So you want to hire musicians for your ceremony, or maybe even your cocktail hour. But how much does a wedding quartet cost? The pricing can vary from state-to-state of course, but the average wedding quartet cost (and soloist, and trio!) tends to run anywhere from $200-$2,000 and up. How does that break down? And what exactly IS a wedding quartet? Read on!
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Before we get to the good stuff, here’s what you need to know. A quartet is technically four musicians singing and/or playing together, while a trip is three, duo two, and soloist is-you guessed it–one lonesome musician. A wedding quartet typically consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello if it’s a string quartet. A harp quarter would be a harp, violin, viola, and cello. Solo musicians typically play the violin, cello, or piano, though you can hire a harpist as well as something funky like an upright bass player which I think is really, really fun for a cocktail hour.
We researched the wedding quartet cost across the country and found that the price differences can vary a bit. For instance, Eliana Strings in San Diego charges $590 for 1 hour for a trio, and $690 for 1 hour for a quartet. According to NYMag.com you can hire a Juilliard soloist for $300/hour, and a full orchestra from $2,000 in New York City. Terra Vista Strings in San Antonio charges $515 for a string trio for 1 hour, and $645 for a quartet. The Seattle String Quartet charge $750 for 1 hour for a quartet, and $600 for 1 hour for a trio. Wedding ceremonies for the Birchwood String Quartet in Minneapolis start at $850.
How to Save: Research musicians on sites like Gig Masters or Thumbtack and compare your quotes. I also highly recommend reaching out to your local college music department and seeing if there are any student string musicians that would be interested in playing a wedding. We hired two for our ceremony and they did an amazing job for under $200!
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For those in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico area, the Giovanni String Quartet charges $600 for the first hour and $400 for each hour after that. Many custom song choices can be added at no charge, but some extras may apply.