While we deeply value the personal touch that outside musicians and instrumentalists can bring to your ceremony, our policy at St. Benedict’s is designed to ensure the highest quality and consistency of the musical experience. Therefore, we generally rely on our team of professional in-house musicians, including a skilled cantor and experienced piano and organ players, to provide the music for your special day. 

If you wish to include another instrumentalist or group of musicians, it is crucial that they are professionals to ensure the quality and suitability of the music for a sacred ceremony. If you need assistance, I am more than happy to refer you to trusted professionals within my network. If an outside professional musician or instrumentalist is approved to participate in your ceremony, an extra fee will be applicable. This fee is to be negotiated with and paid directly to the instrumentalist, separate from any fees associated with the ceremony at St. Benedict’s.

Do not make any arrangements with outside musicians until you have let me know that you are thinking to include additional musicians.

Fees for St. Benedict's Musicians:

Music Director - Stacey Bassetti: A fee of $250 is charged for the expertise and coordination provided by our music director.

Cantor - Jennifer Watters: a fee of $150 is due to the cantor for singing all of your selected songs.

Wedding Coordinator- Tammy Brooks: To ensure every detail of your ceremony is meticulously planned and executed, a fee of $150 is charged for our wedding coordinator's services.

Payment is due 2 weeks in advance and can be made in the form of cash or check. Kindly issue a separate check for each individual involved. If you are out of town, the payment can be mailed to the church at: 

St. Benedict Church

Main Office

137 Dewey Ave

Fontana, WI 53125  

While we deeply appreciate the involvement and enthusiasm of family members in planning your special day, the selection of music for the ceremony is a deeply personal aspect that we believe should be directly reflective of the couple's individual tastes and spiritual journey together. To ensure a cohesive and harmonious musical program that truly represents your union, we kindly request that the music choices be made by the couple themselves. This approach helps to streamline the planning process and ensures that the musical selections resonate with the significance of your vows and the sanctity of the occasion.

For the majority of your ceremony's musical repertoire, you won't need to worry about acquiring sheet music, as we have a comprehensive collection of pieces suitable for various ceremony parts. However, if you have special requests for songs that fall outside our existing library, you would be responsible for covering the cost of that sheet music. Typically, the price for sheet music ranges from $5 to $10 per piece. We aim to accommodate your unique preferences while ensuring the process is as seamless as possible for you.

When choosing secular songs for the prelude music, it's important to consider the atmosphere and setting of your ceremony. While we welcome a range of musical genres to personalize your prelude, the lyrics and overall theme of the chosen songs must align with the reverence and dignity of the occasion. This means selecting songs that carry respectful, positive, and appropriate messages, devoid of any content that might clash with the solemnity of a wedding ceremony. Our goal is to create a welcoming environment as your guests gather, setting the tone for your sacred union. If you have a particular song in mind, I am here to discuss its suitability and help you choose music that reflects your personal story while honoring the sanctity of the event.

Our musicians are seasoned professionals well-versed in wedding ceremonies so they do not attend the dress rehearsal.  Musicians will rehearse at a separate time to make sure everything is seamless and well-prepared for your special day.  

To ensure a smooth and well-prepared ceremony, we recommend finalizing your music selections at least 6 weeks in advance before your wedding date. This allows enough time for rehearsals and any special arrangements that might be necessary.

We understand that planning a wedding involves many decisions, and your music preferences may evolve as your special day approaches. You are welcome to make changes to your music selection up to 6 weeks prior to your wedding at no additional cost. This timeframe allows us to accommodate your requests while ensuring ample preparation time for a flawless performance.

Changes made within 6 weeks of your wedding date are subject to a $150 change fee, and the ability to accommodate such requests will depend on the feasibility and the specific requirements of the new selection. This fee covers the additional time and resources needed to adjust the program and rehearse the new piece to our professional standards.

If you have any further questions or specific requests that I haven't addressed here, please don't hesitate to reach out. Congratulations again, it’s an honor to be a part of your special day.  I look forward to making music that you and your guests will enjoy on your wedding day..