Our minimum session time varies depending on where your event is and how long it will take us to travel there. A minimum session of 2 – 3 hours hire time will usually provide music through from seating your guests, to the wedding ceremony itself and then as an accompaniment to your drinks and photos. If you would like us to play for the wedding breakfast and/or after dinner entertainment, you can of course have longer. Our maximum booking time is 5 hours. Our fees include travel within the immediate Southampton area and a personal music planning service. Given sufficient notice, special requests (i.e. pieces which are outside our current repertoire) can be arranged for a small charge.
Please remember that when choosing music for your civil ceremony, no religious items are permitted.

“Thanks for the fabulous music on our wedding day on 24th June. We were simply blown away by the way the music sounded and the fabulous atmosphere this provided in the church. Walking down the aisle to the live sound of Canon in D is a memory that will last a lifetime. We both thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making the music on our special day simply perfect. We could not have wished for anything better. I would wholeheartedly recommend any bride that it is well worth the investment made in the Southampton String Quartet – it made our wedding ceremony. Thanks to you all.” ~ Sarah & Simon

~ Ceremony Favourites ~

Processional or Recessional:
‘The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba’ Handel
‘La Rejouissance’ from the Royal Fireworks Music, Handel
‘Hornpipe in D’ from the Water Music, Handel
‘Canon in D’ Pachelbel
‘Grand March from Aida’ Verdi
Brandenburg Concerto No 3 in G, J.S. Bach
‘Trumpet Voluntary’, Stanley
’The Prince of Denmark March’, Clarke

Signing of the Register:
‘The Flower Duet’ Delibes
'Air on the G String' by J. S. Bach
‘Romance from The Gadfly’ Shostakovitch
‘Salut d’Amour’ Elgar
‘Air in F ‘ from the Water Music Suite, Handel
‘Lute Concerto in D’ Vivaldi

Some clients also choose to have a solo spot where the quartet will play a piece of music for you and your guests to listen to. This may be one of your favourite classical pieces or it could be an arrangement made for you, of a popular song that means something special. As making string quartet parts often involves us listening to and transcribing from a CD, we would ask you to allow us at least 8 weeks notice, if you would like us to make an arrangement for you.

“Dear Michelle. We wanted to say a massive THANK YOU to your string quartet who performed at our wedding on 4th August at Elmers Court. Walking into the ceremony room, one of the girls wished me luck and they looked and sounded so amazing it nearly made me cry! Sadly, my ‘Husband’ and I missed a great deal of their performance after the ceremony as we went out for a drive together in our car but the guests have not stopped singing their praises and I was delighted to be back on time to hear the Muppets theme being played! An absolute high for both of us was listening to the Sleeping Beauty Waltz during the signing of the register. We understand this must have taken additional time and effort to learn on our behalf and we are forever grateful. Our wedding ceremony was transformed by their presence and I can’t recommend you highly enough. Thank you once again, it has been a true pleasure dealing with you!” ~ Laura & Rob

~ Special Arrangements ~

Here are a few of the songs that previous clients have requested:
‘Baby Just Cares For Me’ Nina Simone
‘Bittersweet Symphony’ The Verve
‘My Best Friend’ Don Williams

Drinks Reception & Wedding Breakfast:
After consultation with you, the music for the remainder of the wedding is selected by the quartet from our extensive repertoire. This would usually include a mixture of styles to suit guests of all ages or solely classical repertoire if you prefer.

‘The Muppet Theme’ Henson/Pottle
‘The Entertainer’ Scott Joplin
‘In a Sentimental Mood’ Duke Ellington
‘Anything Goes’ Cole Porter
‘Some Enchanted Evening’ Rogers & Hammerstein
-‘Lullaby of Birdland’ Shearing
‘The Dance of the Mirlitons’ Tchaikovsky
‘Meditation’ from Thais, Massenet
‘Love and Marriage’, Sammy Cahn
‘Joska’ Josef Kok
‘Norwegian Dance’ Greig
‘New York, New York’. Bernstein
‘Tangos’ by Albeniz, Villoldo and Zerillo & Howard
‘Eine Kleine Nacht Musick’ Mozart

For a full repertoire list please click here.

If you require other musicians for your ceremony or evening entertainment please just ask us when you make your enquiry, as we can often recommend local musicians to you. For further details please visit our Agency page.

Photos by kind permission of Mike Bell Photography.