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Weddings

About

The classical guitar of Derek Macrae will create an atmosphere that is elegant, sophisticated, and intimate – perfect for that dream wedding you have been planning for weeks! Derek has more than 20 years of experience playing and performing on the guitar, both as a soloist and as a part of various musical groups. His extensive musical education includes studying guitar at The Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Derek is a personable and talented musician who would like to help you make your wedding day truly fantastic.

Services offered

Derek performs many types of music, ranging from Baroque, Renaissance, and Spanish Classical period pieces to Celtic, flamenco, and contemporary popular music. Using a sound system to amplify the sound of his guitar, Derek carefully tailors the volume of music to the size of the room and the number of guests present. He ensures that each guest is able to hear and enjoy the music while still being able to engage in conversation.

Other services

In addition to weddings, Derek loves lending his talents to entertaining crowds at anniversaries, baby showers, birthdays, bridal showers, corporate events, engagement parties, memorials, Valentine's dinner, Easter Brunch, Mother's Day Brunch, St. Patrick's day, and Christmas/holiday parties. Derek's repertoire includes all of the Christmas classics.

Why hire Derek?

  • Early setup: Derek arrives in advance to set up so that he is fully set up and ready perform before your guests arrive.
  • Professional Attire: Clean and pressed formal wear.
  • Response Time: From your initial inquiry right up to the day of your wedding you will always get a quick response from Derek.
  • Repertoire: Derek has a very large repertoire of popular music, including all of your guest's favourites.
  • Music Volume: Derek's guitar has a pleasing tone, and his volume is set to an appropriate level so that your guests can hear the music while still being able to engage in conversation.
  • Reasonable Pricing

Locations Serviced

Derek is based in Oakville but he performs in Toronto and the GTA, including:

  • Mississauga
  • Burlington
  • Hamilton
  • Niagara
  • Niagara on the Lake
  • St. Catharines
  • Milton
  • Muskoka
  • Vineland
  • Barrie
  • Caledon
  • Alton
  • Gravenhurst
  • Windermere

The classical guitar is particularily well suited to the GTA's historic wedding venues, such as the Ancaster Mill, The Toronto Old Mill, Elora Mill, Paletta Mansion and the Millcroft Inn, as well as wineries.


Some venues benefit greatly from battery powered amplification. Derek uses his battery powered Bose S1 Pro system for such venues as the Toronto Distillery District, and the Kortright Centre.

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Frequently asked questions

Are you an agency or a band?

Band

What ceremony music arrangements can you provide?

Instrumental solo

How many musicians are in your band?

1-3

What genres of music does your band play?

Country
Acoustic
Classical
Oldies
Folk
Pop
Latin
Soul
50s
70s

What instruments does your group play?

Guitar

What music services do you provide?

Ceremony music
Cocktail hour music
Reception music
Music during breaks
Rehearsal dinner music
Willing travel

What services do you provide?

Ceremony music
Cocktail hour music
Instrumentals
Microphones
Reception music
Music during breaks
Rehearsal dinner music
Sound / PA system

What items are available?

Microphones
Sound PA

What is the starting price for wedding ceremony music?

$200

What is the average price for a wedding reception during peak season?

$1,000

What is the price of your most popular wedding package?

$350

What is the average price for a wedding reception during off-peak season?

$200

Which of the following are included in the price of your most popular wedding package?

Travel expenses
Rehearsal dinner music
Ceremony music
Reception music
Music during breaks
Learn new songs
Sound/ PA system

Which of the following are included in the price?

Travel
Ceremony music
Reception music
Sound PA
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Any other questions?

Request pricing
5.0 out of 5 rating
10 reviews
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Response time
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    5 out of 5 rating
100% Recommended by couples
Jess
Jessica J. Sent on 27/07/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Do not miss out!!!

I originally booked Derek after hearing him play at a Bridal Show over the winter. He offered reasonable pricing, plays beautifully, and was happy to learn Tenerife Sea for us. How could we not?!

When our wedding plans changed to a smaller wedding than originally planned, my partner and I decided having Derek would still be a fabulous addition to our ceremony.

