Can I listen to the players?
Yes, we have demos available HERE for you to listen to. Please understand that there are several hundred pieces that are regularly played at weddings and it's not practical for us to record them all for demo purposes. Please see the Planning Your Music section (HERE) for additional information about pieces that are available.
How do I choose music? Do you have a list of music?
We have a large list available HERE to help you choose your music. Some churches have restrictions on what music can be used for the service. Often the music is restricted to liturgical music or standard classical music repertoire. There are often restrictions on secular music. Your priest or minister should be able to provide you with the details of what will be acceptable for your service. We will work with you on your selections to make sure they are within these guidelines.
How long is the prelude music?
Based on our experience, we recommend 15-20 minutes of prelude music. Typically guests do not arrive prior to 20 minutes before the wedding. Between 45 minutes prior and 20 minutes prior, the artists will tune their instruments, coordinate with each other, touch base with the priest or minister and will rehearse some of the music as necessary. This will provide some music to any guests that arrive early to the ceremony.
Occasionally guests are bused to the church from another location which can require early arrival to accommodate several drop off times. In these cases we can offer a longer prelude for an additional cost.
What is the difference between artist level and artist in training packages?
Our artist level musicians are Master's degree level or higher of conservatory quality training and years of professional experience. They have performed with most of the arts organizations in the Cincinnati area, including the Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Philharmonic, Dayton Opera and Kentucky Symphony as well as other nearby cities including Columbus, Lexington, Louisville and Richmond. They have played under the batons of Paavo Jarvi, Erich Kunzel, Jesus Lobez-Cobos, Keith Lockhart, James Conlon and many other world famous conductors.
Our artists have played hundreds of weddings each and in some cases over a thousand. This level of experience takes years and years to achieve. They have experience in different religious denominations and service types, including but not limited to Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish and non-denominational services. Also, our artists have extensive experience with ceremonies with full Mass. We feel it is important to provide artists that are experienced in their role during the sacramental celebration
We developed our artist in training packages for those who would like to have some wonderful music in their ceremony, but are trying to keep their costs down. Our artist in training packages offer musicians who have completed their bachelor level of conservatory level training and maybe working toward completion or completed their master's level of conservatory level training. These musicians have typically not had the years of experience that the artist level have achieved, but they are still accomplished musicians. As they gain experience they will likely become artist level musicians and you can help them do this. They can typically be hired for less than the artist level because they don't play at as many weddings, thus they are more frequently available and can be booked at lower price levels.
Our fee for contracting these musicians is the same for both artist level or artist in training package. We handle the contracting and coordinating for both levels in that same manner.
Can I request specific artists/musicians?
Yes, if you have specific requests we will work with you on trying to accommodate them. However, these artists keep very busy performance schedules, so we can't guarantee that they will be available. If they are not available we will work hard to provide other artist of the same caliber. We will not provide artist in training level musicians in place of artist level musicians without first discussing with you and adjusting the price accordingly.
We will also work hard to fill your specific requests. For example, if you prefer a male vocalist, we will work hard to match with the best possible artists. If your requested artist is not available then we will discuss the alternatives with you.
How soon before the wedding do I need to book?
As a general rule of thumb, the sooner the better. Our artists are in high demand, especially between March and October. Certain times are more common than other. Our artists tend to book 1:30pm and 6:30pm weddings more frequently than other times. Also, it is fairly common for our artists to play at more than one wedding on a single day. The earlier you book your artists the better chance you will have of hiring the best available artists.
We understand that some times it is necessary to make last minute arrangements for a number of reasons. We will do our best to fill these requests. If you are in need of an immediate booking, please contact us immediately to discuss.
Do the musicians attend the wedding rehearsal?
Typically our artists do not attend the rehearsal. The wedding rehearsal is not a rehearsal for the musicians, but rather a rehearsal for the wedding party. However, if this is something that is necessary for a specific reason then we can ask the coordinator or one of the artists to attend the rehearsal at an additional fee.
In most cases, the artists will arrive approximately 45-60 minutes prior to the wedding to get situated with the space, get familiar with the organ/piano/sound system and to touch base with the priest or minister and/or wedding coordinator.
I have a family member who would like to participate musically. Is this possible?
Yes, we can work to accommodate your requests. However, we suggest you limit their participation to a single song or two in the service. Our artists are experienced musicians that are familiar with the various parts of the service, for example the parts of the Mass, timing of communion, Presentation of the Gifts or leading the congregation in a Responsorial Psalm, etc. Also, having a family member participate may require extra practice time, which may be an additional fee.
What instruments are available?
We have many different instruments available. Some instruments are more common at weddings than others, but we have a very large database of musicians and can use our network to find most any instrument for you. However, please keep in mind that some instruments may or may not be paired well together. We will work with you on any special requests to make sure you get the ideal combinations.
