music during cocktail hour??

spartybride3 · April 2012

Our cocktail hour is in a separate room than our reception (right next door). My fiance believes that we decided that we will not play music during the hour because no one will notice it & there may be an additional fee. I believe that he had this conversation with himself because that was never communicated to me, the planner of everything wedding related.

I am kinda starting to see his point, but I also feel like the cocktail hour sets the tone for the evening & it will be kind of boring. To set up an ipod would be like $250 b/c we have to use the venue's audio equipment. I don't know what the DJ fee would be.

What do you notice during cocktail hours?? Are people playing music? I don't ever recall being at one where there wasn't music playing.

Or, do you know of quartet's or piano players that are reasonable for something like this??

Thanks!

acaponi87 · April 2012

Hmm I do notice music during a cocktail hour, but I'm a musician so I tend to notice that kind of thing. The weddings I've been to it's usually been just a DJ or an Ipod. $250 seems like a lot to set up an Ipod but if you have the money I'd say it's probably worth it. I don't know how big the room is but maybe you could bring in a nice iPod player instead?

I would think a pianist would probably be around $250 ..maybe a little cheaper but you also need to have a piano there probably (or it's possible 1 may have a keyboard but even then you still might have to use the venue's audio equipment).

A quartet would likely be more than $250.

Are you having a DJ? I'd talk to them first and see if they could come up with a solution.

Sue-n-Kevin · April 2012

I am not a techie, so I have no idea how hard it is to set up something, but $250 seems like a LOT for an ipod set up!

We didn't have a cocktail hour, but we did have a DJ. During the dinner hr (not dancing), I brought him my personal CD soundtrack of "Something's Gotta Give". Light dinner type music with some songs in French. The other option I thought of was my CD soundtrack of "No Reservations", which is a dinner type of music, but with some Italian opera. Each lasts about an hour. (Yes, I know, I'm "old" with no ipod, actual CD's, LOL)

A musician will run $250 for an hour. Your DJ will presumably be there already setting up. If you can ask him for an extra hr, and pay for it, maybe he'd play some cool CD or set of songs like Frank Sinatra, Rat Pack type songs. I'd have to believe getting a couple of speakers in the cocktail hour room will be less than $250.

Milsey32 · April 2012

$250 for an hour of ipod seems too ridiculous for me.

Have you considering contacting local musicians or schools? Students would be cheaper than $250, IMO.

MMRoberts11 · April 2012

I play instruments and notice if there is not music during a cocktail hour. Personally, I think $250 is ridiculous and I'd look into it more/talk to your DJ and venue about it.

My ceremony will be outside with an indoor reception. Since the venue has outdoor speakers that my DJ just has to plug into he's just charging me for his time for the ceremony and not extra set up or anything. I'd see if that's an option.

sparkles776 · April 2012

I notice music during the cocktail hour. I went to a wedding this past weekend where they had the cocktail hour in one room and the reception in the next room, they were connected though and you could really go back and forth during the cocktail hour. They had their DJ set up in the reception room and you could still hear the music perfectly fine.

spartybride3 · April 2012

See, I would totally notice it to. Fiance seems to disagree, but he doesn't know the difference & I don't want to bore our guests. I called the DJ company today, but they failed to call me back. *sigh*

katiebo1013 · April 2012

Most DJ's would include coctail hour as part of your reception I hope. Since you said its a different location, they may charge a small fee (were paying an extra $50 for ceremony music) either way, probably less than 250. Were sticking to stuff like Sinatra, Maroon 5, Jack Johnson, Michael Buble for cocktail/dinner music

MrsGilliatt · April 2012

I'm laughing...how many responses just said "I'm a Musician..."? Make the bride an offer already!! hehehe.

We are using Panache entertainment for ours...I forget what we are paying but they have numerous options from string quartets, jazz trios, single instruments to just plain pianists...or even singers. Look them up they are in Royal Oak - I think epanache.com ? could be wrong!!

No music = awwwkkkwwward.

amandahugnkiss13 · April 2012

Sorry, but we put a lot of thought into our music for the cocktail hour were told by a lot of our friends that it totally set the tone for our wedding "style" Music is really an important part our life, so we wouldn't hire a DJ unless he was willing to provide wireless speakrs in all of the rooms of our reception events. You should ask him if he can even just put a small set of wirelesss in there and play some tried and true cocktail hour songs...you might get it for free.

music during cocktail hour??

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