A. Email Chris either through his website or directly at chrisphillipsmusic@gmail.com to discuss availability and scope of event. From there Chris will provide a cost, draw up a contract and ask for a deposit for the purposes of holding the date
Q. What is Chris's typical format for wedding ceremonies?
A. "Typical" formats tend to play out something like this:
Prelude - 15 minutes of instrumental fingerpicking (often no vocals here) while guests are getting seated
Bridal Party Processional – couple verses to a song (or even entire song depending on size of bridal party) with vocals for the bridal party entrance. Examples include Fields of Gold by Sting, Til Kingdom Come by Coldplay, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic by The Police, Read My Mind by The Killers
Bride's Entrance - A verse from a song for the bride's entrance (Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley version, Pachelbels Canon in D, Forever by Ben Harper)
Recessional – Examples include a more lively version of Pachelbel's Canon in D, More Than A Feeling by Boston, Burning Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash, Caravan by Van Morrison, All You Need Is Love by The Beatles)
Other – sometimes the newlyweds make a "musical offering" at some point during the ceremony where Chris is asked to perform a song in its entirety
Q. What is the cost for Chris's services?
A. Rates vary depending upon scope of your event whether it be a custom ceremony, cocktail hour and/or reception. Ceremonies with a solo performance typically range in total between $400 - $700 depending upon a number of factors. This total pricing includes instrumental finger picking performance for guest arrival for approximately 15 minutes prior to ceremony start as well as songs for processional, bride's entrance and recessional. Additional factors that are considered when assessing scope include overall time commitment and travel as well as whether or not you are considering having multiple musicians perform with Chris as a duo or trio. Pricing for cocktail hour performances also start at $400 however if you would like to have Chris perform for both ceremony and cocktail hour (and/or reception for that matter) then you will get a break on the overall cost. Once you contact Chris via email he will find out more about your event and get right back to you on pricing.
Q. Does Chris have the ability to play songs from an IPOD through his sound system?
A. Yes, Chris is happy to plug in your IPOD into his speaker system (just be sure to let him know in advance that this is part of the plan!) during his breaks or perhaps for a couple hours straight at the end of the night to round out the reception and allow folks to dance it up.
Q. Does Chris perform exclusively as a soloist or are there other musicians he performs with?
A. Chris offers an option for acoustic duo or trio performance (with Berklee College of Music alums Sarah Gaut on violin and/or Stephen Lamb on acoustic guitar) if you're looking for a more elaborate acoustic performance complete with vocal harmonies and melodic instrumental accompaniment.
Q. Does Chris perform songs by request that are not already on his established song list?
A. Many clients have a special song that they would like performed for the ceremony or first dance. For an additional charge ($100 per song) Chris is happy to fulfill requests for new songs that are special to you provided that he has enough advanced notice to learn the song. Chris spends several hours over the course of several weeks learning the vocal and guitar parts to a new song to ensure that the performance is perfect for you and your guests.
