Dec 10 2006 is the wedding date here in Willis (about 45 minutes from downtown houston. I am thinking of hiring a lady that plays the harp. She said she will charge me a flat fee of $400 for ceremony and 1 hour of reception. My boyfriend says that is a lot. I want to know what are normally the rates for piano. I checked the directory and they charge about $350 for playing on the keyboard. Is $400 a lot for a harp? Is it loud enough for an outdoor wedding ceremony. Please write your suggestions.
2006-10-18 04:44:43 · 13 answers · asked by susanatexana 2 in Family & Relationships ➔ Weddings
Hello there:
We had a harp for our wedding and believe me, you will never forget it.
The harp adds such a richness and beauty to the day and it is plenty loud enough. Actually, i found at other wedding a piano can be over powering at times and there is nothing you can change about that.
If you do choose a harp for your special day, see if she has any recording of her playing that you can listen to or let her play a bit for you to make sure she is good.
I will you all the best and remember this is you and your future husbands day!! don't let other decide what you need at your wedding!
Thanks
iamjustrandy@yahoo.com
2006-10-18 04:53:22 · answer #1 · answered by Randy S 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
If I lived in Texas I'd come play for your wedding. =)
Seriously though, $400 is a lot. I'd say a more reasonable fee is between $200-$300. Harpists charge differently too. Some harpists will charge fees if they have to learn a new song, if they go over a certain time limit, etc, etc. The harp is the most lovely instrument of all (of course, I'm biased) and you wouldn't regret at all having it played at your wedding.
As for the sound (some people have said it's too soft), it depends on the acoustics of the building and how many people are there. It's really no problem at all to hook a microphone to the soundboard of the harp (in the back), so don't worry about that.
Also, I'm not sure where you found your harpist, but if you contact a local music store (one that services different instruments) they might be able to point you in the direction of other harpists who could play for your wedding.
Best of luck and congratulations!
2006-10-19 07:14:12 · answer #2 · answered by irishharpist 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First about the rate. A grand harp (the size you normally see in the concert hall) costs you $20K or more. It is also very heavy to haul around. Just think about the fee you'll get charged for renting such an expensive instrument by yourself, not to mention the 'handling & shipping'.
As an instrument, harp is perfect for wedding. It's so romantic. And a lot of harpists are trained to play it very elegantly. It will add class to your wedding.
Don't worry about whether it's loud enough. You don't want an instrument that is overwhelmming in your wedding. And if you want the human voice in the ceremony to be heard in a large open space, you probably need microphones and speakers. Just add one microphone (two are probably better to cover sound from different parts of the harp) for the harp.
2006-10-21 03:35:38 · answer #3 · answered by viwes 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends will the wedding be out in the open? If so, I think harp what be a good idea. If it's indoors, I'd say go with the piano.
2006-10-18 04:52:46 · answer #4 · answered by The Final Answer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I play viola in a string quartet. The quartet charges $400 for the time we spend playing at the wedding and reception, and we split that among ourselves.
$400 for a harpist's time for several hour's performance is very reasonable. Her instrument is heavy, she has consultation time with you as to which music you prefer and when you want her to play, and she will probably have to either play louder (harder on her) or amplify her harp.
The harp is a very classy instrument. You should check her repetoire to see what types of music she can and is willing to play. Can she switch styles for the reception and for dancing?
A keyboard can imitate many other instruments, but won't perfectly duplicate anything. Again, check the keyboardist's repetoire and listen to his/her playing to see if that's what you really want. The keyboardist should be able to switch styles, from the classical pieces for the wedding to more upbeat music for the reception and dancing afterwards.
The cost of either is dicated by the musician's skill, experience, union membership, and popularity in your market area.
2006-10-18 04:54:15 · answer #5 · answered by Mmerobin 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Go with the harp. You only get married once, right? The piano is so traditonal and harp is just so relaxing and romantic. God Bless your wedding!
2006-10-18 05:23:19 · answer #6 · answered by Mom of One in Wisconsin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think beyond money, your decision should be based on the type of songs you have chosen. Not all songs sound good on the harp, whereas others would. Same with piano.
2006-10-18 08:26:14 · answer #7 · answered by Lydia 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My brother had a harpest play at his wedding (her family is southern baptist and there was NOTHING allowed) You couldn't even hear the harpest playing, (they had an outside wedding as well) $400 is alot for something you can't hear, you couldn't even hear "Here comes the bride" I'd pop for a painoest, they play beautifully and are loud enough to hear, good luck hon and congrats on yoru wedding. I was married on July 29,2006
2006-10-18 06:23:56 · answer #8 · answered by msoutherngirl 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I play the piano. Not as good as I did as a child because I have not done it in over 40 years. Q2: I would love to learn to play the flute I have learn to love the flute and the Native American Drum music my favorite drummer now is Moses Brings Plenty you can check him out on Youtube. His band is pretty awesome.
2016-03-18 21:29:42 · answer #9 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
$400 is a good deal for a harp.
2006-10-18 04:46:54 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