Top Tips For Hiring A String Quartet
String quartets and trios are our most common bookings for wedding ceremonies and receptions. Whether you love purely classical repertoire, to contemporary pop, to something in between, our extensive repertoire list can cater for all tastes!
Have a listen to samples of some of our groups here – this should give a good idea of the quality of our musicians and kind of sound / vibe they can offer. Let us know if you have any specific ideas in mind - we can accommodate just about anything!
QUARTET VS TRIO – The age-old battle…
SO, what are the main differences between booking a quartet rather than a trio?
Trio:
made up of 1 violin, either another violin or a viola (feel free to specify a preference), and 1 cello
trio is of course the cheaper option, simply because there is one less player involved!
can play most / all of the repertoire offered for quartet
looks just as good as a quartet, just one player less
can still play the classical repertoire but not quite as effectively as a full quartet
MSH string trio
Quartet:
made up of 2 violins, 1 viola and 1 cello
gives a much fuller, richer sound
allows more complex harmonies to be heard
can be louder than a trio (helpful to keep in mind for larger gatherings / venues)
is more suited to classical repertoire as the harmonies tend to be more complex
MSH string quartet
Repertoire
String quartets and pianists have the biggest variety of repertoire available to them. Have a look at our library of strings music here. We cover all the bases including Contemporary, Classical, Hymns, Christmas and Bollywood pieces.
In addition to this, if you have something special in mind which we don’t already have on our list, just drop us an email with the song title and we can have a search for the music ourselves, or even have it arranged specially for you by our in-house composer!
Which parts of the ceremony do the musicians normally play for?
As you’ll see on our booking form, it is most important to specify the music choices for particular parts of the service: -
Guests arrival (10 – 15 mins / 5-7 pieces) - optional
Entrance (1 piece)
Signing of the Register (2 pieces, perhaps with an optional 3rd to ensure the time is covered)
Exit (1 piece)
Guests depart (5 – 10 mins / 2 – 3 pieces) – optional
Struggling for some musical inspiration? Here is a list of some of our most popular requests (all included in our strings library): -
Contemporary: -
Christina Perri - A Thousand Years
Elvis Presley – Can’t Help Falling in Love with You
Etta James – At Last
Alan Menken – Beauty and the Beast
The Beatles – All You Need is Love
Beach Boys – God Only Knows
Bruno Mars – Marry You
Coldplay – Yellow
Craig Armstrong – Portuguese Love Theme (Love Actually)
Des’ree – Kissing You
Classical: -
Pachelbel - Canon in D
Wagner – Bridal Chorus (Lohengrin)
Mendelssohn – Wedding March
Schubert – Ave Maria
Delibes – Flower Duet (Lakme)
Bach – Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring
Elgar – Nimrod (Enigma Variations)
Mozart – Eine Kleine Nacht Musik
Offenbach – Barcarolle (Tales of Hoffmann)
Puccini – Nessun Dorma (Turandot)
For your important requests, it may be helpful to have a think about any artists whose work has been significant at some point to you and your partner. This can be a really lovely, personal touch and make your ceremony that bit more individual and meaningful – cue the tears!
Once you have decided on your desired songs, perhaps have a read of the full lyrics to make sure the song’s meaning is appropriate. For example, ‘Every Breath You Take’ (The Police) is a great song and can sound uber romantic, however once you take a more in-depth listen to the verses there is just no getting past the creepy intensity...
SPOILER: Sting is singing about stalking. So not just your average, all-consuming love.
Check if your venue has any restrictions on types of repertoire they will allow. Eg. civil ceremonies sometimes don’t allow religious music.
Perhaps it’s worth putting together a ‘do not play’ list so your musicians don’t unknowingly make you sit through Don’t Stop Believin’ for the 2,004th time, or that one song that brings back memories of your ex…
Practicalities
Ah, the practicalities, how exhilarating. Luckily, there isn’t a huge amount to worry about when booking a string quartet in comparison to other musical groups, phew!
What equipment is needed?
The musicians will bring all of their own equipment: instruments, music stands etc. The only thing to keep in mind is that they will need the venue to provide stationary, armless chairs to sit on.
Do they need a PA system?
String quartets play completely acoustically so will not need a PA system to be heard. If you’re worried about how large / loud your group will be, it might be helpful to consider hiring an electric string quartet who would use amplification (and look pretty damn edgy).
Do they need food and drink?
Refreshments will always be welcome and received gratefully (especially for longer bookings / evenings) but not essential if too difficult to organise.
What space do they need?
We usually recommend leaving 3m x 2m which should be ample space for the quartet to set up in, with slightly less needed for a trio.
What else do they need to know?
The most important information to give your musicians other than your requests is cues and if they can watch someone (eg. member of the wedding party or wedding planner) to signal them when to begin playing at certain points.
…Might also be a good idea to let them know where the loos are.
What will they wear?
We generally tell our musicians to be dressed in smart, all-black, but if you would like to provide a different dress code please feel free! They will be happy to mix it up.
Will they need breaks?
We specify in our booking information that the musicians will need a break of 5 – 10 mins per hour. In longer bookings of 3+ hours they would need a bit more time eg. 15-20 mins per hour which will be neatly split up into sets.
Can they play outdoors?
Playing outdoors will be no problem for musicians, as long as they have shelter from the weather and direct sunlight (which can actually damage their instruments).
Now you have all the information you need to make your strings quartet booking, go forth and prosper! Alternatively drop us an enquiry here – we’d love to hear from you.
