Wedding
Music Services
Your Wedding Ceremony | Your Drinks Reception | Your Wedding Breakfast
Your wedding day is the most memorable day of your life.
You want it
to be perfect and so do we. The Ardeton String Quartet will make sure that you
have the perfect musical accompaniment for every part of your day. A string quartet is
not only one of the most sumptuous of musical groups it is also the most
flexible, able to portray sensitivity and grandeur. For less than the
price of the average wedding cake, the Ardeton String Quartet can
completely change the atmosphere of a venue and enchant your guests. We know that you want
your wedding day to be special and unique to you, which is why we offer
music consultations either by telephone or in our Chipping Sodbury base
just north of Bristol. We also have one of the largest repertoires of string
quartet music at our disposal, so we can ensure the music you have for
your day is as unique and individual as we believe it should be.
The Ardeton String Quartet are experienced wedding musicians, having played at in excess of 500 weddings in the last 8 years. We will time your entrance and exit music perfectly, and have impeccable judgment during ceremonies so that you don't have to worry about details on the day. Despite this we never adopt a 'one-size-fits-all' approach - to us, every wedding day is new and unique (read cellist Dury's testimony here on the blog).
From the point of first contact, we will discuss
your requirements and fit perfectly with your plans for your wedding day.
We can provide music for your ceremony, drinks
reception, wedding breakfast, or all three. We can also help you to
choose your wedding ceremony music if needed and we offer a free music
consultation to all wedding couples, if required, to offer help and advice
if you are unsure of what music would suit your requirements.
Your Wedding Ceremony
From
30 minutes prior to your wedding ceremony we will create the perfect atmosphere. As your guests arrive the string quartet
will be a feature of the venue, and light classical music can give the occasion
the right sense of luxury and grandeur. We will bring our performance to a close a
few minutes before the ceremony begins, with the cue taken from the
registrar or vicar for your guests to fall silent, in anticipation of the arrival of the Bridal party.
The string quartet will then play for the entrance of the Bride and Bridal party with your chosen music. Our extensive experience allows us to time the music perfectly to the Bride's arrival at the front of the room. In a church service it is optional to use the organ for the entrance and exit of the Bride.
The Ardeton String Quartet can perform any music you choose for the signing of the registers, although in a civil ceremony the music must have no religious connotations (see our advice here). Here you have the choice of using the Quartet as a feature, to entertain your guests whilst you are having photographs taken, or as a reflective musical backdrop. Either way, we can help you to choose the perfect music, timed to draw to a close just as you are preparing to leave the ceremony.
If you are having a church ceremony, the Ardeton String Quartet can
also accompany the hymns in place of an organ. The quartet has unlimited
access to church music and hymns, and has never yet turned down a request.
As you exit the room, we will play your chosen music just as soon as you begin your walk down the aisle. The music will continue until all of your assembled guests have left the room and the ceremony has drawn completely to a close. This will also allow the music to be heard for some distance outside the room, and blend the atmosphere of the ceremony with that of your reception outside.
For an example of our most popular ceremony music choices click here.
Your Drinks Reception
The Ardeton String Quartet
will be the
perfect accompaniment to your drinks reception. Here you have the option
of using the quartet to provide background music, a gentle accompaniment
as your guests mingle, or to place us in a more prominent location. With
the latter we can provide a more conventional performance, where
we are a focal point for your guests. A talking point and something for
them to watch whilst you are having photographs
taken or are preparing for the wedding breakfast.
The choice of music is paramount to setting the right mood here, and you can have as much input into our choice of repertoire as you wish. The Ardeton String Quartet have a masterly command of a variety of musical styles, and are very flexible and able musicians. Generally, classical music provides a sumptuous backdrop to a formal drinks reception, whereas light jazz is more engaging for your guests, especially for summer weddings. We can, of course, always use our discretion and combine the two styles.
For a selection of our repertoire, please click here.
Your Wedding Breakfast
Music is often an overlooked part of the
wedding meal. However, live entertainment can really bring a meal to
life and we will always ensure that the volume of our playing does not
become obtrusive. Here, we would often begin with a programme of
classical music for the receiving line and the start of the meal,
bringing a
feeling of luxury and formality. We would normally then change to jazz music as the meal
reaches its latter stages lightening the mood ready for the speeches.
However, a popular option is to use our "Quartet
Jukebox" which gives you and your guests full control of the
music we play, and leads to lively discussions about who has chosen
which song. As well as providing background music, the
quartet gradually becomes a focal and talking point for your guests - we
have even had impromtu karaoke and dancing from guests!
This helps the transition from the formality of the wedding ceremony to
the lively evening reception. We would normally draw our performance to
a close shortly before the speeches begin.
For a selection of our repertoire, please click here.