Background Music

Add a touch of magic to your wedding with the beautiful sounds of classical guitar.

 

An Introduction

Classical guitarist, Duncan Gardiner, delights in bringing a touch of magic to your special day. Guitar is the ideal choice for brides wishing to bring an intimate, soothing ambience to their ceremony and pre-reception celebrations. Duncan can work his magic as a soloist, or you can have him perform in a duet with violin, cello, flute or even a singer. With music to suit every taste and fees to match any budget, you are invited to book Duncan and his colleagues for your wedding.

From a strong foundation as a classical musician, Duncan easily branches out and explores the elegant sounds of the classical repertory; the cool sounds of Latin America, the fiery sounds of Flamenco, in addition to arrangements of your favourite easy-listening contemporary songs.

Forget the expense of a standard string trio or quartet because Duncan caters for couples that like the idea of having guitar at your wedding but also fancy the traditional, romantic sound of the violin, flute, etc. Duncan hand picks talented musicians to perform duos with. With each of the duo combos you can be guaranteed a stylish and elegant performance. They are ideal for bringing to life all of the most beloved classical works in addition to charming cocktail music (think André Rieu), romantic songs, Latin dance music such as tango and bossa-nova, in addition to world-music and arrangements of contemporary songs.

Your Wedding Ceremony

Duncan can provide some light background music 15-30 minutes prior to the actual start time of the ceremony to keep guests entertained before the arrival of the bride. During the ceremony he will provide music for the processional, the signing of the registry and also for the recessional. Depending on the nature of your ceremony, music may be played during special ‘candle-lighting’ or ‘unity’ proceedings or to accompany the singing of hymns etc.

Typically a one-hour booking is sufficient to cover the ceremony, but many couples want their guests to continue to be entertained following the ceremony for 30 minutes or so. In the case where the reception is at the same venue as the ceremony, many couples wish for me to perform for the entire time between the ceremony and the reception.

Live pre-reception music is also becoming popular, with the DJ taking over once the bride and groom arrive for the reception.

Your Music Choices

Together with Duncan, you will discuss in detail the specific music selections for your wedding ceremony. Typically you will be responsible for choosing music to accompany the official proceedings during the ceremony and the general style of music to be played before and after these times. However, Duncan will be there every step of the way to offer professional and personal advice to ensure that you are 100% happy with all of your music choices. To give you an idea of what Duncan and his colleagues typically offer, please download the following sample play-lists:

Service Fees

Duncan’s fees are extremely competitive. Please contact him via the Contact page for a quote.

A minimum one hour booking is required, though additional time can be booked in blocks of 30 minutes, thus reducing the additional cost by half. For extended bookings, Duncan is happy to negotiate greater reductions to the fees.

A non-refundable deposit of $50 is requested upon confirmation of the booking. This will be deducted from the performance fee upon completion of the service.

Instruments and Equipment

Duncan enjoys playing a variety of beautiful instruments to perform his music. From a ‘cut-away’ acoustic style guitar, to the Yamaha ‘silent’ guitar, your guests are sure to be moved and captivated. Using state-of-the-art amplification systems, his music can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors, from the beach to a vineyard or anywhere in between. He has several amplification options which include battery and mains-powered varieties so that a power source at the site of the performance is not always necessary.

   

Additional Information

The service fee includes a complimentary meeting between Duncan and the client at a mutually convenient location. Alternatively, a phone meeting can be arranged. Further to this, correspondence via email has proved equally popular.

Duncan and his colleagues require seating at any wedding venue. Ideally, seats should not have arm-rests. Most of the time it is fine for musicians to use the same seating that is provided for guests. Shade must also be provided for outdoor locations. This can come from natural sources (such as being positioned under a tree) or from an umbrella or marquee. Instruments and equipment can become damaged, may malfunction or simply go ‘out of tune’ in direct heat or by getting wet. If weather conditions become unfavourable during the booking due to rain or strong winds Duncan and his colleagues may opt to cease their performance.

If Duncan is required to arrange, locate or purchase a piece of music that he does not currently possess, a $10 fee will be requested per piece.

Duncan has public liability insurance to the value of $20M.

Testimonials

“Just a quick note of thanks for playing so beautifully at the wedding. Father Guy and many other said it was the nicest music they had heard at a wedding”

“Cheers for all your efforts on the day. You both sounded great and everyone commented on the music you played and that it fit with the theme perfectly (not to mention everyone thought your guitar was wicked!!!!)”