Wedding Music Tip #12

Appropriate attire for the musicians. This seems to be a concern for some brides but not all--I've worked with couples who said they didn't give a flying rip what the musicians were wearing; others requested formal attire. In general, women wear concert black, meaning they're attired completely in black as if they're going to play a symphony concert. Back in the day, men used to wear tuxes, but currently a dark suit is more in vogue.

Inquiring what the musicians will be wearing always seemed like a pretentious question to me when I started my business (do they think we're going to show up in jeans and spandex, or what is it?), but after playing a few weddings with some musicians in New York, I realized it might be a valid fret.

I'm often called to perform with a violinist when her "regular" cellist is not available. The outfits she turns up in are outrageous. Picture Elvira (remember her?) as a violin-toting wedding musician. Nobody wants that in their pictures. She showed up for one wedding and cocktail hour we played at a hotel in Midtown wearing a get-up that I can only describe as several mismatched pieces of black clothing which didn't really cover everything. Then there is another musician with whom I've worked who appears to be always headed on a hiking trip immediately following the ceremony. I mean, she wears black, but it seems to be very casual and in desperate need of a little ironing. I think her shoes were black Timberlands.

So, I began to understand why brides ask what the musicians will be wearing. I no longer feel taken aback when this concern pops up but answer immediately and concisely.

Wedding Tip #12: Feel free to ask the musicians what they plan to wear to the event. Their answer should be along the lines of "concert black". If you want the musicians to be ultra formal, with the men in tuxedos, make that clear in your negotiations. Also, if you want the musicians more casually attired, let them know what you had in mind.

Until the next wedding,

Alice Hamlet, Director
www.tenstringsmusicstudio.com