A Wedding Timeline

The Left Coast Quintet performing at cocktail hour for a wedding at Lake Oak Meadows!

Some tips and info when considering live music at your wedding!

Since inquiring minds want to know, I've provided a short list of a timeline for hiring wedding musicians at your event. You should know, though, that a lot of time and effort has already gone into creating a perfect wedding ceremony music list for you before we've even met! Our team has spent decades rehearsing, collecting music, selecting the best instruments, & studying, all to produce the best sound.

• Way Before the Ceremony, 3+ months out:
  • We (you the couple and me the bassoonist) get together to discuss your vision! Basically, not to brag, but we know a lot about music, so we aren't going to suggest something inappropriate for the time and location! Once we get to know each other, we can come up with playlists for each part of the ceremony and figure out what you want to hear. During this time, the quintet is arranging new music and holding rehearsals on anything new in our library. 
  • Our music can be entirely customizable. Many couples stick with the classical favorites like Wagner, Pachelbel, Handel, etc, but we also have pop covers in our repertoire, or if you want to be a Double Agent or an evil Dark-Side master, we have music from the best of Hollywood that will completely make your day!
• Almost There, 3 weeks out:
  • A few weeks prior to the big day, I'm having discussions with the coordinator, venue, and anyone else on your team that needs our information. They usually ask us for our arrival times, any equipment needs like chairs or shade, our insurance papers (yes we are insured!), those types of things. I already know many coordinators in town, so the conversation is usually just of us catching up, but I promise we'll talk about you too!
• Before the Ceremony, 1 hour out:
  • LCQ sets up early to prepare for your guest arrivals, and I typically find myself having final detail meetings with your planner, officiant, and photographer to recheck timelines and figure out cues.
  • About 15-20 minutes before show time, the prelude music begins. What we see most often are our couples choosing to put together an eclectic mix of favorite songs, or songs that have special meaning to them. We can also choose the music here to fit with the setting and what we know will be enjoyed by everyone there.
• Cue the Processional, it's go time:
  • This is where you're nervously pacing in the back of the room while the cute ring bearer dog gets distracted by a squirrel in a tree (yep, that happened!), but we're out there and we have you covered. As soon as you hear that beautiful arrangement we've been discussing and working on, you'll be smiling and getting your isle walking shoes ready! But, don't walk too fast - we want to play more music!
• Music in the Middle:
  • Interlude music is perfect in the background while taking a break from the ceremony for a candle lighting, sand sculpturing, or knot tying ceremony. It's like your own personal soundtrack - haven't you always wanted a live ensemble to play while you accomplish goals?
• Get Out of There!
  • Your recessional music should be upbeat and festive! You just got married, lets party! We want to celebrate you with music, so we will probably suggest something that your guests can clap to while applauding you out!
• Cocktail Hour:
  • You might not hear us playing during cocktail hour if your photographer steals you, your immediate family, the bridal party, your great aunt once removed, Harriet from reception, and the next door neighbors gardener off to do pre-planned pictures, but your other 'non-picture important' guests will be pleased to drink, eat hors d'oeuvres, and listen to a fun live concert! And while you might not be there, we still want to fit your style, so our music selection can include classical, pop arrangements and movie themes, upbeat jazzy favorites, and other enjoyable tunes.
• Grand Entrances, First Dances, and Dinner Entertainment:
  • We can't stress enough about how important music is to celebrating happy occasions like weddings, and since we'll already be there for the ceremony, having us stick around for reception entertainment is an easy decision. Our possibilities are endless, and if you want us to bring our full sound system, we can have most of the evenings entertainment covered, including the hilarious best-man & maid-of-honor speeches!

So, sometimes we get the chance to stick around for cocktail hour, or dinner, or even first dances - we LOVE first dances! But most of the time once the processional is over, we start to pack up and depart. There is only one more thing that we ask of you on your wedding day - we'd absolutely love a picture with the happy couple! It is so cool to post pictures of our couples with the musicians, and the photographers love it too!

Finally, you'll receive an email a day or so afterwards, sometimes with a picture we snuck in during the ceremony, mainly just to say thanks again for having us and hoping that our paths cross again. I'll probably sneak in some review links too, no rush or anything, but there is nothing that promotes us more than the glowing words of our clients, and we'd love for you to share on as many platforms as possible, so that other couples will find us when searching for their musicians. 

That's it! Did I leave anything out? Anything else to discuss? Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!

        ​​-Dan Weiss, LCQ Bassoonist & Artistic Director

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