We are so thrilled with Derek's performance on our wedding day! He was very early, extremely professional, and kind. When guests began arriving 30 mins before our ceremony, I had originally planned on sneaking inside to hide. However, Derek was beginning to play, and I simply did not want to miss out on the music! I stayed out and greeted guests with my partner, while being serenaded by the acoustic guitar.

His rendition of Tenerife Sea was absolutely beautiful, and he was careful to meet several other songs I requested post-ceremony. The ambiance created by his music was simply perfect. I highly reccomend Derek!
C
Caitlyn M. Sent on 15/10/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Exactly what we wanted

I truly can’t think of a single bad thing to say about our experience with Derek, playing our ceremony music. He was quick to respond to us, very easy to deal with/book, offered an amazing (probably too cheap, for how good he sounds) price, he showed up early and knew exactly where to set up/what to do, and we received compliments about his music even after he left. We had very specific songs we wanted for our ceremony 3/4 were not listed on his very extensive song list, but he had no problems playing them for us anyways, and they were spot on as everyone was able to recognize the songs right away. Definitely recommend booking with him for any event!
J
Jc Coutts Sent on 30/11/2022
5 out of 5 rating

Derek played guitar in the Helson Gallery in Georgetown Ontario

Derek played a wide range of classical and popular music and is an exceptionally talented and experienced musician
J
Joline V. Sent on 26/09/2020
5 out of 5 rating

Amazing music!

My now husband is a professional musician and Derek was his vetted pick for our ceremony music. Derek played beautiful music for our ceremony and our guests had rave reviews about him for our cocktail hour as well! Definitely recommend and have already started recommending him to friends.
K
Kimberly K. Sent on 24/07/2017
5 out of 5 rating
Derek was great! He was no-stress, all professionalism and with everything to worry about when planning a wedding, was a welcomed addition to our ceremony.

He always responded quickly to any questions we had, on the day he coordinated with the officiant on timing and just handled everything perfectly. We realized there were many service providers we had to manage and Derek was not one them (something that you learn to truly appreciate!!)

We would highly recommend him!!!
K
Katrina W. Sent on 07/07/2015
5 out of 5 rating
Derek was great to deal with leading up to the wedding. He got back to me right away on my multiple emails and he was super flexible. I found a number of music selections on youtube that I wanted played during the ceremony and most of them were already in his repertoire, but the ones that weren't he learned for my wedding. He arrived with plenty of time to spare on the day of and I had a few of my guests comment on his playing. I unfortunately didn't get to listen much to his playing.
K
Kyla D. Sent on 06/10/2014
5 out of 5 rating
Derek played acoustic guitar for our ceremony at Archeo in the Distillery District on Friday, September 12.

Derek was very helpful during the planning process. We chose a lot of the ceremony songs based on the list of available songs on his website, but for my entrance, I wanted a Cranberries song that he hadn't played before. This wasn't a problem though! Derek learned the song and even played it for us over the phone a week before the wedding so that we could be sure that we liked it.

The day of the wedding, Derek arrived on time with his equipment and did a wonderful job. He played while guests arrived and then during the ceremony too. I have to admit that I was so busy that I never got to say "hi" to him or thank him personally, but we were very happy with his service and the price was reasonable too.
H
Greg H. Sent on 10/02/2012
5 out of 5 rating
Derek is great! Very easy to work with, and extremely flexible with the type of music you would like. We had Derek play the music for our ceremony, and then for another hour during the cocktail hour. My only complaint is that I missed most of his playing welll we were having our photos done.
[Anonymous] Sent on 21/05/2013
5 out of 5 rating
We had a short brunch wedding and had Derek play for the entire thing. Derek was really wonderful and easy to work with. He made great suggestions for the song choices in the ceremony when we asked for ideas. We gave him a small list of songs we liked for the reception and from there he filled in the rest of the time with selections that were right on the money. I actually had friends comment on the awesome song choices. And of course he sounded great. Very talented. I wish I could have heard more of it on the day. He learned a few new songs at our request as well.
S
Shari Sent on 11/09/2023
5 out of 5 rating

Highly recommend

Polite, punctual, very reliable, organized, and so very talented!
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Awards

10

Derek Macrae - Guitarist Real Weddings

Jess & Billy
21 Photos · 18/Jul/2020

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