Dissecting a wedding music budget

In the Philippines, the basic standard rate for hiring musicians per gig is 2,500. Basic means three to four hours of playing. But, we always need to consider so much more in booking musicians. We need to understand that in 10,000 , you cannot demand for a quartet already just because you know their basic rate is as such.
Booking musicians require rehearsals. They need transport money, they need food allowance, they need assurance that within the day, musicians can be satisfied and happy to be booked in your wedding because they have reserved the whole day for you not just some three to four hours of playing. So what is it in a real booking musician's budget?
Always consider to book professional musicians. Those people who have gone to music schools or at least have trained with respectable teachers. These people have paid so much learning their crafts and so the profession should be very well uplifted. Also consider that the location of your wedding might not be so accessible by public transport. Let's face it, not everybody has their own car. And lastly, musicians is no other different than your guests in the wedding. We also need to be provided with reserved seats for food to be taken accordingly, not some styro-packed lunch that you can distribute to the artists and if it says buffet, it should mean buffet = )
Booking musicians is not hard to do, just be wise and inquisitive. Here at tenstringedlyre we feature our artsist, their backgrounds, upload mp3 and videos so you can gauge if our group suits your standards. Remember, if your musicians are paid cheaply, you can very well expect what to listen to.
Join us in our discussion with comments and suggestions.