Any musician can sound good in a highlight reel. These nine questions surface the things the reel does not show: reliability, planning, and what happens when the flower girl freezes halfway down the aisle. From a pianist who would rather you ask them.
1. Have you played weddings, specifically? Weddings are a different craft from gigs. The music has to hit cues driven by people walking, crying, and improvising. Ask how many ceremonies they have played, not how long they have played piano.
2. What happens if the processional runs long or short? The answer you want involves looping, extending, and resolving on the walker's arrival. If the answer is "the song just plays," you are hiring a human playlist.
3. Can you learn our song? Professionals treat requests as part of the job. Ask how many new songs they will learn and whether that costs extra.
4. What do you need from the venue? The right answer is short and specific: a spot with a view of the aisle, power, and setup time. A musician who cannot articulate their needs will discover them during your ceremony.
5. Do you bring your own instrument and sound? Never assume a venue piano exists, is tuned, or is positioned where the ceremony happens. A pro travels self-contained.
6. What is your backup plan? Illness, weather, equipment. You are listening for evidence they have thought about it before you asked.
7. How does pricing and the deposit work? Clear packages, a written agreement, and a deposit that locks the date, with Faye it is 50% down and ceremonies from $500, detailed on the weddings page and in the cost guide. Vague pricing before booking becomes surprise pricing after.
8. When do we plan the actual music? The good workflow is a planning conversation 4 to 8 weeks out, once your ceremony order exists. Beware both extremes: no planning at all, or demanding every song a year in advance.
9. Can we hear you play? Video is fine; live is better. What you are checking is not perfection but feel, whether their playing sounds like your wedding. Faye's song list and videos are the honest version of this answer.
Notice that almost none of these questions are about musical talent. That is the point. The wedding musicians who cause disasters are rarely bad players; they are bad planners. Ask the boring questions and the day itself gets to be the fun part.
Seriously, they are welcome questions. Send an inquiry and interrogate away.