Terms & Conditions

Terms and conditions of Claire Heffernan Wedding Music services. All terms must be agreed to prior to booking. By paying a deposit, you automatically agree to these terms, and confirm that you have read the requirements/guidance below.

 

1. Booking Terms and Conditions

These terms and conditions apply to every booking taken by Claire Heffernan (the “Musician”) for an entertainment/wedding booking and agreed to by the person who makes the booking and pays the booking deposit (the “Client”).

2. Booking Deposit

A deposit secures a booking. The deposit is a non-refundable booking fee and is not transferable to other dates or locations (the Musician will only refund a deposit payment when the engagement has been cancelled by the Musician - see “Cancellation by the Musician” below. In this case, the full deposit will be refunded).

3. Final Balance

The final balance for any booking must be received either by bank transfer by 7 days prior to the event date, or by cash on the day of the event, prior to commencement of the performance. The Musician will be in touch in good time to confirm payment arrangements ahead of time. The final payment will include charges made for any additional expenses as agreed in advance with the Client (e.g., for purchase of sheet music for a new song request, or for additional travel for a change of venue after booking).

4. Cancellation by the Musician

The Musician reserves the right to cancel in any rare circumstances, such as illness, injury, or bereavement, at her discretion; in such case any payment will be refunded promptly, including deposit. These circumstances are extremely rare, and the Musician cannot be held responsible for unforeseen events of this nature.

In the unlikely event that the Musician is unable to fulfil the engagement due to circumstances beyond their control, such as natural disasters, severe weather, civil unrest, government-mandated lockdowns, strikes, or war, this is not considered a cancellation by the Musician and no refunds will be provided. The Musician will only refund deposit payments in the event of a cancellation initiated by the Musician.

4.1 Substitute Musician & Backup

In the event the Musician is unable to perform due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, the Musician will make every reasonable effort to assist the Client in securing a suitable substitute musician. This may include:

• Providing the Client with a list of recommended musicians who offer similar services, for the Client to review, choose, and contact directly; or
• At shorter notice, personally sourcing a substitute musician(s) on the Client’s behalf, aiming to match the style and quality of the original booking to the best of the Musician’s ability.

Please note that substitute musicians may charge different rates or offer different packages than the Musician, which could result in an increase or decrease in the overall cost to the Client. The Musician will communicate any known cost differences as soon as possible.

5. Cancellation by the Client

Cancellation by the Client more than 1 month in advance of the date: Loss of deposit.

If an entire booking is cancelled within 1 month of the date: A cancellation fee of up to 50% of the total fee shall be applicable.

Cancellation of one part of a multi-part package within 1 month of the date (e.g., cancelling the drinks reception music booking, but keeping the ceremony booking): Balance for the remaining package is due, plus a cancellation fee (equal to the total deposit amount paid) for the cancelled portion.

If the Client changes the date or location of the booking after booking, and it means the Musician cannot perform anymore, this is considered cancellation by the Client, and the above measures will be applicable.

The above cancellation fees are an important part of the terms and conditions agreement and are accepted by the Client on payment of a booking deposit. All cancellation fees must be paid within 7 days of cancelling the booking.

Requirements & Other General Guidance

The following sections offer general guidance based on my experience. They’re here to answer the questions couples usually ask and to highlight a few recurring patterns I’ve come across over the years, simply to keep everything clear and running smoothly for both of us.

6. Venue, Setup, Equipment

6.1 Basic venue requirements: a performance space, parking/set down for loading in, a standard chair or stool (can be provided on request) and a nearby power source to plug in. If no power source is available within 10 metres, the venue may need to provide a longer extension cord. If the venue does not have an adequate power source, the Musician is not responsible for any power loss during the performance. In limited cases, no power is required, such as solo harp playing for a smaller group.

6.2 The Musician will arrive at the agreed time, typically one hour before, to set up and sound check equipment. The venue should be open and accessible, with a short and direct path for loading equipment. Access to a nearby parking space for loading equipment is appreciated and generally necessary. The Musician needs one hour of unrestricted access to set up and test equipment before the performance and adequate time to take down and load out equipment after the performance.

6.3 The Musician is generally able to perform outdoors, but cannot perform in rain, drizzle, or snowy conditions, to protect both electrical and wooden equipment. If the event is held outdoors during rain, the Musician will try to perform in a sheltered area if possible; otherwise, she will be on standby to set up when the rain stops. Performance may be delayed until conditions improve, but no refunds apply if weather prevents performance. The Musician appreciates a shaded or canopied area during setup and performance in extreme heat.

6.4 By booking the Musician’s music services, you are hiring the performer and not renting her equipment. The Musician’s equipment is not available for guest use. For health and safety reasons, and with heightened awareness since COVID, the Musician cannot share her microphone. Any performing guests who need amplification should provide their own microphone and speaker, or use the venue’s microphone and sound system. If a guest is singing the Psalm or another part of the church ceremony, they can sometimes use the church’s lectern microphone, as is standard for the readers.

7. Ceremony Music

7.1 Ceremony music selection & special requests: Unless otherwise arranged (such as for last-minute bookings), the Client should provide an initial list of proposed ceremony music, including any special requests, at least 6 weeks before the wedding. All music choices must then be finalised and approved by the Client, the Musician, and the celebrant (if applicable) no later than 4 weeks before the event. Any special song request outside the Musician’s standard repertoire is taken on at the Musician’s discretion and must be agreed in advance (with a minimum of 6 weeks’ notice).

