Frequently asked questions
Below are the questions we hear most frequently.
1. Which instruments are in your string quartet?
2. Are you available for my event?
3. What kind of music do you play?
4. How much experience do you have?
5. Do you travel for performances?
6. Can I listen to your string quartet before I reserve you?
7. Do you have testimonials from your clients?
8. What is your typical fee for a wedding ceremony?
9. Do you have reduced rates if I hire you to play for more than just my ceremony?
10. What is your typical fee for a banquet, cocktail party or corporate event?
11. How do I get a quote for my event?
12. How do I reserve The Wisconsin String Quartet?
13. Can I make my deposit or pay my balance online?
14. Do I get a contract after I reserve you?
15. Can you give me music suggestions for my wedding ceremony?
16. When do I need to have my wedding ceremony music chosen?
17. Do you attend wedding rehearsals?
18. Do you play for outdoor weddings?
19. Does your string quartet need anything special for your performances?
20. Do you play traditional Catholic wedding mass music?
21. Can you accompany the vocalist at my wedding?
22. Do you charge extra to accompany a vocalist?
23. Can you perform special musical requests?
24. I have a smaller budget. Do you have any options available besides a string quartet?
25. How should I list your group in my program?
26. I have other questions not listed here. How do I contact you for more information?
1. Which instruments are in your string quartet? Our string quartet includes two violins, one viola, and one cello. Each instrument has its own distinct role within the quartet, complementing the sound of all the others.
2. Are you available for my event? To check our availability, please Contact Us. Most clients reserve us one or two years in advance.
3. What kind of music do you play? We mainly perform classical music by Mozart, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Brahms, Beethoven, Handel, Bach, Haydn and more. During wedding receptions, we can also play Broadway show tunes, tangos, and contemporary music. For a list of our music library as well as the most popular pieces of music we perform, go to our Music Recommendations page. You can also listen to our Audio Samples to hear us before you hire us.
4. How much experience do you have? Our string quartet has performed for weddings and banquets since 1995. Some of us began playing our respective instruments as young as age three, and most of us have been performing for over 30 years. In addition to our work playing in the Wisconsin String Quartet we are also professional musicians and music teachers.
5. Do you travel for performances? We travel throughout Wisconsin for performances. Our quartet members aren't all in the same city, which actually makes it easier for us to travel throughout the state.
6. Can I listen to your string quartet before I reserve you? You can hear our Audio Samples online. These samples are also a great way for you to choose which songs you'd like performed for your wedding ceremony.
7. Do you have testimonials from your clients? We realize how important it is to know what our clients have thought about our music and about their experience working with us. Read what others have said about The Wisconsin String Quartet on our Testimonials page.
8. What is your typical fee for a wedding ceremony? For a wedding ceremony, our average fee is $975. Our fee could be higher or lower for your wedding, depending on how much travel is involved. Contact Us for a personalized quote.
Our normal wedding ceremony package looks like this: We begin by performing about 15 minutes of background music before the ceremony begins. We then perform a song for the processional of the wedding party, the bride's processional, unity candle, sand ceremony, sign of peace, communion, and the recessional of the happy couple and the wedding party (for a wedding mass, we can play all the music except the mass parts). We conclude the ceremony by performing about 15 minutes of background music after the recessional. We can also accompany other musicians (such as a vocalist), learn new music that may be requested, and are happy to provide music suggestions.
9. Do you have reduced rates if I hire you to play for more than just my ceremony? Most people hire us for more than just their ceremony, because each additional hour of background music during cocktails and dinner is only $300.
10. What is your typical fee for a banquet, cocktail party or corporate event? For a banquet, cocktail party or corporate event, our average fee for a one hour performance is $1000. Our fee could be higher or lower for your event, depending on location. Contact Us for a personalized quote. Most people hire us for more than one hour, because each additional hour after the first hour is only $300.
11. How do I get a quote for my event? To check our availability and get a quote, Contact Us.
12. How do I reserve The Wisconsin String Quartet? To reserve The Wisconsin String Quartet for your event, a non-refundable good faith deposit of at least $100 is required. Your balance is not due until one month prior to your event. Go to our Contact Us page to get our mailing address. We accept personal checks, money orders, cashier's checks, and credit cards via PayPal (PayPal may be subject to an extra transaction fee).
