Wedding violinist in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland
I am Esmé Bergh, a wedding and event violinist, and I am taking bookings in Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, including Whistler, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast.
I play solo violin from a book of more than 3,000 songs. I lived and worked in Vancouver from 1997 to 2004, so Canada is not new to me.
A wedding starts at CAD 500 for the first hour of music, and travel is priced from Langley.
What every booking includes
- Sound equipment wherever it is needed, at no extra charge.
- Songs from my songbook, as many as you like, at no charge.
- Up to three songs I would need to learn. After that each one is CAD 90, and I take up to six new songs for one event.
Travel and accommodation
Travel is priced by the kilometre for the round trip from Langley, with a short distance around it included at no charge. A route with a ferry, to Vancouver Island or the Sunshine Coast, adds CAD 165 for the crossing. Beyond 300 km one way, send me an enquiry and I will price it myself.
A night away is added only when the drive says so. If the drive home is two hours or less, I add a night only when the playing finishes after 21:00. If it is longer, I add a night when the finish plus the drive home would get me back after 17:00. A night is CAD 220, and a ferry route more than 200 km away carries two.
Inside 14 days of the event the playing carries a 25 per cent surcharge. It never applies to travel, the ferry or a night away, and it applies in Canada only.
Solo violin
Canadian bookings are solo while I build a circle of local players. If you had an ensemble in mind, send me the details.
What an estimate looks like
Four examples, worked the way the estimate works them. Your own venue and times will give a different figure.
A one hour ceremony at a venue under 10 km from Langley, from 15:00 to 16:00
- One hour of music, solo violin
- CAD 500
- Travel, inside the distance that is included
- CAD 0
- Total
- CAD 500
The same ceremony in downtown Vancouver, 63 km from Langley
- One hour of music, solo violin
- CAD 500
- Travel, 126 km there and back
- CAD 117
- Total
- CAD 617
A two hour wedding in Whistler, a little over two hours from Langley, from 15:00 to 17:00, with one song I would learn
- Two hours of music, solo violin
- CAD 860
- Travel, 332 km there and back
- CAD 343
- One night nearby, because the drive home would end after 17:00
- CAD 220
- One song to learn, inside the three included
- CAD 0
- Total
- CAD 1,423
A two hour wedding in Victoria, across the ferry, from 15:00 to 17:00
- Two hours of music, solo violin
- CAD 860
- Travel, 133 km of driving there and back
- CAD 124
- Ferry crossing, vehicle and driver
- CAD 165
- One night nearby, because the drive home would end after 17:00
- CAD 220
- Total
- CAD 1,369
Photographs
Late light over the water on a Highveld farm. Outdoors is where most South African weddings happen. 
Canada is not new to me. I lived and worked there, and it has always held a special place in my life. 
From my time in Canada. The piano came first, long before the violin, and it has never quite gone away. 
From my time in Canada, and an instrument worth kneeling next to.
Questions people ask
Do you play weddings in Vancouver?
Yes. I am taking bookings in Greater Vancouver and the Lower Mainland now. I lived and worked in Vancouver from 1997 to 2004, so the city is not new to me, and I play solo violin from my book of more than 3,000 songs.
How much does a wedding violinist cost in Vancouver?
A wedding starts at CAD 500 for the first hour of music, and each further half hour is CAD 180. A one hour ceremony near Langley is CAD 500, and the same ceremony in downtown Vancouver is CAD 617 with travel. A two hour wedding in Whistler is CAD 1,423 with a night nearby, and in Victoria it is CAD 1,369 with the ferry and a night.
Do you travel to Whistler, Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast?
Yes. Travel is priced from Langley by the kilometre, and a route with a ferry adds CAD 165 for the crossing. Beyond 300 km one way, send me an enquiry and I will price it with you.
Is there a charge for booking at short notice?
In Canada, yes. Inside 14 days of the event the playing carries a 25 per cent surcharge. It never applies to travel, the ferry or a night away, and there is no such charge in South Africa.
Can you play a particular song?
Almost certainly. Anything from my songbook of more than 3,000 songs is free, and you can choose as many as you like. If a song is not in the book I can learn it. The first three are included, each one after that is CAD 90, and I take up to six new songs for one event.
Do you bring sound equipment?
Yes, wherever it is needed, at no extra charge.
Do you play with other musicians in Canada?
Canadian bookings are solo for now, while I build a circle of local players. If you had an ensemble in mind, send me the details.
How does booking work?
Get an estimate for your venue and date, then send it to me as an enquiry. I answer within two working days. The estimate is indicative rather than an offer, it is valid for 14 days, and your date is not held until I reply.
Get a figure for your venue
Enter your venue, your date and how long you would like music, and get an indicative figure with a breakdown of what it covers. It ends in an enquiry, not a payment.
Get an estimate