Wedding ceremony music order: prelude to recessionalComing soonThis guide walks the ceremony in order, from the prelude through the processional to the recessional, and what each moment asks of the music.
Cost guide
Ceremony musicians cost.
The short answerThe cost of ceremony musicians depends on how many players you book, how long they play and whether they also play your cocktail hour. Elevate prices your line-up in your quote. Pick live musicians above and the range covers a whole night with them in it. 4,000+ events, 20+ Elevate-Certified™ DJs, 18 awards, 9.7 NPS and 4.9★ across 1,058 verified reviews, as of August 4, 2026.
4.9(379)
4.9(218)
5.0(305)
5.0(156)
Photo: Integrity Hills, 2026, Madison Thompson Photography
What moves the number
What changes the cost of ceremony musicians?
What changes the cost of ceremony musicians is how many players you book, how long they play, and whether they carry on into the cocktail hour. Here is what each one changes, and how we handle it.
- How many playersWhat it changes: How many musicians play your ceremony: two, three or four, and on which instruments.How Elevate handles it: Elevate books a string duo, a string trio or a string quartet for your ceremony. Size is what changes between them.
- How long they playWhat it changes: How long the musicians play, from the prelude through the ceremony and on past it.How Elevate handles it: Thirty minutes of prelude comes with each of the three line-ups, before the processional.
- The cocktail hourWhat it changes: Whether the musicians carry on after the ceremony and play the cocktail hour too.How Elevate handles it: Live players can carry on into the cocktail hour, and your quote sets which players do.
What do ceremony musicians cost elsewhere?
Couples on WeddingWire report spending $330 to $700 on ceremony music, $500 on average. The lines below give each published guide’s own figure, as the source describes it. They are industry ranges, not Elevate prices: your Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians are priced in your quote.
Industry ranges, not Elevate prices
- WeddingWireRange: $330 to $700What most couples spend on wedding ceremony music, from what couples report in WeddingWire reviews. The average is $500.Dates: Read October 29, 2026.
- GigSalad, string quartetRange: $585 to $1,800Low to high nationwide for a one-hour booking, every type of event.Dates: Updated October 2, 2026. Read October 29, 2026.
- GigSalad, string trioRange: $430 to $1,500Low to high nationwide for a one-hour booking, every type of event.Dates: Updated October 2, 2026. Read October 29, 2026.
- GigSalad, classical duoRange: $447 to $1,400Low to high nationwide for a two-hour booking, every type of event.Dates: Updated October 2, 2026. Read October 29, 2026.
- GigSalad, solo violinistRange: $200 to $600Low to high nationwide for a one-hour booking, every type of event.Dates: Updated October 2, 2026. Read October 29, 2026.
What is included
What comes with Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians?
Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians come with players from the top tier of the local symphony, thirty minutes of prelude and sheet music written for your songs, as a string duo, trio or quartet priced in your quote. Every inclusion is on our ceremony musicians page.
Strings or the hybrid
Do you need ceremony musicians, the DJ-Band Hybrid or both?
You book ceremony musicians for the ceremony and the DJ-Band Hybrid for live players on the dance floor, or both, each its own line in your itemized quote. Pick the hybrid and live musicians in the estimator above to see that night’s range.
How we build it
Why does Elevate Entertainment quote ceremony musicians instead of listing a price?
Elevate Entertainment quotes ceremony musicians instead of listing a price because every Elevate night is custom-tailored from scratch: no two couples, no two weddings and no two sets of preferences are the same. Your line-up is priced with the rest of your night, from the size of the ensemble and what you choose, piece by piece in your Entertainment Design Session, so you get exactly the experience you want.
The exact number
How do you get an exact ceremony music price?
You get an exact ceremony music price from Elevate Entertainment in three steps: see your price range above, design the night in one free conversation, and read the itemized number in your quote. Nothing on this page is a quote. Here is how you get the real one.
Elevate EntertainmentYour exact number, three steps
See your price range
Tap what your night needs in the estimator above. It sorts your running order and shows one rough range for the whole night; your exact price still comes from your quote.
See your price rangeDesign the night in one conversation
Your free Entertainment Design Session: 60 minutes, video or phone, with the team behind 4,000+ events. You bring the vision. You leave with a complete plan.
If you would rather build your night with a person than on a screen alone, or want more guidance on what to choose, you can do it together here.