13. Can I make my deposit or pay my balance online? You can make your deposit or pay your balance online via PayPal (may be subject to an extra transaction fee).
14. Do I get a contract after I reserve you? After we receive your deposit, we will email you a performance agreement, so you know exactly what to expect from us.
15. Can you give me music suggestions for my wedding ceremony? We are happy to provide specific Music Recommendations to help you plan the music for your special day. You can check out our Our Music Library for additional ideas, and you can also listen to our Audio Samples online.
16. When do I need to have my wedding ceremony music chosen? We suggest a music consultation via phone or email two months before your wedding. We need your final music selections one month before your wedding.
17. Do you attend wedding rehearsals? Due to our busy schedule, we are unable to attend wedding rehearsals. We'll communicate with you via phone or email to organize the music and make sure we know exactly what and when we are playing. We arrive about a half hour before we begin performing to confirm all important details, so everything goes smoothly.
18. Do you play for outdoor weddings? We do perform for outdoor weddings. However, our instruments can be damaged by moisture and excessive heat/sunlight, so we have to be careful. On a sunny day, we need to be under a canopy, tent, roof overhang, or a large shade tree to keep our instruments out of the sun. On a rainy day, we need to be in an enclosed area that has both a ceiling and walls, so no moisture can come in contact with our instruments. The temperature range our instruments can tolerate is between 55 and 85 degrees.
Our sound carries very well indoors, but can be a challenge outdoors, due to wind and background noise. If your outdoor event is not very large or spread out, it shouldn't be a problem hearing us. Given that we are an entirely acoustic music group, our group is best suited for indoor performances; we cannot guarantee the same high level of sound quality or volume for outdoor performances.
19. Does your string quartet need anything special for your performances? Four armless chairs are all we need. We bring our own music stands.
20. Do you play traditional Catholic wedding mass music? For a mass, we are happy to perform for the processional, unity candle, presentation of gifts, communion, sign of peace, and recessional (we can play all the music except the mass parts; we recommend you utilize your church’s pianist or organist for the mass parts). For protestant and civil services, we are happy to perform for the processional, unity candle, sand ceremony, sign of peace and recessional.
We also perform about fifteen minutes of background music before your ceremony begins, as well as another fifteen minutes of background music after your ceremony has concluded.
21. Can you accompany the vocalist at my wedding? Yes, with the exception of accompanying a vocalist for traditional Catholic wedding mass music, as noted in the previous question. We're often asked to accompany vocalists for weddings, and we're happy to do so. However, we need to have a copy of the vocalist's sheet music one month before the wedding. When accompanying a vocalist, we arrive an extra half hour early so we can rehearse the music with the vocalist before the wedding begins.
22. Do you charge extra to accompany a vocalist? We do not charge extra to accompany a vocalist or any other performers in your wedding, such as a pianist or guitarist.
23. Can you perform special musical requests? Yes we can. If we don't own the sheet music for your special song, we may be able to locate and purchase it, if you're willing to reimburse us. Sheet music for most songs runs between $25 and $60.
24. I have a smaller budget. Do you have any options available besides a string quartet? We're flexible and can offer you additional options. The string quartet will produce the richest and fullest sound, but if you have a smaller budget a string trio or string duo will still add a very nice touch to your event. We do not sacrifice sound quality with the trio or duo, since we use sheet music that is specially arranged for these particular ensembles.
A string trio contains three instruments, and our average fee is $900 for the first hour and $250 for each additional hour. A string duo contains two instruments, and our average fee is $725 for the first hour and $200 for each additional hour. Our fee could be higher or lower for your event, depending on location. Contact Us for a personalized quote.
25. How should I list your group in my wedding program? Please list us as "The Wisconsin String Quartet" in your program. It is not necessary to list the individual names of the members of our group.
26. I have other questions not listed here. How do I contact you for more information? Contact Us here. You will receive a prompt response, usually within 24 hours.
