Bringing the Music
Image by Bonnie Photographics
One of the tasks on your wedding planning to-do list? Sort out the wedding music.
There are so many choices to make - do we go for a live musician or chuck on a playlist? What are our aisle/entrance/first dance songs? What shall we do while the guests are mingling? We think live music is the way to go for a few reasons -
It makes for unique entertainment for you and your guests. How often do you get to see live string musicians perform? Live music adds such a great mood to the day - nothing beats a few drinks and nibbles in the summer sun, while being serenaded by beautiful music.
Is there anything classier and more romantic?
They can tailor the music to you, your guests, the mood, everything - in ways that a Spotify playlist can’t. They can read the room and engage your guests’ attention.
Enter - the magical, entrancing Vivid Strings. Founded in early 2020, this collective of Wellington-based musicians began with Alexandra Partridge noticing that there were very few agencies offering classical string musicians. Today, we’re talking to Alexandra about her journey with Vivid Strings (and along the way, hopefully convince you that there’s nothing quite like romance of a live string quartet for your wedding day). Because, in Alexandra’s words: “Not being biased at all (!) but live music at a wedding really is the number one way to create an incredible atmosphere and an unforgettable day.”
Alexandra Partridge, Director of Vivid Strings
WHERE VIVID STRINGS BEGAN
I moved to Melbourne to pursue further training after finishing a Masters of Music Performance at Victoria University. There, I was fortunate to meet amazing musicians that were doing lots of varied, interesting freelancing gigs. Not just classical music, but contemporary, jazz and pop music, musicals and recordings for all sorts of artists and clients. It was through these connections that put me in touch with booking agencies that sourced musicians for weddings and events across Australia. I noticed there were very few of these types of agencies for classical string musicians in New Zealand but there’s a wealth of world class talent here! The Wellington region also has so much going on in terms of festivals and cultural activities and the Kapiti Coast in particular is booming with amazing venues for weddings and parties. Where, then, do people look for string musicians? I thought it was about time there was a service that could provide a collective of talented performers to play great music for all types of functions and parties.
WHERE VIVID STRINGS IS NOW
We offer tailor-made packages, specific to each couple getting married. Depending on the size of the congregation, or where the wedding is held, we have different ensemble options: string quartet, trio, duo, solo instrumentalist and more. Couples often come to us with a type of vibe they’re wanting for their event, so we will discuss what music would fit the atmosphere and be most appropriate for the guests attending. Our entire music library as well as a list of favourites are up on our website so that it's easier to select what songs they would love to hear (or not!) during the ceremony or reception, or if they would rather leave it in our hands, that’s totally fine too! The great thing about VIVID STRINGS is that we can cover a broad scope of musical styles and genres even within a traditional classical instrument setting like a string quartet. If contemporary music is more suited to the event, we have awesome arrangements of music from artists such as the Beatles, Bublé, Beyoncé - you name it!
Image by Bonnie Photographics
With the arts scene and all my work abruptly put on hold this year due to Covid, I suddenly realised that I had the time needed to get my idea off the ground - and I actually really enjoyed learning about the ins and outs of starting up a new business. For me, the pandemic brought about a silver lining as it allowed me to pursue an avenue I’d been wanting to explore for a long time.
WHAT HAS 2020 TAUGHT YOU?
Life - as we know it - can turn right upside down in a blink of an eye. Something that I, and many others, might not have experienced before. This year has brought about so much uncertainty and anxiety that it's taught me to really focus and hone in on being grateful for what you have around you. As hard as it is sometimes to remain positive, I think gratefulness is key to releasing a lot of that stress.
Like most people I've talked to, I'm hoping for a little more stability in 2021! In terms of VIVID STRINGS, we are really looking forward to adding a little bit of sparkle to couple's weddings - especially for those who have gone through the stress of rescheduling their special day or who've found themselves not being able to have close friends and family join them due to being overseas.
You can find out more about Vivid Strings here.