First, and most importantly, whether you are booking a string quartet for the once-in-a-lifetime event of your wedding or are a beginner and are planning your first corporate event, hiring a string quartet is much simpler than it seems.

The first step to hiring a string quartet is to plan ahead and start early. It is important to contact several prospective groups of musicians, audition them, and make your decision early in the wedding or event planning process. This is important because popular groups, like the Sparrow Lane String Quartet, can become booked early during holidays and wedding season. Therefore, if you are planning to have your wedding or event during the months of April to October, the peak of wedding season, or December, make sure you book your band well ahead of time.

The second step to hiring a string quartet for your wedding or corporate event is to have an idea of what you are looking for. By this, we do not mean you must have a concrete idea (although, if you do, that is fine). However, we do mean that you should have an idea of the type of music you would like to hear. The best way to determine this is to decide what mood you would like your music to set. Think about whether you would like a relaxed mood, a sophisticated mood, or music that will create a backdrop for conversing. Also decide if your event is formal or informal.

This step may seem superfluous at the planning stage, but if you want your wedding or corporate event to be truly memorable, then its important to have ideas to give to the string quartet you are hiring. They can then take the mood you want to establish and translate it into music. Always remember that the musicians are there to help.

When you are considering hiring potential string quartets for your event, there are several things you will want to discuss with them during the audition process. These important items include:

• First, unless the band comes from a personal recommendation, look for testimonials on their website. We publish testimonials from our satisfied clients throughout our website to assure potential clients we can deliver exactly what they desire. Remember, you don’t want to settle for anything less than the best band for your event.
• Second, ask about the band’s availability. This will obviously be a large determinant in the group you hire.
• Third, discuss the band’s fees and rates, as well as any additional charges for travel.
• Finally, ensure that, for whatever string quartet you hire, you make sure you get everything in writing. Although verbal contracts are often satisfactory, its important to get something that says, “We’ll be playing your wedding at 4:00 pm on June 5th, 2009,” even if its just an e-mail.

If you follow these simple rules, hiring a string quartet for your wedding, corporate event or party will be simple and enjoyable. If you would like to find out more about the Sparrow Lane String Quartet’s policies, read our Frequently Asked Questions page. Or, if you’re ready to hire us for your special event, contact us today!

As winter approaches, most of the United States turns its thoughts to cold, chilly weather and the approaching holidays. While the latter is present in Los Angeles and Southern California as well, we’re blessed with more temperate weather. This is a great time to plan an off-season wedding, because rates on many services, like wedding planning and wedding venues are likely to be lower. This is particularly true of the period between November 1st and March 31st. Many of the weddings which can be held during the fall can also be held during the winter. However, you will want to consider that a beach wedding may still be too chilly for some. Conversely, though, if you do opt to have a beach wedding, it will likely be more private than one held in the summer or even the fall.

Below are some more tips and ideas for winter weddings:

• Consider a winter destination wedding to Utah, Colorado or Montana and take advantage of the breathtaking beauty of snow-capped mountains. This is an especially good choice if you and your future spouse enjoy skiing or snowboarding.
• If you decide to stay in Southern California, a beach wedding is a possibility as long as you plan for the cooler weather with items such as bolero jackets or shawls for the bride and bridesmaids and wool suits for the groom and groomsmen. The cooler weather can work to your advantage, however, because the beach will be more secluded.
• Choose winter colors for your color scheme and avoid spring and summer colors, especially. Good color choices for winter weddings include deep burgundies, rich reds, forest greens, royal blues, dark purples as well as gold and silver. You will likely want to avoid spring greens, autumn yellows and autumn oranges as well all pastels. Remember that winter colors are rich and luxurious.
• Try decorating with winter flowers and using them in your bouquet. Every wedding uses roses and lilies, but if you’re having a winter wedding, then winter flowers will make it truly special. Ask your florist about poinsettias, winter jasmine, amaryllis, hyacinth, tulips, narcissus and hellebore. While poinsettias are considered a Christmas flower, they would work well with a wedding that has a deep burgundy or bright red color scheme.
• Although they can be a lot of fun and very romantic, you may not want to have a holiday wedding for Christmas, Haunukkah or New Years Eve. This is because venues and bands are often booked months in advance for corporate events for these holidays.
• On the same token, you may not want to have your wedding on the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, because this is an extremely popular time for weddings. As such, it can be expensive and the vendors you are looking to book may not even be available. If you want a Valentine’s Day themed wedding, consider the week after.
• Vendors often have special deals for the months of January and February, because wedding are not often booked during these times. Consider marrying during these two months, especially, and you can save a lot of money.
• Although you may worry about inclement weather, just as there may be bad weather in winter, there may be bad weather in summer. Don’t be afraid of the cold, rain or even snow – take it as a cue for creative planning and accessorizing!
• In the article, “Wedding Trends: Off-Season Weddings” several wedding vendors are quoted giving the following advice:
• A Decorator: “[We] Incorporate Christmas trees into our wrought iron gate backdrop, and 24 inch sparkling snowflakes into the ceiling canopy. Christmas trees around the room can be grouped together and accented with lights and fabric on the ground to create twinkling snow.”
• A DJ: “It’s so much easier to plan a wedding in the off-season, because you don’t have to fight to get the reception hall you want, the DJ, the photographer…”
• An Officiant: “You’ll find less people are on vacation [in the winter]. More guests will be able to attend your wedding… It takes a little more planning [for the weather], but then I have seen summer weddings with huge showers and wind storms!”

