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SERVICES OFFERED & RATES:

The following describes the services I offer when you contract with me to play for your wedding. If the wedding is to take place at a church, this information should be understood in combination with the Wedding Policy guidelines obtained from the church office.

Consultation Session
We can meet at the organ to audition pieces from my repertoire. If this is not convenient, you may elect to listen to recordings and let me know your favorite pieces. Pre-service music for the 15-20 minutes prior to the service may be chosen, including music for seating the mothers. The bridesmaids' processional most often used is the Trumpet Voluntary by Jeremiah Clarke. Congregational hymns, solos, or special pieces may also be selected. The traditional wedding march is Wagner's Bridal Chorus from Lohengrin, commonly known as "Here Comes the Bride." The traditional recessional is Felix Mendelssohn's Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream, also known as the theme from "The Newlywed Game." Both these pieces are secular and come from works based on mythological themes; alternative pieces, just as suitable for the occasion, can be auditioned during the consultation.

The couple can greatly assist the process by listening to classical and sacred recordings prior to the consultation to identify the style of music which most appeals to their tastes. Specific composers (e.g. "Schubert")and periods (e.g. "Romantic") and names of works (e.g. "Ave Maria") will greatly aid the organist and make the consultation period more productive. You may bring sheet music of favorite songs, tapes, or programs from other weddings at this time. Sheet music to specially requested songs must be purchased and supplied to the organist at least two weeks prior to the ceremony, and will remain the property of the bride and groom. Discretion should be used when requesting love songs and other secular music, keeping in mind the sacramental nature of the ceremony. Clergy or wedding coordinators can offer guidance on this subject as well. Rules defining restrictions vary from parish to parish, so ultimately these decisions should be made in conjunction with the officiating minister.

Rehearsal
Please plan the walk-through of the bridesmaids' processional, bridal march, and recessional at the beginning of the rehearsal. The organist is generally not needed for the remainder of activities that take place. Payment of fees is expected at the rehearsal.

Fee Schedule for Weddings Held at Your Church, Home, Country Club, etc.:

range between
Ceremony only...............$200
and
Consultation, rehearsal & ceremony...$330

Complete rates and details are at My Main Site

Extra rehearsals to accomodate soloists are $75 per half-hour session. I am also available to play piano at the reception--popular music, country, love songs, movie themes, etc.--at the rate of $100 dollars per hour. I can also subcontract vocalists and instrumentalists for a variety of chamber ensembles. Even bagpipes!

For a religious ceremony, you should first check with your clergy to find the limitations on material and instrumentation, if any. Proceedings go much more smoothly for you, your music providers, and your clergy, when these guidelines are followed.

If you want a non-nuptial selection, remember to consult your music provider. An experienced provider can tell you if the piece is suitable for a certain part of the ceremony.

Could you imagine walking down the aisle to nothing but the sound of your own heart beating? No other element of your celebration has the power to move your guests and engage the emotions of all in attendance the way beautiful wedding music does.

The Prelude is an interval of music starting 20 to 30 minutes prior to your ceremony. During the Prelude, your wedding musician establishes the mood for your wedding. The choice of appropriate mood is entirely up to you, and you may use vocal or instrumental music to create it. A string ensemble playing violin concertos by Vivaldi will create an elegant mood. An organist playing liturgical selections will create a religious mood. A vocalist singing contemporary love ballads will create a romantic mood. Or perhaps you may desire ethnic selections, creating a variety of different moods.

One general rule applies to your Prelude selections: the music should not be dance oriented, and should be played at a volume that creates suitable background for prayer, reflection, and light conversation.

The following works create the following moods:
Elegant
Violin Concerto #8 (Vivaldi)
Rondo (Mozart)
Air (from Water Music by Handel)
Concerto #1 (from The Four Seasons; Spring; by Vivaldi)
Religious
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (Bach)
Largo (from Xerxes by Handel)
God is my Shepherd (Antoni Dvorak)
Festive/joyous
Brandenburg Concerto #2 (Bach)
Hornpipe in D (from The Water Music by Handel)
Rondo for Flute and Orchestra (Mozart)
Romantic
One Hand, One Heart (from West Side Story by Sondheim/Bernstein)
All I Ask of You (from Phantom of the Opera by Webber)
Pavane (Faure)
Greensleeves (Traditional)

While the Prelude music plays, the ushers escort your guests to their seats. The groom's mother, father, and finally the bride's mother are the last people escorted to their seats. Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke) or Trumpet Tune and Air (Purcell), due to their strong march rhythms, are an ideal choice to attract the guests' attention and begin the ceremony. The music should continue until the aisle carpet has been unrolled.

Your ceremony begins with the entrance of the wedding party. Normally the ushers lead the procession, followed by the bridesmaids, maid of honor, the ring bearer, and the flower girl.

The wedding music should have a clearly audible cadence for the party to keep time while walking. If the same selection is also used for the bride's entrance, there must be a noticeable increase in volume when she is ready to enter.

The haunting melody and driving rhythm of Pachelbel's Canon or Air on a G String (Bach) are very popular Processional pieces.

The bride's entrance is the most important moment of the wedding day. The music announces the bride and focuses all attention on her. The volume must be significantly louder than the music played for the attendants. Bridal Chorus (from Lohengrin by Wagner), Arrival of the Queen of Sheba (Handel) or Trumpet Voluntary (Clarke) are good choices.

The end of the ceremony is usually marked by the bridal kiss or the announcement of the newly married couple. The bride and groom exit arm in arm, followed by the flower girl and ring bearer, the maid of honor and best man, and bridesmaid/usher pairs.
This time the wedding music should be majestic and played with a quick tempo. Ode to Joy (from 9th Symphony by Beethoven) or Wedding March (from A Midsummer Night's Dream by Mendelssohn) are recommended.

The Postlude begins after the Recessional, it should be fast and triumphant. If you form a receiving line after your ceremony, music should be played until all guests have been greeted. The following melodies will be quite matching here: Overture from Music for the Royal Fireworks (Handel), Rondeau (Mouret), Le Rejouissance from Music for the Royal Fireworks (Handel), Trumpet Tune and Air (Purcell), Suite in F Major (Handel).

The wedding music is an essential part of the wedding, but still you do not want to spent too much money on ordering an orchestra or a band. Here are some money-saving ideas for you to consider:

Contemporary wedding music - if you want a more modern sound at your ceremony, just consider playing the CD of the song or songs that you like. This is extremely cost-effective. However, some churches will not allow you to hook a CD player into their sound system and others simply will not allow contemporary music or possibly certain secular songs. Make sure to find it out before making plans.

If you want live wedding music, search out local bands. There may be a band in your area that would agree to play just one or two songs at your wedding for a reasonable price.

Classical Music - having a small symphony or professional trios or quartets at your wedding can be pretty expensive. If you are not a perfectionist, call your local college and see if the symphony director would recommend some students. You could even hold auditions for trios and quartets, asking them to play a certain piece of wedding music. You may be surprised at how professional and impressive these students can be when money is on the line.

Another resource for wedding music is the organist or music director. Church music directors in general have assisted in many weddings and will know what works and what doesn't. Certainly you will have to pay a fee if they agree to coordinate the music for your ceremony, but it will be well worth it.