What Makes Live Cocktail Hour Music a great bargain
One of my favorite parts of playing weddings is when I also play for cocktail hour. That happens with about 50% of the ceremonies I play.
Here are some reasons why it's a great idea to have live music during your cocktail hour.
*Your guests will love having live music. I know this because I get the most positive feedback from guests during cocktail hour. People naturally respond to an actual person playing live music, and as a performer I'm more accessible than during the ceremony playing processionals and recessionals. My clients often tell me that they get raves about the cocktail hour music from their guests.
*The cocktail hour is kind of a "lost hour" for many wedding guests. Even though many couples now have "first Look" and other photos taken pre-ceremony, most photographers still want to get shots immediately post-ceremony. The couple, the wedding party, and even the family are off somewhere having photos taken. So suddenly, the ceremony ends and nothing...crickets chirping...well...there's the bar ...which is paramount to some :). But the energy drops off.
*Having a live musician keeps the momentum going and makes the "lost hour" special for the guests. It creates an energy that is lacking with recorded background. And a live musician can look at the crowd, watch reactions, adjust, and connect with folks in a way that recorded music cannot.
*In my case, after playing ceremony music which is usually instrumental, I typically sing during cocktail hour...Beatles, Eagles, James Taylor, Zack Brown, Ingrid Michaelson, .... maybe some country, maybe some Elvis ...depends on the folks I see in front of me and how they respond. This starts to dial up the energy and make the transition of mood, sort of a half step partway from ceremony to reception.
*With that in mind you might want to look for a musician who can shift gears a bit after the ceremony to something more upbeat and relaxed. I recommend a musician who can sing during cocktails.
* Most ceremony musicians will not charge much more to add in the cocktail hour...no additional travel, minimal planning , so other than a second set-up it's fairly easy for the musician...and fun.
(You can see what I charge at : http://www.dwightsweddingguitar.com/prices_2016/ Most ceremony musicians are probably similar )
Or check my song lists: http://www.dwightsweddingguitar.com/wedding_music_lists/
Really for a small extra investment live cocktail hour music will make your wedding much more memorable. ( especially compared to many other wedding "details" that go largely unnoticed by at least 50% of your guests... i.e. the guys... Let's face it no one with a Y chromosome will appreciate the table settings :) but everyone notices live music. )
Thanks for reading,
dwight
Dwight Phetteplace www.dwightsweddingguitar@gmail.com
SEVEN TIME WINNER: TheKnot "Best of Weddings" WeddingWire "Brides' Choice"
Full site: www.dwightsongs.net
Mobile-friendly site : www.dwightsweddingguitar.com
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