Planning

Payment and Booking

Event

What type of instrumentation would be appropriate for my event?
This depends on venue size, number of guests, and budget. A duo would work very nice in a smaller space - i.e. small courtyard, chapel. A string quartet (2 violins, 1 viola, 1 cello) would be very appropriate for a larger venue - i.e. cathedral, banquet hall, etc.

Can I meet the musicians before the event?
You are welcome to make arrangements with us to have a consult regarding repertoire, etc. To have the whole group (i.e. string trio, quartet), would require hiring them for the consult time. Because many details come up months prior to the event, we prefer to handle all arrangements via phone and email.

Where can I hear you live?
Clients are always welcome to hear us at public events. For private events such as weddings, you may hear us, provided we get permission from the event host. For upcoming events, please contact us.

I can't decide what type of ensemble to hire. How can I do this without hearing you?
We can send you samples as needed. A lot of this decision is based on the size of the venue.

I am on a budget, can you work within it?
No problem. Send us a request for a quote and give us an idea of what your budget is. We can find a way to stay within your budget.

Do you require a deposit?
Yes, we require a 20% non-refundable deposit of the total price, due 60 days after the contract is sent out. The remainder of the fee is due on the date of the event.

How do you handle payment? What type of payment do you accept?
We accept personal checks, money orders, and cashier's check. We also accept credit card payments through Google checkout.

The remainder of the payment is due on the day of the event. We understand that the day of the event can be hectic. We recommend mailing the payment early or having a coordinator handle the disbursement of checks.

Are there any other charges?
Travel fees may apply. Please contact us for details.

If the event takes place on Catalina Island, the client is responsible for ferry costs to the Island

I am ready to book. Now what?
Send us your mailing address and we can get a contract out to you ASAP. There will be two copies of the contract, sign both, keep one and send one back in the SASE with the deposit. Once we have received the contract and the deposit, the rate and the date are guaranteed.

Will you attend the rehearsal?
Typically, no. If you would like the group at the rehearsal, there will be a charge for an hour of service (ranging from $200-$800), depending on the size of the group you hire.

I want a special song played at my event. Can you accommodate?
Yes. As long as we have ample time to order it or make arrangements, usually 30 days.

What type of music will be performed during prelude? Cocktail hour?
Prelude music – Classical (Mozart, Haydn, etc.), Baroque (Bach, Vivaldi, etc.) selections. Cocktail hour – mostly light jazz, Broadway favorites, contemporary selections. If you have special requests for either, we will be more than happy to accommodate.

My sister (brother/friend/cousin, etc) would like to sing at the wedding – can you accompany her?
Yes. We would just need the sheet music prior to the ceremony so that if we need to, we can make appropriate arrangements in the music, if needed. We will correspond with the singer as needed and will make arrangements to meet 60 minutes prior to the ceremony to rehearse the song.

Can you perform outside?
Yes. Heaters and shaded areas must be provided, if needed. If your event is in the evening outside, we will need a reliable source of lighting (not candles), or an electrical outlet to plug in our stand lights.

What is your attire?
We have various degrees of formality in our attire. For casual outdoor events, we will wear all black – black slacks and black shirts for men, black pants/skirt and black shirt for women. For more formal events, men will wear tux and women will wear long black. Of course, we will carefully consult with you and then determine what is the most appropriate attire for your event.

What other special services do you offer?
Several of our members are also accomplished composers. You can have special music composed for your event and professionally recorded. Please contact us for details.

We also rent out our PA system for the ceremony. Please contact us for pricing and details.

Do you offer discounts on 'package' deals?
Yes. For example, if you would like to hire Otherwise Strings for your wedding ceremony and Otherwise Jazz for your reception, we can work out a package deal. Please contact us for details.