Classical Singers ARE Singing Weddings
An astounding 93 percent of Classical Singer readers sing at weddings (that is, they sing professionally at weddings, not just after too much champagne at the reception!)—typically six to 12 weddings a year. Most of these weddings aren’t for friends, but for couples who have hired us to provide the music for the ceremony.
Fees and Offerings
Singers in particularly large cities (e.g. New York or Chicago) or venues (e.g. a cathedral or large synagogue) charge in the $400-$500 range. However, the most commonly quoted fee to perform as a soloist at a wedding is between $125-150 for two to four songs, a rehearsal with the organist half an hour before the wedding, and a consultation with the couple, either in person or over the phone, to choose music. Most soloists also charge an additional $50-$75 if asked to attend the wedding rehearsal, or if the wedding is more than 30 miles away.
In the case of a full Catholic Mass, most singers charge more—closer to the $200 mark—unless the soloist is a paid chorister at the church. In that case, rates tend to be lower, since the soloist isn’t able to negotiate the fee— but wedding gigs are more frequent because outside soloists aren’t permitted. For a full Catholic Mass where the soloist also attends the rehearsal the day prior to the wedding, fees can easily be in the $250-$300 range.
Many singers say they know that they don’t charge enough, particularly when one considers the price brides pay for flowers, DJs and other wedding expenses, and the level of skill and experience many singers bring to a wedding. Along those lines, some singers report that brides are shocked that the singers charge anything, as in this response from Los Angeles singer Bonnie McClaine: “A bride who had heard me at a friend’s wedding called me to sing at her wedding.
“When I told her my fee, she was flabbergasted that I charged anything at all. She told me that she had a friend who sings at weddings who just does it “for fun,” to which I replied that I did it to earn money and that maybe she should have her friend sing. She asked me how many songs she got for $125. When I told her she could have up to three songs, she asked me how much I charged for two songs. When I told her $125, she asked me how much I charged for one song. I said, ‘Honey, if I turn on the ignition in my car, the fee is $125.’ I didn’t sing at her wedding.”
The Top Tunes
According to our readers, the top wedding song is “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.”
OK, the real top three songs are exactly what you’d expect: “Ave Maria,” “The Lord’s Prayer” and “Panis Angelicus.” Many singers note that in some cases the venue, particularly in Catholic churches, dictates the choice of material.
Several singers named “O Mio Babbino Caro,” including one who reports that her bride was furious with the priest because he wouldn’t allow the song because it mentions suicide!
Special Music for Catholic Weddings
Susanne Sande, a cantor in Richmond Heights, N.Y., also had great ideas for music selections, particularly for Catholic weddings: Talk with directors of music, or visit the site http://www.npm.organd go to their planning section. Any of the three major Catholic liturgical music publishers will be able to provide ideas from their websites too:
http://www.ocp.org
http://www.giamusic.com
http://www.wlp.jspaluch.com/wlp/
The Dreaded Pop Songs
Most singers are willing to do pop songs, so long as they are neither too difficult nor too ridiculous, (sorry Gloria Gaynor fans, but “I Will Survive” is, under no circumstances, an appropriate wedding song.) Singers generally feel that it’s the bride and groom’s special day, and whatever they wish to hear, the singer will perform.
Some singers refuse to compromise their dignity by grinding out “Cotton Eye Joe,” but others, like Erik Johanson, have found a happy—and profitable—compromise. Johanson reports that he charges “$25 extra for every song they request that I hate, e.g. ‘Stookey’s Wedding Song,’ ‘Evergreen,’ ‘Ice Castles,’ etc.”—and then presumably cringes all the way to the bank.
Getting it in Writing
Even though singers report that they often have trouble collecting their fee, less than 2 percent of them say that they use a contract. My contract (see pg 21 or email me for a digital copy) was reviewed by David Yurkofsky, who practices immigration and entertainment law in New York City.
Weddings Make for Great Fun and Funny Stories!
