Wedding and Event FAQ
Q: What kind of music do you play for weddings? Do you take requests?
A: I specialize in Irish, Scottish, English and American folk music. There is a wealth of beautiful tunes and songs in those traditions that are appropriate for wedding ceremonies - if you don’t know where to start, listen to my samples, or I can make suggestions! I also play some rock and pop covers and contemporary folk covers, a couple country songs, and a few of the standard classical wedding pieces, too. I’m happy to take 1-2 special request per event, learned just for you. I’m not very flexible genre-wise, though, so please no requests for jazz, R&B, hard rock, or classical pieces. Special requests must be submitted at least 30 days in advance with vocals, 60 days in advance for guitar instrumentals. All requests are subject to my discretion.
Q: How far in advance should I book you?
A: If I’m available, I’m happy to make a booking 2 days or 18 months in advance. Because weddings are often very time-consuming, I prefer to only do no more than 4-5 ceremonies a month to make sure I can give my best service and performance to every couple. If you like my music, get in touch ASAP!
Q: We like what we hear! What’s next?
A: The easiest way to start is to email me or send an inquiry via WeddingWire. Please include as much detail as possible in your initial message. Knowing your wedding’s location, your requests, estimated length of playing time, etc. will help me to give you the most accurate quote. If you’d like to meet up or discuss things by phone in the early stages, let me know!
Q: Your fee is little too high for our budget. Is there anything we can do to negotiate?
A: Absolutely. Prices can be lower if:
- Your wedding is in the off-season (November-March).
- Your wedding involves little travel and no expensive and stressful city parking
- You are happy to forgo special requests and make all of your ceremony music selections from my existing song list.
- You don’t require a PA for your cocktail hour and/or reception.
Q: So we just signed the contract and paid the deposit. What’s next? Do you have a check list or any deadlines for wedding bookings?
A: I’ll keep you informed on what I need from you with reminders and questionnaires from WeddingWire. But if you want a bird’s eye view, you might find my timeline and checklist handy.
Q: What’s the deal with WeddingWire? Do I have to use it to book you?
A: Unless requested otherwise, as of May 2013 I’ll be conducting all new business through the WeddingWire Clients site. They just launched a whole fleet of useful booking tools, including electronic contracts, invoices, payment services, appointment schedulers, reminders, and questionnaires. These tools will help us cover all the bases and make the booking process even easier. You get your own password protected private client site where you’ll be able to review our paperwork and keep track of everything I need from you prior to your event.
It’s also a great way to find other vendors for your wedding or event. Afterwards, you can leave me or any other vendors a review, which is very helpful for our businesses!
You don’t have to use it to book me, though, and you’re more than welcome to just send me an email to start. If you’d prefer to book outside of WeddingWire, we can still handle contracts and payments in person or by mail; just let me know what you prefer.
Q: Do you travel for weddings?
A: Yes. I’m based in Boston and do most of my event gigs within 30 miles or so of the city, but I am open to traveling farther, though it will incur a higher fee.
Q: Do you have your own sound equipment?
A: I have a PA system that I use for cocktail hours, a guitar/vocal amplifier that I use for ceremonies, plus mics, stands and cables - everything I need for weddings of up to 200 people.
Q: Do you only play solo?
A: You can also hire my traditional Irish band, The Ivy Leaf. The Ivy Leaf is not a versatile wedding band, so please only consider us if you’re after acoustic traditional Irish music.
Q: What would happen if you had to cancel?
A: If I needed to cancel for any reason, I would do everything I could to find you a replacement if you so desired, most likely working with Entertainment Specialists. Your entire deposit would be refunded.
Q: What would happen if we the clients needed to cancel?
A: If you need to cancel or break the contract, please notify me via email or in writing. Deposits paid are non-refundable. If you wish to cancel the contract 90 days or more prior to the event date, you will not be obligated to pay the balance. If you cancel within 90 days of the event date, the full balance will be due.
Q: Do you charge extra for overtime or late starts?
A: Generally, no - I use a flat-rate system for ceremonies and ceremony-cocktail hour packages. Cocktail hour-only and dinner gigs are hourly, though, so overtime or late starts in those situations would incur an additional fee (equal to a pro-rated amount of the hourly fee).
Q: What is your experience with playing music for weddings?
A: Though a recent graduate and still relatively new to the wedding industry, as of 2013, I have played for over 40 weddings, and I have had a lot of satisfied customers (read what they’ve had to say about me). Most of my experience is with non-traditional, non-denominational or non-religious ceremonies, but I’ve also played for Catholic ceremonies (not including the liturgical music), non-traditional Jewish ceremonies, and same-sex marriages.
Outside of weddings, I have been a full-time musician since graduating in 2010 and have played a wide variety of events and gigs, both solo and with members of my band and other musicians in the Boston Irish scene. These have included numerous pubs and bars around Boston, clubs, house concerts, coffeehouses, private events for the Irish prime minister and president, and even a gig at the Stella McCartney store opening in NYC!
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask me!