1. Which instruments are in your string quartet?
2. Are you available for my event?
3. What kind of music do you play?
4. How much experience do you have?
5. Do you travel for performances?
6. Can I listen to your string quartet before I reserve you?
7. Do you have testimonials from your clients?
8. What is your typical fee for a wedding ceremony?
9. Do you have reduced rates if I hire you to play for more than just my ceremony?
10. What is your typical fee for a banquet, cocktail party or corporate event?
11. How do I get a quote for my event?
12. How do I reserve The Wisconsin String Quartet?
13. Can I make my deposit or pay my balance online?
14. Do I get a contract after I reserve you?
15. Can you give me music suggestions for my wedding ceremony?
16. When do I need to have my wedding ceremony music chosen?
17. Do you attend wedding rehearsals?
18. Do you play for outdoor weddings?
19. Does your string quartet need anything special for your performances?
20. Do you play traditional Catholic wedding mass music?
21. Can you accompany the vocalist at my wedding?
22. Do you charge extra to accompany a vocalist?
23. Can you perform special musical requests?
24. I have a smaller budget. Do you have any options available besides a string quartet?
25. How should I list your group in my program?
26. I have other questions not listed here. How do I contact you for more information?
1. Which instruments are in your string quartet? Our string quartet includes two violins, one viola, and one cello. Each instrument has its own distinct role within the quartet, complementing the sound of all the others.
2. Are you available for my event? To check our availability, please Contact Us. Most clients reserve us one or two years in advance.
3. What kind of music do you play? We mainly perform classical music by Mozart, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Brahms, Beethoven, Handel, Bach, Haydn and more. During wedding receptions, we can also play Broadway show tunes, tangos, and contemporary music. For a list of our music library as well as the most popular pieces of music we perform, go to our Music Recommendations page. You can also listen to our Audio Samples to hear us before you hire us.
4. How much experience do you have? Our string quartet has performed for weddings and banquets since 1995. Some of us began playing our respective instruments as young as age three, and most of us have been performing for over 30 years. In addition to our work playing in the Wisconsin String Quartet we are also professional musicians and music teachers.
5. Do you travel for performances? We travel throughout Wisconsin for performances. Our quartet members aren't all in the same city, which actually makes it easier for us to travel throughout the state.
6. Can I listen to your string quartet before I reserve you? You can hear our Audio Samples online. These samples are also a great way for you to choose which songs you'd like performed for your wedding ceremony.
7. Do you have testimonials from your clients? We realize how important it is to know what our clients have thought about our music and about their experience working with us. Read what others have said about The Wisconsin String Quartet on our Testimonials page.
8. What is your typical fee for a wedding ceremony? For a wedding ceremony, our average fee is $975. Our fee could be higher or lower for your wedding, depending on how much travel is involved. Contact Us for a personalized quote.
Our normal wedding ceremony package looks like this: We begin by performing about 15 minutes of background music before the ceremony begins. We then perform a song for the processional of the wedding party, the bride's processional, unity candle, sand ceremony, sign of peace, communion, and the recessional of the happy couple and the wedding party (for a wedding mass, we can play all the music except the mass parts). We conclude the ceremony by performing about 15 minutes of background music after the recessional. We can also accompany other musicians (such as a vocalist), learn new music that may be requested, and are happy to provide music suggestions.
9. Do you have reduced rates if I hire you to play for more than just my ceremony? Most people hire us for more than just their ceremony, because each additional hour of background music during cocktails and dinner is only $300.
10. What is your typical fee for a banquet, cocktail party or corporate event? For a banquet, cocktail party or corporate event, our average fee for a one hour performance is $1000. Our fee could be higher or lower for your event, depending on location. Contact Us for a personalized quote. Most people hire us for more than one hour, because each additional hour after the first hour is only $300.
11. How do I get a quote for my event? To check our availability and get a quote, Contact Us.
12. How do I reserve The Wisconsin String Quartet? To reserve The Wisconsin String Quartet for your event, a non-refundable good faith deposit of at least $100 is required. Your balance is not due until one month prior to your event. Go to our Contact Us page to get our mailing address. We accept personal checks, money orders, cashier's checks, and credit cards via PayPal (PayPal may be subject to an extra transaction fee).
