The Cream City String Quartet is a traditional string quartet based in Milwaukee, WI. The quartet consists of 2 violins, viola and cello. We are also available for hire as a violin/viola duo. All 4 musicians have many years of professional playing experience, and we have an extensive list of qualified substitutes to call upon if necessary. We specialize in performing light classical and baroque music for weddings and other events where a touch of elegance is desired.
We charge $125 per musician for the first hour, and $25 per musician for each additional 15 minutes, plus a $10 administration fee paid specifically to Korinthia Klein. So, for example, the typical charge for a full string quartet for 60 minutes of service would be a total of $510, and for 90 minutes $710.
Additional charges may be added for extensive travel time, unusual music selections that require arranging or special rehearsals, or other unexpected demands on our time. No deposit is required. Checks are to be made payable to the individual musicians on the day of the event.
Contact us either by email at kory@korinthianviolins.com, or phone Korinthia Klein at (414) 483-2119, and let us know how we can help make your event special with addition of live, classical music.
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Professionals will make your event run smoothly. Whether you want to be very involved or prefer to remain out of the process, we work with you to determine your options and help you integrate music into your event. Our repertoire is large enough to accommodate most people's needs, and given adequate notice unusual requests are not a problem.
When selecting music for a wedding, look at the amount of time you want for each musical selection. This is based on the length of the aisle, the number of attendants, additional rituals, the number of guests, and the overall length of the ceremony. The greater the number of guests, the longer the prelude before the march should be because it takes more time for people to filter in. (For under 100 guests, 15 minutes of music is sufficient. For over 300, at least 30 minutes). If the aisle is long and/or there are many attendants, it's usually nice to switch to a new piece for the entrance of the bride (check with your officiant to make sure this is acceptable in your venue---some places have rules against this). In cases where the aisle is short and/or there are few attendants, a single piece tends to work better for the entire processional because stopping and starting several selections in a short time will seem disruptive.
A standalone musical selection can help fill out a ceremony that seems a bit short, but is unnecessary for longer ceremonies. You can lend meaning to a selection by using music important to you, or performed by someone important to you. One option is for couples to talk to loved ones (grandparents, parents...) to find out what music they had at their own ceremonies. For moments within a ceremony (such as the lighting of a unity candle or the signing of the marriage contract) music can be a good accompaniment, but only if there is enough time to play an appropriate amount of a selection. If a ritual is only 15 seconds long, stopping music too quickly may seem disruptive, but waiting for good stopping point may seem awkward. Some people opt for silence, others for a piece we keep as short as possible without ending too abruptly, and others use the opportunity to have a whole piece of music play out using the extra time as a contemplative moment.
After the recessional, consider the number of guests and where they will be when making decisions about music. We usually play until there are fewer than a quarter of the guests remaining in the venue, but this can be affected by a receiving line or some other specific way in which the guests are dismissed. Guests waiting or standing in line after the ceremony usually appreciate having music at such times.
