If you feel overwhelmed by the task of deciding on wedding bands for your wedding ceremony, cocktail hour and/or dinner reception, here is a quick and easy outline of the 5 most popular types of wedding musicians that we are seeing couples in the Phoenix area are selecting.
String Quartet
String Quartets
A string quartet is a classic favorite for wedding bands because it brings all the traditional sentiments of a romantic wedding. A string quartet, as its name describes, is made up of four string instrument players – two violins, one viola (sounds a little lower in pitch than the violin) and one cello (the lowest pitched of the three instruments). This traditional, full sounding ensemble adds pure elegance to the standard wedding music repertoire including “Canon in D,” the “Wedding March” by Mendelssohn, and Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.”
Solo Guitar
Classical or Spanish Guitar
While a solo guitar is not technically a “wedding band” because it’s only one instrument, it’s still a very popular choice when couples are looking for live music of some kind. The Spanish or classical guitar are some of the most romantic and versatile of all instruments. This is one reason it is often selected to play for wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours and/or wedding receptions. If you have very limited space and a small wedding, choosing a soloist to play is an excellent choice. A solo guitar can add intimacy to a small wedding without overwhelming it with too much sound.
Harp
Harp
Harp music is considered a “celestial instrument” that brings grace and romance to a wedding ceremony, cocktail hour or dinner reception. Like the classical guitar, the harp can bring a lush, full sound with just one instrument. But given that, a harp is large, difficult to move and time-consuming to tune, so rates for harpists can be high. While a well-trained harpist can play a variety of styles, it’s really not very convincing playing other styles besides classical music.
Piano
Piano
The piano is a well-loved instrument by many couples who grow up having taken piano lessons and enjoying the sound of the piano. With all the music written and arranged for the piano, many couples request a piano for their wedding music. Piano can be an excellent choice as a “wedding band”, but at times, it’s impractical or even impossible. It’s very difficult to move a piano outdoors and with all the outside weddings taking place in Phoenix, this makes the piano a very challenging choice for most couples.
Flute and guitar
Flute & Guitar
While the flute and guitar is one of the more unusual wedding bands, it is becoming more common and requested as couples come the discover that with the proper experience and knowledge of contemporary and classical music, a flute and guitar duo can offer a wide variety of music for wedding – a tasteful blend of jazz standards, show tunes, contemporary selections, jazz, as well as classical music. A flute and guitar duo, depending upon their training and experience, can be more flexible in playing different styles than a string ensemble, harp or solo guitar. The sound of a flute and guitar duo possesses the same kind of sophistication for traditional wedding and classical music but is more suited to other styles of music than other ensemble. Since there are only two musicians, the flute and guitar duo has a comparable sound to a larger ensemble but is more economical than hiring a string quartet. A flute and guitar duo has a uniqueness in sound, combining the fullness of the guitar and the lyricism of the flute. The ensemble can convincingly play the same Pachelbel’s “Canon in D,” the “Wedding March” by Mendelssohn, and Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” just like a string quartet as well as more contemporary wedding favorites such as “A Thousand Years”, “Beauty and the Beast” and “You Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story.
While there are a lot of choices for couples looking to hire wedding bands for their wedding ceremonies, cocktail hours and/or dinner receptions, it’s important to consider the factors of style, space and location when deciding on string quartet, classical or Spanish guitar, harp, piano, flute and guitar duo or any other live musical ensemble. No matter what ensemble you choose, hiring live musicians will guarantee that your wedding will have an intimate, unique and memorable feel.
