|
Q: Can you play outside?
A: Yes. We can bring our own sided non waterproof gazebo (which needs to be erected on grass not a hard standing area) with permission from the venue management. We reserve the right to play indoors if we feel the weather is not suitable. Unfortunately even though some venues say they have outdoor shelter, it is sometimes not adequate enough for our requirements. Our instruments are extremely valuable and any prolonged exposure can cause serious damage, plus, it is not particularly easy or comfortable to play when it is remotely cold, hot or windy. If it is raining (or chance of rain) we cannot play outside. We urge you to ensure there is another room set aside for us if we cannot play outside.
Q: Can you help me choose music for our wedding?
A: Yes of course. We have plenty of experience in knowing what works and what doesn`t, from the processional through to the wedding breakfast. Weddings are changing and not everyone wants a traditional wedding these days, so we have an extensive repertoire to reflect the changing needs of our clients. If it`s not on the list, ask us which song you want and we will do our best to arrange it for you (fees vary). We can also expand our group to incorporate additional players for a bigger sound or add a singer. We are also available as a trio or duo, but the repertoire is significantly reduced and makes playing for longer periods harder. Booking a string quartet is ideal as it gives a fabulous "rounded" sound.
Q: Do we need to rehearse with you before our wedding?
A: No. Generally not. Unless you are looking for something more unusual then we would normally arrive on the day in good time to set up and just play. We have played at hundreds of weddings so are very familiar with the repertoire. Obviously if you require us to rehearse with you, there would be additional costs to yourself. I would not personally recommend this if we are playing from our standard repertoire. It is only an unnecessary cost.
Q: What will you wear?
A: We will wear smart black, depending on your requirements. We can also tailor our look to your theme and even wear fancy dress (if necessary). We can be classic, glamorous, smart, modern, funky, casual, you name it...we can do it, don`t feel embarrassed, just ask! It`s your day, do it the way you want and we will accommodate...within reason! For Indian weddings, we can wear traditional sarees.
Q: Can you liaise with the wedding coordinator to ensure things run smoothly?
A: Yes of course. We can sort out practicalities with the person in charge. Ideally we prefer speaking directly with the client at some point to ensure any vital information has been passed on correctly. Please see our requirements below.
Q: What are your requirements as a quartet?
A: We require four armless chairs in good condition and good shelter from wind, rain, sun and bird droppings! Read above section regarding playing outdoors. We need enough room to bow our instruments with good access around for people to walk safely by us (It is amazing how often this is overlooked). Generally we would recommend 10ft x 10ft sq on ground level, much more if we are to be raised on a platform. If necessary and depending on the amount of guests it is possible for us to use amplification with permission from the management. If the venue has a PA system, bear in mind, we would need to play in the same room where that is otherwise would have to hire our own and this would cost more for you. We also need good lighting for where we play, a decent size room to change (not a toilet please!!) and a lockable room to store our instrument cases and handbags.
Q: Can you play in different rooms for our wedding?
A: Yes we can, but moving about takes a considerable amount of time and we cannot be expected to use our break time to do this. We would recommend trying to limit the amount of times we need to move so you can benefit from hearing us play (preferrably no more than once for a booking of up to 2-3 hours). Obviously we understand this isn`t always possible, so you may need to reconsider how long you wish to book us. We really want you to get value for money hence why we are mentioning this.
Q: Our wedding reception is in a different location to our ceremony. Are you able to play at both venues?
A: Yes. We will arrange our own transport. Fees may be incurred if significant distances are involved or if the venue is in a hard to reach area with limited public transport. We generally travel by car or train and our fees take into account distances from the London area.
Q: How do we make a booking?
A: Please go to the Contact Us page or call Susannah on 07957 423557 and send an email with your phone number with as much information as possible regarding type of function, times, date, venue and location of your event and any other relevant information. We will then send you a quote based on the information we receive. Our fee will very much depend on the location and length of time we are required. Saturdays are the busiest days with June, July and August being popular months for weddings. If you feel you would like to make a booking with us, please let us know by email and we will then send you our contract which needs to be signed and returned along with a holding deposit. The contract and deposit can either be sorted out via email (scanned documents and direct bank transfer) or via post. Once we have received the deposit and when the funds have cleared, the date will be yours. Please note we are unable to play at any event unless a contract has been signed and received. The rest of the payment is made on the day either by cash or cheque. Unfortunately we cannot hold any dates provisionally and once the deposit has been made, it is non refundable.
Q: Help! I have been let down by another string quartet and I desperately need you to play for our function next week, can you help?
If we are free, then yes of course. We cannot guarantee all original members will be able to play but we can always find players even up to 1 day before...We wouldn`t recommend leaving it this late though! Always let us know and we will try and help.
Q: Can you play electric instruments?
A: Yes! We all play electric instruments and can arrange a fabulous short programme to suit your event. The benefit of hiring us to play electric is that it can bring a modern glamorous look to any function. We generally play electric for corporate events or private functions rather than weddings, but this is by no means a rule for us. We are more than happy to try and work with you to provide a fantastic performance whatever the occasion. We primarily play "background" electric which means we play exactly the same music as we do our acoustic instruments and in the same format. If we are required to play on stage in more glamorous costume, this is fine, but we would like to make clear we are NOT a choreographed act (ie. we do not provide backing tracks or dance etc and we play using music stands as we would our acoustic set). As we require technical assistance with our setup, our fees will be considerably higher as we may need to bring along a sound engineer or have one provided by the client. For instances where we need to play wireless and one where a sound engineer is provided by the client, it is vital they are knowledgable in setting up an electric string quartet to play using radio packs. We have a fantastic selection of pop songs to create a perfect atmosphere for any event, please see our repertoire and listen to the mp3 tracks by clicking on this link: broadway,pop, tv, film & latin.
| 