13. Can I make my deposit or pay my balance online? You can make your deposit or pay your balance online via PayPal (may be subject to an extra transaction fee).
14. Do I get a contract after I reserve you? After we receive your deposit, we will email you a performance agreement, so you know exactly what to expect from us.
15. Can you give me music suggestions for my wedding ceremony? We are happy to provide specific Music Recommendations to help you plan the music for your special day. You can check out our Our Music Library for additional ideas, and you can also listen to our Audio Samples online.
16. When do I need to have my wedding ceremony music chosen? We suggest a music consultation via phone or email two months before your wedding. We need your final music selections one month before your wedding.
17. Do you attend wedding rehearsals? Due to our busy schedule, we are unable to attend wedding rehearsals. We'll communicate with you via phone or email to organize the music and make sure we know exactly what and when we are playing. We arrive about a half hour before we begin performing to confirm all important details, so everything goes smoothly.
18. Do you play for outdoor weddings? We do perform for outdoor weddings. However, our instruments can be damaged by moisture and excessive heat/sunlight, so we have to be careful. On a sunny day, we need to be under a canopy, tent, roof overhang, or a large shade tree to keep our instruments out of the sun. On a rainy day, we need to be in an enclosed area that has both a ceiling and walls, so no moisture can come in contact with our instruments. The temperature range our instruments can tolerate is between 55 and 85 degrees.
Our sound carries very well indoors, but can be a challenge outdoors, due to wind and background noise. If your outdoor event is not very large or spread out, it shouldn't be a problem hearing us. Given that we are an entirely acoustic music group, our group is best suited for indoor performances; we cannot guarantee the same high level of sound quality or volume for outdoor performances.
19. Does your string quartet need anything special for your performances? Four armless chairs are all we need. We bring our own music stands.
20. Do you play traditional Catholic wedding mass music? For a mass, we are happy to perform for the processional, unity candle, presentation of gifts, communion, sign of peace, and recessional (we can play all the music except the mass parts; we recommend you utilize your church’s pianist or organist for the mass parts). For protestant and civil services, we are happy to perform for the processional, unity candle, sand ceremony, sign of peace and recessional.
We also perform about fifteen minutes of background music before your ceremony begins, as well as another fifteen minutes of background music after your ceremony has concluded.
21. Can you accompany the vocalist at my wedding? Yes, with the exception of accompanying a vocalist for traditional Catholic wedding mass music, as noted in the previous question. We're often asked to accompany vocalists for weddings, and we're happy to do so. However, we need to have a copy of the vocalist's sheet music one month before the wedding. When accompanying a vocalist, we arrive an extra half hour early so we can rehearse the music with the vocalist before the wedding begins.
22. Do you charge extra to accompany a vocalist? We do not charge extra to accompany a vocalist or any other performers in your wedding, such as a pianist or guitarist.
23. Can you perform special musical requests? Yes we can. If we don't own the sheet music for your special song, we may be able to locate and purchase it, if you're willing to reimburse us. Sheet music for most songs runs between $25 and $60.
24. I have a smaller budget. Do you have any options available besides a string quartet? We're flexible and can offer you additional options. The string quartet will produce the richest and fullest sound, but if you have a smaller budget a string trio or string duo will still add a very nice touch to your event. We do not sacrifice sound quality with the trio or duo, since we use sheet music that is specially arranged for these particular ensembles.
A string trio contains three instruments, and our average fee is $900 for the first hour and $250 for each additional hour. A string duo contains two instruments, and our average fee is $725 for the first hour and $200 for each additional hour. Our fee could be higher or lower for your event, depending on location. Contact Us for a personalized quote.
25. How should I list your group in my wedding program? Please list us as "The Wisconsin String Quartet" in your program. It is not necessary to list the individual names of the members of our group.
26. I have other questions not listed here. How do I contact you for more information? Contact Us here. You will receive a prompt response, usually within 24 hours.
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