what do you do when wedding is running late

[michelle-winston]

I did a wedding this past weekend and my contract said “wedding to start at 5:30, prelude music to start at 5, and 30 minutes of postlude music at conclusion of ceremony.”

[Jessica Frost]

I have an overtime rate which kicks in if the ceremony is late….I always leave at least a 15 minute cushion for the ceremony time (including prelude and postlude) and if the ceremony goes over that my overtime rate goes into effect.

[David Ice]

Hi Michelle,

I’ve only encountered this twice.

[unknown-user]

Interesting how many people enjoy working with transcriptions mainly…

Harp and Violin… well… the works I studied (mainly original for the duo)

1. Albersteotler – Romance

2. Badings – Cavatina

3. Boieldieu – Sonata

4. Damase – Sonate (well Damase is Damase as always)

5. Galais – Nocturne

6. Kikta – Sonata

7. Natra – Music for vln and hp

8. Paganini – Six sonatas

9. Roth – Nocturne

10. Saint-Seans – Fantasie (requires a great violinist, or advanced, for the runs in rehearsal no.4)

11. Spohr – Sonata in C minor (requires an advanced harpist I would say)

12. Tournier – Deux Preludes Romantique

13. Verdalle – Reverie

[unknown-user]

Two other works might be the Theme and Remembrances from Schindler’s list the violin and piano version.

[unknown-user]

Eh… and Spohr has something like four sonatas I think not just the Cminor…

If you don’t mind transcriptions (I hate them) there’s also The Swan by Saint-Seans (very easy) and works like Devil’s Trill by Tartini (which gets the devil out the violinist for sure, quite very advanced for the violin, for the harp, maybe just the 2nd movment that might create some trouble with speeds, but I studied it when was considered an intermediate, and handled it quite well after some studying.)

[B Y]

Michelle,

this happens ALL of the time! By the way, it is VERY generous of you to play 30 minutes of prelude and 30 minutes of postlude music!!

I charge a flat ceremony rate that covers overtime within reason. A ceremony itself generally isn’t long, so I block out almost 2 full hours, including prelude and a cushion for being late. My contract also has an overtime clause, which is not much, but it’s a flat rate, per half hour.

I hate asking for overtime after the fact, but sometimes it has to be done.

If you want, I can email you my contract. Let me know. brandee.younger@gmail.com

[unknown-user]

From any major musicstore, especially the ones specilising in Violin Music.

[M D]

Andres – Zerbina (violin and harp)
Andres – Algues (for oboe or flute or violin and harp)
Donizetti – Sonate (for violin or flute and harp)
Ibert – Entr’acte (orig. for Flute or Violin and Guitar)
Ravel – Piece en Forme de Habenera (various transcriptions)
Saint-Saens, op. 124 – Fantaisie (for violin and harp)
Tournier – Deux Preludes Romantiques (for violin and harp or piano)

[Anonymous]

David:

The best revenge is, of course, revenge, and it’s so very nice when Mother Nature exacts it for us.

[Calista Anne Koch]

After almost 15 years of playing 40-60 weddings a year, I can tell you that you got off easy this time, so protect yourself for the next time may not be so benign.

[carl-swanson]

I don’t play weddings, but I have heard many stories like this from harpists who do. It seems to me that the most important thing you can put in the contract is the time period that the bride is paying for, like 2PM to 4PM. That’s the window that you have reserved for them. They can do anything they want during that window, but when 4PM arrives, you’re out of there. The problem with not stating in the contract a specific end time(like 4PM) is that the bride thinks that she has got you for an hour and a half or two hours, and that the clock starts running when you start playing. WRONG! The clock starts when the start time arrives(2PM) and if she decides at the last minute to delay your services for an hour or more, then she simply gets less playing time, OR, has to pay overtime, starting at the stated end time.

[joan-steinberg]

Having been performing at weddings for 25 years, I have come to expect weddings to start late. There’s always some excuse.

[Author]

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