If a winter wedding doesn’t appeal to your taste, you may want to consider an early spring wedding. A lot of the same tips for planning apply, but consider the following, as well:

• Choose spring colors for your wedding, such as light greens, sky blues, baby pinks, lilac purples and other pastels. A springtime palette is very natural, muted and soft.
• Look to spring flowers for your decorations and bouquet. Daffodils, lilacs and tulips are perfect accents to a spring wedding and will be more appropriate than roses.
• Avoid having your wedding too close to Easter. However, if you are having a Christian wedding, consider asking your church about renting their Easter decorations. This can save you money and chances are in your favor that their color scheme will go perfectly with a spring wedding.
• Wedding gowns are designed for the type of weather spring provides, with full skirts which may be too hot for summer and sleeveless tops which may be too cool for winter. If you do begin to feel a chill, opt for a stylish shawl or wrap in a complimentary color.

As you can see, off-season, winter and early spring weddings can help to save you a lot of money and hassle. Furthermore, they can provide for unique wedding experiences which will be remembered for a lifetime.

If you would like to plan an off-season wedding but aren’t sure where to start, we can help steer you in the direction of wedding planners, venues and caterers we have worked with. If you’re ready to have a fantastic off-season wedding, contact us today!

Let’s discuss some essential tips for choosing wedding bands. First and most importantly, you will want to have your ceremony and reception sites booked before hiring your musicians. This is very important, because most sites have at least some specific guidelines detailing aspects such as sound, band size and so on. Some sites, such as churches and synagogues, will have a list of preferred musicians that they would like you to work with.

After you have secured your locations and determined their rules and specifications, you will want to book your band as early as possible. However, before you can do this, there are some important suggestions you should follow in order to make your search as easy as possible. These include:

• To find musicians who will fit both your taste and budget, interview at least three different musicians or go through a music management company.
• Try to attend the interviews as a couple, as both the bride and groom will have input.
• Bring a pen and notepad with you to all of your interviews to quickly write down any information or questions you may have throughout the interview.
• Most importantly, consider these aspects both before and after interviewing wedding musicians in order to make an objective and informed decision.

1. Budget: Do not “cut corners”. Quality should be of the utmost importance to you. However, that doesn’t mean you should go beyond your budget, either. Try to find a happy medium between your budget and the atmosphere you want.
2. Theme / Mood and Atmosphere: Consider the theme of your wedding as well as the mood and atmosphere you want to achieve.
3. Musical Taste: Keep your own musical tastes in mind; ultimately, it’s your wedding.
4. Location: As previously mentioned, the location of your ceremony and reception may have certain rules or restrictions. In addition, certain décor lends itself more easily to live music. For example, hardwood floors and minimalist decorations create wonderful acoustics, where carpeting and tile ceilings can absorb sound so more amplification may be required.
5. Guests: Live music is an excellent choice for your reception, as it entertains guests during particular events such as while you are being photographed. Your guests will take their cue from you; if you are enjoying the music, so will they.
6. Hiring experienced musicians helps you to plan a day full of festive, romantic music for your occasion. These musicians are faithful to schedules, always prepared, and most importantly able to help you choose the most fitting music for your event based on circumstances such as location and theme. Be ready to trust their judgment.
7. Securing Your Wedding Music: A deposit of one-third or one-half of the total cost should be paid in advance. Many times, the balance will be asked for two weeks in advance. Also keep in mind that patrons of the arts (in this event, you) are obliged to provide food and drink for your hired musicians. Musicians work exceptionally hard and need food, drink, and rest occasionally.
8. Using a wedding coordinator may help take the guesswork out of planning your own wedding. Hiring one is highly recommended.

Your day is one that both yourself and your guests will remember always. Following these tips will assure you peace of mind on your special day, and your guests will revel in your happiness!