From Jane Christeson in Daytona Beach, Fla.: “My husband and I performed together at a local chapel. We hadn’t been there before, and we parked and walked up to what looked like the side door of the altar area, and my husband flung open the door, only to reveal a naked bride putting on her fancy wedding underwear. They both stared at each other, frozen in horror, and then she screamed and he slammed the door shut. Then of course we had to go in and watch her walk down the aisle, etc., as if nothing had happened.”
From Danielle Dorter in New York City: “I was asked to sing a wedding and was told they wanted ‘Ave Maria’ and ‘some other songs.’ There was going to be a pianist and there was also going to be a tenor singing with me. (I am a soprano.)
“When I got there, I was given the music for the ‘other songs,’ which all happened to be hip-hop and popular R&B tunes. The tenor and I sing mainly classical repertoire, and neither of us had ever HEARD the songs they requested. We didn’t know what they were supposed to sound like, and we didn’t know the tunes. Plus, the bride wanted these sung as she and her bridal party walked down the aisle!
“I had just sung ‘Ave Maria,’ and they wanted us to segue into hip-hop, during the ceremony! The tenor and I wound up sightreading the pop songs and sang them in a classical style, since we didn’t think of a better way to do it at that time. Imagine—singing hip-hop and R&B in operatic style.”
Tom Sherwood of Cincinnati, Ohio shares this: “The organ and organist were in a pit approximately three feet below me when he asked me to look over his shoulder and sightread a piece (during the ceremony!) It was awkward but I did try. While singing I fell into the pit!!”
Teresa Langel of Chicago had this happen to her at a wedding: “The best was with a drunken best man. He decided to begin the toasting during the unity candle, but his toasting was towards me: ‘That girl can sing! Tom you should be marrying her!’”
Some DOs and DON’Ts
1. DO get paid up front. It’s embarrassing to run around the church at the end of the wedding, searching for the person who has your fee—and maddening if you have to chase them around for months afterwards to get paid! Most wedding vendors require half-payment up front; you can too! Ask for 50 percent of the fee with the letter of agreement, with the remainder due seven days prior to the wedding. Bottom line: Get paid before you sing, even if it’s five minutes before the organist starts playing!
2. Be sure you know the music. Don’t expect the organist to teach it to you 20 minutes before the processional! You never know if that will be the day you’re stuck in traffic and show up at the church with no time to spare!
3. Bring extra music just in case things start late and you need to sing to fill the time. Elizabeth Begnoche in New York City describes a wedding in which a forgetful groom rushed out for the rings two minutes before the wedding was to start. “So guess who was stuck entertaining the 150 guests for 20 minutes before the ceremony even started… moi! I sang every piece of religious music I’d ever heard!”
4. Don’t charge too little. If a bride turns as white as her dress over your $200 price tag, you might gently remind her that it’s nothing compared to what she’s probably paying for candied almonds, and that while she’s welcome to go with a cheaper singer, you generally get what you pay for.
5. Don’t sing outside your Fach. You know what you sing best, and in what key, so make sure you’re set up to sound your best!
6. Take business cards to the wedding: Giovanna Carini, a soprano from Toronto, says she’s booked many future weddings while singing at one!
7. Don’t be afraid to charge for extra requests. If the couple insists on having a rehearsal complete with organist and singer, Shirley Wang charges an hourly scale on top of her base fee ($50 + travel + every 30 minutes on top of the first hour or so). Some singers charge extra for distances greater than 10 miles.
8. Put it in writing. Use a Letter of Understanding [see page 21] to be sure you are paid appropriately, that you and the couple agree on the songs and where they belong in the program, plus any other details.
We all know it’s not the Met, but weddings are a good way for you to develop your craft, learn new repertoire, and make money. Talk to wedding planners, caterers, photographers, instrumentalists and ensembles, cake-bakers and anyone else involved in weddings in your area. Tell them you’d like to offer your services to their customers and clients. Offer to give them a tape or CD to hand out, or at the very least, a brochure. And if singing weddings feels “beneath” you, just keep in mind how many scores or lessons you can get with that $150!
