Wedding Pianist Rates & Cost

So how much should you be willing to fork out for music on you wedding day? And why are musicians so expensive? How do you know if you’re getting a good deal in terms of prices vs quality of your musician?

The Cost

I’m taking the stance of wedding pianist but this article can very well apply to most other musicians, including singers. A professional musician is a person who has enough experience and talent to charge industry prices for performing music at your event; in this case I’m talking about weddings. The industry standard varies and fluctuates but as of 2017, there are some guidelines out there as to what musicians are charging.

On average, you can expect to be quoted somewhere in the ballpark of €200 for a single musician when you make an enquiry. This can vary significantly; you could be looking at €150 for a much less experienced musician and upwards of €250 for the virtuoso. With regard to your pianist, you can be sure to receive a discount if you’re asking him to perform both your wedding ceremony and pre-drinks reception. Many pianists will stick rigidly to a flat-rate as they may regularly receive their asking rate and to make exceptions would undermine themselves and the industry. Again, there may be a little flexibility but their asking price is typically non-negotiable.

Your pianist must take into account his time spent learning music, travelling to your venue, practices and any other expenses when quoting you for your wedding. For your part, be sure that you make the best use of your pianist and submit the exact set-list that you wish to be learned for your special day. It is the responsibility of your pianist to ensure that your ceremony and/or reception flow as seamlessly as possible.

A guideline from the Irish Liturgical Website states, in relation of church musician payment, that ‘The minimum suggested fee [for a wedding ceremony] is €212, but should be higher when the musician is required for a rehearsal or when music has to be bought or learned’. (http://www.liturgy-ireland.ie/payment-of-church-musicians.html)

Why Do Pianists Cost What They Do?

A reputable pianist will spend most days of his life practicing his instrument just to keep his skill sharp. This is independent of the fact that he may have to learn new music for your wedding. You must also take into account that in order to be of a sufficient ability to perform at your wedding, he has spent thousands of euro in tuition fees and thousands of hours to reach this level. The industry standard, which you can quickly find out through a few enquiries, is what it is because musicians recognise the need to be compensated for their time and efforts.

A musician who seems suspiciously low in terms of his quoted fee is an exception to this outlook and has probably not spent much time honing his craft. Similarly, some musicians will quite happily charge extortionate prices, not because they’re incredible but rather because they believe that you’re willing to part with your money much more readily since it’s a wedding. Both of these camps must be avoided. Use your intuition here. For the standard priced musicians, it’s a simple case of listening to them, reading their testimonials and making your choice. This is the wisest route to take.

In some cases, a musician or band, incidentally, who are in high demand can simply afford to charge that bit higher as they may have multiple enquires for similar dates in the year. The time of year that your wedding is on can affect the asking price but it should not be by a wide margin.

How Do I Know If A Pianist Is Worth It Or Not?

Your pianist is as good as his testimonials, his videos or sound clips and his professionalism in dealing with you and guiding you through the music. In this regard, you can make your own judgement call on it and if you go with your instinct, you won’t go far wrong.