At Perfect Music for Weddings, it is our goal to make one of the most important aspects of your wedding day also one of the easiest: choosing the right wedding music for your special day! Forget all of the other aspects of wedding planning for a little while, and let’s explore wedding music. Here we will cover some important tips for choosing the best live music for your wedding ceremony, reception or other special event.

Always Take Everyone’s Advice Sparingly –
Especially When It Comes to Wedding Music!

When planning your wedding day, a lot of your family and friends will likely add their input about what they think you should do. However, don’t ever forget, it’s your wedding — not theirs! Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa and all of your friends will surely be well-meaning with their suggestions, however, they are not “wedding experts,” no matter how many wedding ceremonies they’ve been to. Unless Aunt Sarah is a professional wedding planner, take her advice with a grain of salt.

Grandma and Grandpa may want to hear some classic standards, your bridesmaids may want to hear something contemporary, Mom and Dad may want to hear a classical string quartet — and you may want to hear something completely different! It’s your wedding day and it’s your wedding music — so choose what you like and not what everyone else thinks they want to hear. In the end, everyone will be pleased with your decision anyway.

Never “Cut Corners” By Hiring Unprofessional
Musicians for Your Wedding Band

Cousin Tommy or your bridesmaid’s boyfriend might have a “totally cool” band — but, do you really want to trust one of the most important aspects of your wedding day to a non-professional, just because it might “save you some money”? What if they don’t even know any wedding music? Do you really want to hear a cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” five times on your wedding day?

Leave the wedding music up to those who know it best — real wedding music professionals. Our professional wedding musicians have several factors which make them hundreds of times better than Cousin Tommy’s cover band. First, they are trained and seasoned professional musicians who perform at weddings and other events for a living, never as a hobby. Performing for weddings is their passion and they’re good at it! Many of our musicians have played at hundreds of weddings and special events and have years of experience. Second, they have large repertoires of music, ranging from wedding classics, to movie themes, to contemporary favorites and so much more. Third, they are trained to circumvent any potential problems which may arise, even those unrelated to their performance. Fourth, they truly care about their performance and what they do to make your wedding an enchanting event remembered for years to come. Can you say the same for Cousin Tommy’s cover band?

Don’t disappoint your guests or yourself by trying to “cut corners” on the wedding music. Just because it might save you a few dollars, do you really want to remember Cousin Tommy’s ten minute long cover of “Freebird” at your 50th wedding anniversary?

These are only two tips on how to choose music for your wedding day. However, they are very important. If you take away one thing from this article, remember this: Always trust your personal judgment in planning your wedding and always trust a professional wedding musician with a proven reputation.

Do you have any suggestions, tips or ideas on wedding planning or choosing the right musicians for your wedding? Leave us a comment and let us know!

The varied backdrops of Los Angeles can provide the most spectacular settings for your wedding day. It is one of the most inspiring and romantic cities in the world. After all, it is called “the city of angels” for a reason – and even inspired a romantic film of the same name! Also, don’t forget that Los Angeles is one of the most culturally diverse cities in the world: the assorted cross-sections of world cultures of the city of Los Angeles create a cultural mosaic which is completely unique. Los Angeles is home to people from across the globe, each of whom brings a piece of their unique culture to the city.

When planning your Los Angeles wedding, why not take into consideration the city’s unique flavors when selecting the music for your event?

“Old Hollywood” is a popular choice for Los Angeles weddings. This theme evokes feelings of glamour, nostalgia and class. If you’re planning an Old Hollywood-themed soiree, you’re first choice for wedding music is the Whole of the Moon Swing Orchestra. This band features classic tunes from the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s — it’s the perfect music to accompany your classically inspired wedding! The Sparrow Lane String Quartet would work well with an Old Hollywood themed wedding, as well.

Without a doubt, Latin culture is a large part of life in Los Angeles. However, you don’t have to know how to tango to plan a Latin wedding! From samba, flamenco, salsa and meringue, to tango and bossa nova, the Wine and Roses Band can provide your Latin flavored wedding with the perfect musical accompaniment to make your Los Angeles wedding go from lukewarm to muy caliente!

Why not take inspiration from the sophistication of city life? If you want to plan a sophisticated Los Angeles wedding, consider the classy sounds of a string quartet. The Sparrow Lane String Quartet would be a wonderful choice for a decidedly sophisticated event.

These are only a few examples of weddings inspired by the city of Los Angeles. With just a little imagination it is possible to come up with hundreds of ideas to inspire a memorable and unique Los Angeles wedding!

Do you have any unique wedding theme ideas? Let us know!