Notes · Weddings · Las Vegas
How to Choose a Wedding Pianist in Las Vegas
Eight questions worth asking before you book, from someone who plays Las Vegas weddings — so the music on the day is the music you imagined.
Eight questions worth asking before you book, from someone who plays Las Vegas weddings — so the music on the day is the music you imagined.
Send the date, the venue and a line about the occasion. I reply personally, with a programme suggestion and a quote.
By Dr. Maria Pisarenko, DMA · concert pianist in Las Vegas · October 2026
A wedding pianist is booked months ahead and heard for a few minutes that you will remember for the rest of your life. The processional, the moment the doors open, the first few bars after the vows — they cannot be re-recorded. These are the questions I would ask any pianist, including me.
This is the first practical question, and it decides several others. Many Las Vegas chapels, ballrooms and private homes have a grand or an upright; many outdoor sites have nothing. A fine acoustic piano is my ideal setting. If your venue has no piano, there are options — a piano can be hired in for the day, or another arrangement agreed in advance — but ask about it early, because it affects the budget and the set-up time.
Ask for the exact piece, not “something classical”. Wagner’s Bridal Chorus, Pachelbel’s Canon, Bach’s Air on the G String or a song that means something to the two of you — a good pianist will say yes, and will also tell you how long the piece runs, so that it can be timed to the walk.
Ceremonies almost never start on the minute. A live pianist simply keeps playing prelude music until the signal and then moves into the processional at the right bar. A recording cannot do that, and that is one of the quiet advantages of live music that couples only notice afterwards.
Film themes and popular songs can be arranged for solo piano. In my bookings, one requested piece is prepared in advance as part of every wedding; if you would like more, ask early and we plan them into the programme.
The ceremony is short. Most couples also want music for the guests arriving, the cocktail hour and dinner. Ask whether the same pianist can stay, and how the music changes through the day — quieter and more reflective before the ceremony, lighter and warmer for cocktails, conversational at dinner.
Most event musicians have a minimum. Mine is two hours, with travel and any breaks included inside the booked time, so there are no surprises on the invoice. Ask the same question of anyone you are considering.
Agencies sometimes send whoever is free on the day. Ask for the name of the pianist, and ask to hear them — recordings, video, a concert programme. The difference between a pianist and a concert pianist is audible within a few bars, even to guests who never listen to classical music.
A clear quote names the date, the hours, the venue, the pieces you have asked for and the travel. If you would like a violin, a cello or a singer with the piano, ask at the same time — small ensembles have to be arranged well in advance.
Saturdays in the spring and autumn go first. Once you have the venue and the date, write — even if the details are still open. The date is what needs holding; the music can be decided later, together.
Send the date and the venue and I will come back to you with a programme suggestion and a quote.