I am using the church organist/music director. Can I hire extra musicians?
Yes, this is fairly common. In fact, some churches require that you use their church organist/music director while other churches do not. Our musicians have worked with many organists and in fact may have worked with your organist in the past at other weddings.
What is the process for booking a wedding?
The first step is to call or email us and we will setup your free consultation. On your initial call or email we will discuss a few details, what type of ensemble you are considering, the date, time and venue of your ceremony, and if there is a certain budget you are trying to stay within. We will "pencil in" your wedding on the calendar. We typically do not have to check availability as we have a very large database of both artists and artists in training. You are under no commitment at this time.
During our consultation we will determine where you are in the process. We will go over all of the available options, discuss any specific requests that you might have and we will go over the details of booking the artists. If you have already made your final decision on how many artists and what type of instruments you would like, then we will can prepare and sign a contract during the consultation. Further, if you already have ideas on your music selections then we can begin discussing those details in the consultation, however, this is not a requirement.
If after the conultation you are not ready to book the artists, then we will send you a contract with all of the details of the ceremony, including date, time, venue and the instrument and vocal combination that you have selected. Once you have made the final decision, you will sign this contract and return the contract with the booking fee. We will then begin to work on the details of the music selections.
If you have specific artists that your prefer, for example one of the artists from the demo, then we will have to confirm their availability before signing a contract and we will list them by name in the contract, otherwise we will prepare our standard contract and specify only by instrumentation, for example, "Trio with soprano, trumpet and organ".
The contract will confirm the date, time, venue and the ensemble of artists and musicians by type (example, vocalist, trumpet, violin and piano/organ). We will then book the various artists/musicians and they will be locked in for your ceremony date and time.
It is not necessary to have the music selections picked at this time, some people do and others do not. If you do not, then after booking the wedding, a coordinator or one of the artists/musicians that will be playing at your wedding will meet with you to go over your options and help with the music selections. You will work with the music coordinator to determine the selections or you may decide to have the artists chose some or all of your selections based on your preferences. Prior to the wedding the music coordinator will email the artists the "final" selections. The coordinator will also work with you to make sure that you have the correct titles and composers for your selections if you are listing them by name in the program. In most cases you can change your mind anytime before the wedding or printing of the programs as long as you work with the coordinator on the details.
Note - some people choose to list "selections" for prelude, others don't print anything for prelude, while others choose to list detailed selections with titles and composers. This is your personal preference and there is no right or wrong way to do this.
What is the booking fee and the ceremony fee?
We charge a booking fee at the time that you book the wedding. This covers the expense of contacting and contracting the artists/musicians and other expenses such as advertising, marketing materials, demos, etc. This fee is paid to Fairfield Artists, LLC and does not cover the artist/musicians. Artists/musicians are NOT confirmed until the booking fee is received. Once the booking fee is received we will then book the artists/musicians as "confirmed" and you and the artists are now under contract.
The ceremony fee is paid to Fairfield Artists, LLC fourteen (14) days prior to the wedding. This fee covers the artists/musicians, music coordinator and all final confirmation arrangements. Fairfield Artists, LLC will take care of paying all of the artists/musicians. You will not pay any of the musicians directly.
Please note that Fairfield Artists, LLC must receive payment fourteen (14) days prior to the ceremony. You can make payment to Fairfield Artists, LLC, via check, certified funds, or via PayPal. Please contact us for further details.
Are you priced higher than other musician in the area?
Yes, if you are booking the musicians yourself you may be able to find them cheaper. However, there are several things to consider. With Fairfield Artists you are booking artists with years and years of professional experience, playing hundreds or over a thousand weddings each, and that are conservatory level trained artists. These artists have impressive resumes, including performing as freelance musicians with the top arts organizations in the city and under the batons of world famous conductors (see some of the bios on our Meet Some of the Artists page). They have performed and in some cases even recorded with the Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Pops, Cincinnati Opera, Dayton Philharmonic and Dayton Opera and some have recorded their own CD's.
In addition, Fairfield Artists offers trained booking consultants and event coordinators. You will be speaking with someone who has performance experience and extensive musical training. You will have an opportunity for a free consultation as well as additional time for music selections. Fairfield Artists will then handle all of the booking, phone calls and emails with the various musicians as well as coordinating the musicians at the wedding ceremony.
Our artists are in high demand often performing at more than one wedding per day. We believe they are in high demand for a reason.
If you are concerned about the price you might consider our artists in training. These artists may be more comparable in price and performance levels of other musicians that you may have found in the area.
What is the artist/musician's attire at the wedding?
Typically the artists/musician men will wear dark suit and tie and the women will wear concert black. Formal concert attire may be available on request as well as coordinated colors at additional cost of rental or purchase (example, specific colored cummerbund and bow tie).