7.1.1 One special request per booking is normally included, but should be discussed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether it is suitable for the chosen instrument (harp/piano) and ceremony type (church/humanist/etc), and whether ordering sheet music is required. Not all songs can be adapted effectively even with sheet music (for example, certain modalities or musical languages may fall outside the scope of the Musician’s offering). Larger requests may incur an additional fee for extensive arranging, rehearsal time, or expenses such as the purchase of sheet music. For more detail, please see the FAQs: claireheffernan.com/pages/faqs.

7.2 Church performances: The Musician will typically perform downstairs near the altar, where visibility and sound quality are optimal. A gallery performance may be possible, but not guaranteed, as the Musician’s instrument may be too large or heavy to set up in a church gallery/carry up narrow stairs, and/or the floor space and visibility needed for performance may be limited in a gallery.

7.3 The Musician may need to make slight adjustments to the ceremony music program on the day of, if deemed necessary after consulting with the officiant (celebrant, solemniser, priest, etc.). The Musician will make every effort to maintain the agreed upon music choices but cannot be held responsible if an officiant elects to add or remove a piece of music from the ceremony. This is uncommon, but it does occur from time to time. Last-minute changes to the music programme can be somewhat mitigated by having a clear discussion with the officiant about all song choices well in advance. Any doubts or concerns around this, please reach out to discuss with the Musician in advance.

7.4 Pre-ceremony music: Instrumental pre-ceremony music is included in all ceremony bookings. The Musician may pause this music a few minutes before the processional to enhance the entrance music and to coordinate the start time of the entrance song with other suppliers (e.g., celebrant, photographer, wedding coordinator) as needed.

8. Drinks Reception Music

8.1 The standard drinks reception package, when added to a ceremony music booking, includes live music on your choice of harp or piano, either instrumental-only or with vocals, as agreed in advance. The agreed option, duration, and setup will be confirmed in writing before the wedding day. Any subsequent changes, such as adding vocals or extending the performance time, must be agreed upon in writing in advance to ensure appropriate preparation and scheduling.

8.2 If the Client wishes to add drinks reception music to a ceremony-only booking at a later date, this is subject to availability at the time of request. To guarantee availability, the drinks reception package could be booked alongside the ceremony at the time of the initial booking.

8.3 If drinks reception music is added to a ceremony booking, the Musician will perform for the agreed duration (60 or 90 minutes, or any other duration agreed in advance). Performance will begin once the Musician has completed her setup and the first guests have arrived at the reception area. Unless a specific start time has been agreed beforehand, it is assumed that the drinks reception will follow immediately after the ceremony, and the booked playing time will run continuously once it begins.

8.3.1 Reception music “standby” situations (in rarer cases):

• If coming from a church to the reception, guests typically arrive 15-20 minutes after the Musician, due to receiving lines, short stops on the road, or mingling outside the church on a nice day. However, if there is a pre-planned stop-off between the church and reception for all guests (for example, going to a local pub for an hour in between) that will knowingly and significantly delay the start of the reception booking, this must be confirmed in advance so the timing and any standby time can be planned and quoted for accordingly. Otherwise, this off-site visit time may affect the total reception music playing time booked. Please discuss schedule in advance, as the Musician may advise you book a shorter reception music package.
• If booked for both ceremony and reception, the reception music booking cannot be moved to a significantly later start time (for example, using a one-hour booking only in the second hour of the drinks reception) unless additional standby time is discussed and agreed in advance. Later start times extend the Musician’s on-site hours and must be scheduled accordingly.
• If the drinks reception booking overlaps with speeches or other scheduled activities, the playing time continues during that period unless agreed otherwise in advance. Please discuss your schedule beforehand so the music can be planned to fit around key moments smoothly and playing time can be optimised.

8.4 If the Musician is unable to perform for the full agreed-upon time (e.g., 2 hours) due to a late start of the drinks reception, the Musician is not held responsible for this and no refund will be provided.

8.5 For drinks reception packages which include vocals, song choices (optionally up to 10 selections from my repertoire list) should be sent by 4 weeks before the wedding.

9. Working Together

9.1 The Musician always operates in a respectful manner, and this may include keeping the volume at a reasonable level when asked by the staff of the venue.

9.2 The Musician will provide you with her phone number the week before the wedding, for use on the day should there be any urgent matters that need to be communicated (e.g., cancellation, delay, road closures). This is the Musician’s personal phone number and should not be shared outside of the wedding. The Musician’s email address (info@claireheffernan.com) can be shared with friends or family who may ask for her contact information after the wedding. It would also be helpful if the Client could provide a contact phone number for the Musician in case of any urgent matters. The Musician will not share any personal information without permission.

9.3 Emails with the Musician are confidential and intended for the specified recipient only. Permission should be obtained before forwarding any emails, with the exception of communications between the couple getting married (the Clients). Please do not forward full email threads to other suppliers (e.g., priest/celebrant/etc.).

9.4 The Musician does not ask for a testimonial or review after the event, but should you volunteer kind words either formally or informally (always appreciated!), she may ask to share them with your permission. You can request to remain anonymous in this case if you prefer. The Musician has the right to make spelling and syntax edits for readability before publishing any review.

Terms and conditions of Claire Heffernan Wedding Music services. All terms must be agreed to prior to booking. By paying a deposit, you automatically agree to these terms, and confirm that you have read the requirements/guidance above. Any follow up questions can be directed to info@claireheffernan.com