What does a string quartet play during cocktail hour?
Cocktail hour is the most common thing couples add to their ceremony music, and it is where the library's jazz and pop really get played.
Plan on about 20 songs an hour, or about 30 for a 90-minute cocktail hour. Couples usually mix jazz standards, light classical and pop covers. Pick the whole set yourself, or pick a few favorites and we'll fill in the rest to match.
Building a cocktail hour set
Cocktail hour is background music with personality. Guests are talking, so the set should feel relaxed, but it is also where a song they recognize gets a smile across the room. A typical mix from the library:
- Standards: Fly Me to the Moon, Cole Porter's Night and Day, Take Five, La Vie en Rose.
- Pop and rock: Coldplay's Viva La Vida, Mr. Blue Sky, Fleetwood Mac's Dreams, Hey, Soul Sister.
- Love songs: Can't Help Falling in Love, Thinking Out Loud, Halo.
You don't have to choose 20 or 30 songs. Pick the ones you care about in your BookLive client portal and tell us to fill in the rest; we'll add songs that match the vibe you already picked. Some couples skip ceremony music and book cocktail hour on its own, which works too. More ideas: pop songs for string quartet.
When cocktail hour runs long
Timelines stretch. If the venue needs extra time to flip the room, or photos run late, cocktail hour grows, and so does the song list. Plan on about 10 more songs for every extra half hour: 20 for an hour, 30 for 90 minutes. Tell us as soon as your timeline changes so the extra songs are picked and ready before your picks are due, about two weeks before the wedding. We play cocktail hours in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin, and now in Denver and Colorado with Colorado-based players.
When cocktail hour is in a different room
Many venues hold the ceremony in one place and cocktail hour in another. The players move with you, and we keep it to one move: each time string players relocate, they need a moment to settle into their chairs and retune.
When the second room is close by, we often stop at the end of the recessional and walk over while guests do. The postlude songs you picked aren't lost; they simply open the cocktail hour set instead. At The Gage, for example, with the ceremony downstairs and cocktail hour upstairs, that is the plan we used.
Cocktail hour in a long, busy hall? Read when a quartet needs a microphone.
What guests noticed at cocktail hour
★★★★★“They sounded fantastic, looked very professional and many guests commented about what a special touch they were during the cocktail hour.”
★★★★★“All of our guests commented on how beautiful the music was during our ceremony and cocktail hour.”
★★★★★“We loved having them play during both our ceremony and cocktail hour, it was perfect!”
★★★★★“The ceremony, cocktail hour and dinner were all the more amazing thanks to Jared and his team.”
Cocktail hour questions
How many songs do we need for cocktail hour?
About 20 for an hour. If cocktail hour runs 90 minutes, plan on about 30.
Can we book only cocktail hour?
Yes. Some couples book strings just for cocktail hour, and others book both the ceremony and cocktail hour.
Can a trio play cocktail hour?
Yes. Some couples have a quartet for the ceremony and a trio for cocktail hour.
Do the musicians need a meal?
No. Meals aren't required.