What services do you provide?

• Music Consultation: We will help you select the music for your wedding - by telephone, email or in person, as needed.

• A "Sampler" Wedding Music CD: Our CD presents 38 frequently requested compositions to help customers choose music for their weddings.

• Attendance at the Wedding Rehearsal: If your wedding is within 50 miles of Green Bay, a member of the quartet will attend your rehearsal at no extra charge.

• The Wedding Performance includes a 15-minute prelude and a 10-minute postlude, in addition to the music for the service.

How much music does the quartet usually play for a wedding?

For a Mass: 15-Minute Prelude, Processional, Unity Candle, Presentation of Gifts, Sign of Peace, Communion, Recessional, 10-Minute Postlude.

For Protestant and Civil Services: 15-Minute Prelude, Processional, Unity Candle, Recessional and 10-Minute Postlude. Sometimes an additional piece is inserted before or after the sermon.

Can the quartet play a piece that isn't on its wedding music list?

Yes. Our wedding music list consists of pieces that are familiar and frequently requested. We own other music that is suitable for weddings, and will be happy to play it. But there's one important condition: if you want us to play music that we do not currently own, we have to know about your request well in advance of the wedding day - at least two months - because it will take time to find out if a string quartet arrangement of the piece exists, order it, and rehearse it.

Does the Quartet play for outdoor weddings and other events?

No. Here's why: First, and most important, an acoustic string ensemble like ours needs walls, a floor and a ceiling to focus the sound. Second, we've found that the weather rarely cooperates. In 25 years of playing for weddings, we've had some bad experiences outdoors - rain that sent us running for cover, wind so strong it blew away the music, baking heat and sun that opened up seams on the instruments, bees and wasps that stung us, even unseasonable cold. Outdoor playing isn't good business, for us or for you. If we can't be heard properly, or if the quality of our performance is affected by outdoor conditions, you aren't getting your money's worth. And high-quality performances are the best possible advertising for our quartet. We want wedding guests and other listeners to say, "Those guys were good. Let's hire them."

How about playing for receptions and dinners?

Yes. We have a big library of lighter music that works well for receptions and dinners, and we love playing for them. There is one problem, though - if the crowd is too big, it can be hard to hear us. In our experience, the quantity of sound a string quartet produces is suitable for gatherings of about 250 people. Most of the big dining facilities have PA systems with speakers in the ceilings, and in those places we can use a "house mike" to boost our sound a bit, but we're an acoustic group and can't compete with a truly large crowd. So - around 250 people, no problem. But if your guest list is much larger than that, you are better off with recorded music or an amplified band of some kind.

©2008 Heritage String Quartet