Employing music students

It is tempting to employ a capable student to play at your wedding, either as a soloist or as part of a group.

It is certainly a great way to save money, with costs typically £25 - £75 for a couple of hours, rather than the £200+ for a professional, but what are the pit falls?

• Repertoire: Most professionals are a minimum of Grade 8 or equivalent. Anyone below Grade 5 would have a limited repertoire, and the majority of the pieces you might choose are likely to be around Grade 8. Be prepared to accept the musicians choice of repertoire; fine for background music, and don't expect them to be able to play a particular requests.
• Liability insurance: Unless they are performing regularly in public, students are unlikely to have the liability insurance and PAT tested equipment required by most venues. This is particularly relevant to live bands and discos. For a one-off event insurance costs around £130 per musician.
• Experience: Only by performing at a number of weddings will a musician get a feel for the pieces that work well and the appropriate volume. They will also have more of an idea of how the day is going to work, and can advise you accordingly.
• Reputation: A professional is reliant on their reputation for their livelihood whereas a student may be tempted to forego the modest fee you are offering if the date becomes inconvenient.

Our advice? If music is important to you, and you can afford to use a professional, do so.  If you are using an amateur or students for the disco or live band who need to plug anything in to the electricity, ensure that they have all the right insurance and PAT testing well before the wedding.