Hi there! If you’ve landed on this post, then you’re probably doing research for your wedding budget. While there is a lot of information online about the costs of various wedding vendors (from photographers to caterers), there’s not nearly as much research or publicly available information on hiring a wedding pianist or wedding musician.
Hi, I’m Lindsay Knight, Wedding Pianist Extraordinaire
Today, I’m excited to share a bit of information on this topic based on my experience as a professional wedding pianist in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. I can’t speak to the wedding pianist prices of the entire United States (or destination weddings), but my goal is to provide some helpful information!
Wedding Pianist Cost - Factors That Impact Price
Wedding pricing can seem a bit mysterious. I’m a member of a few Facebook groups focusing on wedding planning in the DFW area (feel free to email me here for links), and the quotes people share for a specific service can vary widely.
When it comes to giving a quote, here are some factors that wedding pianists like myself take into consideration:
Travel Time: How far will we have to drive to get to your location?
Acoustic or Digital Instruments: I have digital instruments that I can bring to a wedding (indoors, outdoors, etc.) or play an acoustic instrument onsite. Bringing my own instrument impacts a quote based on setup and takedown time.
Number of Events: There are various events associated with most weddings, and playing at a rehearsal dinner, ceremony, etc, can impact pricing.
Size of Wedding Party: The larger a wedding party, generally, the more music that is needed.
Customization: Some wedding pianists have a list for couples to choose songs from. Others, like myself, offer fully custom packages (my clients have chosen songs from Fall Out Boy to Pride and Prejudice). For more on that process, check out my page on song selection.
Co-Creating “The Vibe”
Some wedding pianists view themselves as completely in the background, and others, like myself, really see themselves as performers who contribute to the vibe. Neither is wrong, but generally, performers are putting out more energy, and that impacts cost.
How much is a wedding pianist?
Wedding pianist prices generally start at around $200 per hour for professionals who have pre-selected songs for you to choose from. In my business in the Dallas Fort Worth area, which includes customization and planning, my average client cost is around $2,400 including full customization and the set up of a grand piano shell.
When you hire a wedding pianist, you are paying for their years of experience – not just for their time at your event. Most professional wedding pianists have spent thousands of hours practicing, rehearsing and performing and on their equipment and music.
Lindsay Knight - DFW-Area Wedding Pianist
I hope that my blog post of tips provided some helpful information on how much a wedding pianist costs! Planning your wedding is an incredibly exciting time of your life. If you’d like to learn more about me and how I work with my wedding couples, check out my website here!
If you’d like to see me playing client songs, join me on Instagram here.
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