Wedding
violinist for
your day·

Ceremony Cocktail Hour DJ + Live Violin

One instrument, three worlds — classical for the ceremony, acoustic for the cocktail hour, live violin layered over a DJ set for the dance floor. Serving Montreal, Quebec City, Ottawa & Toronto.

Nathan Mignien — wedding violinist in Montreal, studio portrait with violin
N° 01 Portrait — studio, Montreal

For ten years, I've played weddings in Montreal — chapels, châteaux, gardens, downtown lofts, vineyards in the Eastern Townships. Every ceremony has its own temperature, its silences, its tears at the wrong moment. My job is to read the room — your room — and answer it on violin.

A wedding isn't a playlist. A playlist is chosen in advance; a live musician adjusts in the moment. When the aisle is longer than expected, I stretch the phrase. When grandfather is holding back tears, I drop a half-step. It's instant staging — and that doesn't program.

I bring three repertoires to a wedding — classical, contemporary pop, and electro-acoustic / EDM — and the ability to pivot between them without a seam. Acoustic ceremony, cocktail-hour violin, DJ + live violin reception: one artist, three voices, one day.

Programme

Three moments, one day.

01

The ceremony.

The processional written for you, the arrival of guests, the exchange of vows, the recessional. I work in advance with your officiant or coordinator to time every entrance to the second. Classical, sacred, contemporary, or fully arranged from scratch — including a meaningful song transcribed for solo violin. Available for Catholic, Jewish, secular, civil and interfaith ceremonies.

Processional Recessional Wedding march Custom arrangement

02

The cocktail hour.

One or two hours of acoustic violin during the cocktail hour — to let the room breathe, extend the emotion of the ceremony without overpowering conversation. Reimagined standards, instrumental pop, light jazz, classical: whatever fits the tone of your day.

Acoustic violin Instrumental pop Jazz · Standards Cocktail hour music

03

The DJ + live violin set.

When the dancing starts, the violin becomes the live instrument inside a DJ set. I play electric violin live over the track — house, electronic, classical-revisited — turning the key moments (first dance, floor opening, final build) into performances rather than playlist transitions. The reception stops following a playlist. It plays out.

DJ violinist Electric violin First dance Reception set

Testimonial · Wedding 2025 N° 07

We cried from the first note of the processional. People still talk about it.

Camille & Julien Wedding — Old Montreal

Frequently asked questions.

8 answers

Q 01 How much does a wedding violinist cost in Montreal?
Wedding violinist pricing in the Montreal area generally depends on three things: the format (solo violin, with pianist, with DJ, full string quartet), the duration (ceremony only vs. ceremony + cocktail + reception), and the location (Montreal core vs. travel to Eastern Townships, Quebec City, Ottawa, Toronto). Send your date, venue, and the moments you want covered — I'll send a written quote within 2 hours.
Q 02 What does a wedding violinist play during the ceremony?
Three repertoires that often cross within a single day: classical and sacred (Bach, Pachelbel, Vivaldi, traditional wedding marches, liturgical pieces); contemporary and instrumental pop (modern love songs adapted for solo violin, jazz standards, ballads); and electro-acoustic for the DJ + live violin reception. Everything is fully arrangeable — including a song that matters to you, transcribed specifically for solo violin.
Q 03 Can a violinist play with a DJ at a wedding?
Yes — this is the format I built my reputation on. The DJ holds the set; I play electric violin live over the track. In practice, the key moments of the night — first dance, floor opening, final build — become performances rather than playlist transitions. I can cover the entire reception or only the headline moments, depending on what fits your night.
Q 04 What's the difference between an acoustic and an electric violinist at a wedding?
Acoustic violin sits naturally in intimate moments — ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner — and doesn't need amplification in small-to-mid rooms. Electric violin is built to cut through a sound system: it's the right choice for the DJ + violin reception, big halls, outdoor floors. I bring both, and switch between them within the same wedding.
Q 05 Do I need a solo violinist or a string quartet for my wedding?
Solo violinist: the most flexible and modern format, perfect for ceremonies, cocktails, and especially the DJ + live violin reception. String duo, trio or quartet: classical body and depth for grand or formal ceremonies. I can arrive solo or assemble a string ensemble through a network of trusted Montreal players, with arrangements written ahead.
Q 06 Do you travel outside Montreal — to Quebec City, Ottawa or Toronto?
Yes — Laval, Longueuil, South Shore, North Shore, West Island, Mont-Tremblant, Eastern Townships, Quebec City, Gatineau, Ottawa, Toronto, and destination weddings worldwide. For long travel or overnight stays, we factor logistics into the proposal upfront — no surprises.
Q 07 How far in advance should I book a wedding violinist?
Most couples reach out 6 to 12 months before the wedding date. Peak season (May–October) books out earlier — I recommend locking the date as soon as your venue is confirmed. Last-minute requests within 4–8 weeks are still possible if the date is open. Send the date and we'll know within 2 hours.
Q 08 What songs do you play for the processional, first dance and recessional?
For the processional — anything from Pachelbel's Canon, Bach's Air on the G String, or Wagner's Bridal Chorus to a fully arranged version of your favorite contemporary song. For the first dance — solo violin arrangement of the song you chose, often layered with the original recording or under a DJ. For the recessional — something celebratory: Mendelssohn, Vivaldi Spring, or an upbeat pop arrangement. Every song list is custom-built with you.

Next step

Your date,
confirmed in 2 hours.