid for a violin and guitar duo, that's what you should get. NOW, that being said, violin and cello will likely be even more lovely, because the cello is just the best instrument (except the violin, which is what I play). :-) How long ago did you request your songs? Because they should be able to find or arrange those pieces for you, if they are available as recordings or sheet music. Or did you hire students who don't have much experience? You should have put down a definite time in your contract, but they also should have checked with you before taking another booking.
Posted by musicalcanadianbride[/QUOTE]

<div>I'm sure after a good long frustrated ugly cry, I will be totally fine with the violin and cello duo. It doesn't change the price either way, and I know in my heart it's not a top priority for me.</div><div>
</div><div>This is a professional company in the area I'm getting married at. They just recently sent me the worksheet for music selections (i.e. "you need 2-3 songs for the processional, a song for the reading, 2 songs for the recessional" etc) and I sent them some ideas. The wedding is two months away, so I don't know... is that not enough time? </div>

TKzilla · March 2013

Processional:

Moon River (from Breakfast at Tiffany's)

Rainbow Connection (The Muppets)

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes (from Cinderella)

Recessional:

Marry You (Bruno Mars)

I'll Cover You (from Rent)

MuppetOverlord · March 2013

"violin and cello will likely be even more lovely" - I totally agree with this. Not that it lessens the annoyance they are causing...but I really love the cello and it's different.

STARMOON44 · March 2013

If they can't provide what you ordered, the price should be less, not the same.

hoffse · March 2013

I also agree cello will be better - musically it also makes more sense with violin (unless you were having the violin play fiddle style, but from your song selection I don't think that's the case). Cello is hands down my favorite instrument.

hgminor · March 2013

I'm a music teacher and my father is a band director who plays trumpet at a lot of weddings. Yes, Cello and Violin will be beautiful. All of those songs seem perfectly reasonable. I've played rent and moon river at weddings myself in brass quintets, so there should be music out there somewhere. Did they give you a reason they were only able to play one, and which one did they say they could play?

Salsera29 · March 2013

I'm a music teacher, and I think two months is plenty of time for a professional musician to learn a new piece of music, especially if it's only a duet. I agree with STARMOON, you should be getting a price reduction since they are not providing what you agreed on.

musicalcanadianbride · March 2013

I have literally played ALL of these pieces, except the Rent one, for weddings. This is nuts. You need to protest and have them play the pieces you've chosen. Unfortunately, I don't have copies of the sheet music we used.

If you musicians cannot provide their own sheet music for those selections, I would have them contact these people: http://www.cadenzastrings.com/contact.html and see about buying arrangements for your songs. I'm willing to bet that Cadenza has what you need. (They are great friends of mine and EXCELLENT wedding musicians - sorry for the plug.)

For all those songs, the cellist should be able to take the left hand of a piano part and come up with a bass accompaniment line, and the violin can play the melody. This is SUPER easy.

TKzilla · March 2013

So here's the deal. I contacted the music company at the three month mark before the wedding, and I asked THEM what needed to be done at that point in time to prepare for the wedding. Four days later, the owner of the company responded and said I needed to choose song selections based on the work sheet she said she'd sent previously, and she gave me a timeline for the remaining deposits. She had to re-send the worksheet for song selections because after searching through my inbox, I could not find it.

What I discovered today is that on their website, they list music they regularly play, and have a "policy" that specially requested songs must be asked for three months in advance, and will cost an extra, undefined fee.

So at this point I'm all but fed up. My mom is going to call the company tomorrow and raise hell. In my opinion (which very well may be totally wrong), it was the owner's responsibility to inform me of this policy upfront, and contact ME first. This is especially frustrating since before I sent her that email, I hadn't heard anything since late December. Also, I just feel that it's silly (and unprofessional) that these musicians cannot (a) learn the music, or (b) come with sheet music to play these songs.

On a lighter note, my mom wrote down the list of songs I'd requested (so she'd know exactly what to ask for tomorrow when she calls) and I told her I was pretty flexible on everything but the Cinderella song. My mom, with everything else going on in HER life, said "Oh hell no. You're gonna get any and every song you want. This is YOUR wedding, I'M paying them and if you wanna be Cinderella, you're gonna be Cinder-f*cking-ella!" I almost died. Hell hath no fury like the mother-of-the-bride-zilla.

Peledreamsofrain · March 2013

Haha, good for your mom! That's totally how I'll be when I have kids. I admit up front that the rest of humanity shall have to be nice to my kids or fear my wrath.

Add me to the list of people who think the cello and violin will be awesome. I LOVE the two together so much that I download duets with these instruments for my Ipod when I need relaxation.

[Deleted User] · March 2013

I'm sorry this is happening... but I'm very glad your mom is there to raise hell for you.

It does seem a little sketchy to me though, that professional musicians can't learn/bring music for the songs you've requested.....

musicalcanadianbride · March 2013

You're right: they should have been upfront about their "special requests" policy. In my contract for weddings, it is clearly stated and it should have been as clear on the contract you signed with them.

The band I hired for my reception is AWESOME and I've known them personally and musically for a long time, but they didn't have a formal contract for wedding gigs, so we used mine - and I even included the special requests policy in it! Which makes me think... I'm nearly at the four-month mark and I'd better make some final decisions about the music.

Your mom is right to be on the war path, but remember that you catch more flies with honey, so try to be firm but democratic. :-)

TKzilla · March 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_stupid-emotions-stupid-hormones-stupid-vendors?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:017dfb53-ecd2-49ce-9259-ca57cc22085ePost:5326f8ad-d51c-48b5-ba70-17f424526228">Re: Stupid emotions. Stupid hormones. Stupid vendors.</a>:
[QUOTE]You're right: they should have been upfront about their "special requests" policy. In my contract for weddings, it is clearly stated and it should have been as clear on the contract you signed with them. The band I hired for my reception is AWESOME and I've known them personally and musically for a long time, but they didn't have a formal contract for wedding gigs, so we used mine - and I even included the special requests policy in it! Which makes me think... I'm nearly at the four-month mark and I'd better make some final decisions about the music. Your mom is right to be on the war path, but remember that you catch more flies with honey, so try to be firm but democratic. :-)
Posted by musicalcanadianbride[/QUOTE]

<div>She left a "firm but fair" voicemail today. I told her to ask that since they have changed the musicians without notice (and with no fault to us), that in return, we ask they learn to play one song (the one I want to walk down the aisle to), and the rest I will happily choose from their posted selection. If they can't agree to that, then we'll get a refunded deposit and look elsewhere. So it's like they give a little, we give a little, or they lose $600.</div>

Stupid emotions. Stupid hormones. Stupid vendors.

Re: Stupid emotions. Stupid hormones. Stupid vendors.

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