Book your Entertainment Design SessionGet your exact number
A real, itemized quote for exactly what you choose. Or skip ahead and build your quote online any time.
Pricing
How much does a full Elevate Entertainment night cost?
Experiences begin at $1,500
Prices start at $1,500. Most couples spend between $2,500 and $7,500. Highly produced events can run up to $25,000. Where your night lands depends on how much of it you hand to one team, and your ceremony musicians are priced in your quote by the line-up you choose.
$1,500Experiences beginOne experience, done right.
$2,500 to $7,500Most couples spendA DJ who is also your MC, plus live music, lighting, photo booths and effects.
$25,000Highly produced events run up toEvery part of the night from one team.
Build your quote online
Build it online, or get your exact number in your free Entertainment Design Session. Klarna and Affirm financing are available.
Related cost guides
What else does a wedding night cost beyond the ceremony musicians?
Ceremony musicians are one line of a wedding entertainment budget; the guides below cover the rest of the night and how pricing works.
How much does a wedding DJ cost?This guide explains what moves the price of a wedding DJ and MC: the hours on site, the tier of DJ you book, the date and the drive, and what a booking covers before a single add-on. Its estimator shows a rough price range for your night.Read the guide →
DJ vs live band for your wedding: cost, sound and the hybridThis guide sets a DJ and a live band against each other on cost, sound and range, and explains the DJ-Band Hybrid, which brings both.Read the guide →
How pricing worksThis is Elevate Entertainment’s own pricing page: what a booking includes, what moves the number up or down, and the two ways to get an exact price for your night.Read the guide →
Wedding ceremony music order: prelude to recessionalComing soonThis guide walks the ceremony in order, from the prelude through the processional to the recessional, and what each moment asks of the music.
How much does wedding lighting cost?Coming soonThis guide explains what event lighting and a monogram add to the room and the price.
Do you tip your wedding DJ? Vendor tipping, answeredComing soonThis guide answers whether you tip a wedding DJ, and how the rest of the vendor list compares.Before you book
What do couples ask about ceremony musicians cost before they book?
Couples ask whether the prelude is in the price, whether they can book a solo musician, why ensemble prices vary, how the cocktail hour is handled, why there is no price list and how to get an exact number.
Is the prelude included in the price of Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians?
Yes. Thirty minutes of prelude comes with each of the three line-ups, so it is part of the price in your quote.
Can you book a solo musician for your ceremony?
No. Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians play your ceremony as a string duo, a string trio or a string quartet.
Why do the prices of ceremony musicians vary?
Ceremony musicians’ prices vary with how many players you book, and at Elevate size is what changes between the three line-ups.
How is the cocktail hour handled in an Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians quote?
Your quote sets which players carry on into the cocktail hour, and prices your line-up with the rest of your night.
Why is there no price list for Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians?
Because every Elevate night is custom-tailored from scratch. Your line-up is priced in your own quote with the rest of your night.
How do you get an exact price for Elevate Entertainment ceremony musicians?
Build your quote online, or book a free Entertainment Design Session and build it with our team. Your itemized quote prices your line-up with the rest of your night.
Your Event Made Perfect
How do I talk to a real person about my ceremony musicians cost?
You talk to a real person about your ceremony musicians cost by booking an Entertainment Design Session in the four quick steps here. One free conversation, 60 minutes, video or phone. You leave with a complete plan and an exact number, without any pressure on the call.
Complimentary · real numbers. A real person will text you within the hour.
Call or text(816) 477-4077
Step 1 of 4
Which event are we designing entertainment for?
One tap, then we check your date.
Pick the one that fits best and we’ll take it from there.
When and where is the celebration?
A rough idea is fine. Peak Saturdays go first.
Your date
Which of our locations is closest to your event?
Choose your closest market, and either a date or the no-date box.
Help us tailor your session.
Honest answers get you a sharper plan. There are no wrong ones.
Where are you in planning?
Which venue?
Optional. It helps your designer prepare for that room.
By when do you want to have found your best fit?
What do you feel is non-negotiable, if you had to pick one?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the event.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What kind of event?
About how many guests?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Tell us about the celebration.
Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.
What’s the occasion?
Where is it being held?
Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.
When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
Last step. Your details, so we can check your date.
Your designer reviews your answers before the session, so the conversation starts at your event, not at a blank page.
We need your name, a working email and phone, and the consent box checked.