JAM Duo is owned and operated by JAM Music Group Ltd. These names are interchangeable for the purpose of the document below. Any reference to JAM Duo, JMG or JAM Music Group refers to the company JAM Music Group Ltd.
The following terms and conditions are agreed by both the hirer (You) and the musicians (JAM Duo) to form a contract to which all parties agree to abide by when the hirer makes a booking. The musicians are also referred to as ‘We’, ‘Us’, ‘Jules Addison’, ‘Anne-Marie Humphries’ or ‘JAM Duo’ in this document. The sections are listed as below.
1. Wedding Options and Associated Times
All our options are usually based on the part of your day, rather than just a fixed period of time or per hour booking. This is because we realise that all weddings will vary and within reason we do not wish to be clock watching or for you to suddenly be left without music.
As a guide however, we do base our performances on the following expectations in terms of timings:
Ceremony – We aim to arrive around 60 minutes before your ceremony start time. This gives us time to unload / set up so we can start playing from 15 minutes before your agreed ceremony start time as your guests are seated. Our assumption in terms of ceremony time is as follows:
Civil Ceremony – 30 minutes from the arrival of the bride
Church Ceremony – 60 minutes from the arrival of the bride
If you believe your ceremony is going to be significantly longer than these estimates please advise us when booking to avoid additional charges.
Drinks Reception – Bookings which include music for a drinks reception will allow for up to 90 minutes of performance time during your drinks reception starting from the point JAM Duo are set up ready to play.
Wedding Meal – Bookings which include music during your wedding breakfast will allow for 90 minutes of music from the point the Bride and Groom are announced into the meal. We generally play until the point dessert has been served or for 90 minutes as outlined, depending on which is sooner.
Where speeches are before the meal, this will lengthen our booking. If we start our performance after your speeches we will still provide up to 90 minutes of music during the course of your meal as outlined above. However, where speeches before the meal are longer than 30 minutes additional charges may apply.
Moving between different parts of your venue – The above timings do not include any time which may be taken moving our instruments from one part of your venue to another. It takes us approximately 5 minutes to pack down our instruments and PA system and around 5 minutes to set up again once we have relocated to the new area in your venue.
Where possible, we aim to be flexible and we do not clock watch as our preference is to provide music seamlessly for the duration of your wedding, depending on the options you have booked.
2. Additional Amplification
In the majority of cases our standard set up is to use our Nord Stage Piano and Yamaha Electric Cello coupled with a Bose PA speaker system which comprises of 2 small speakers and a subwoofer. This gives the best sound quality and ensures you get the beautiful tone of cello and piano no matter how large (or small) your venue.
The use of amplification does not necessarily mean we have to be loud – our experience allows us to adjust the volume to suit your venue and the ambience you are looking to achieve.
It is imperative that you let us know about any sound restrictions at your venue. This is a question we will ask you when you complete our music form usually a month or so before the wedding. Some venues do not allow for amplification. In this scenario we can play our acoustic (wooden) cello along with a venue piano if they have one. All our own digital pianos require some form of amplification.
Our default and preferred setup is to use our Nord Stage Piano, a Yamaha Electric Cello and a Bose PA system. This will give the best quality sound and the most flexibility in terms of volume (quiet or loud!) to suit almost any situation from small ceremony rooms to large outdoor marquees holding 500 or more people.
3. Playing Space
We require approximately 2x2m (6’7″x6’7″) of space to play. If we are bringing our Piano Shell this increases to approximately 3x2m. However again there is flexibility so do please contact us if you are in any doubt, as we can usually make most spaces work.
4. Refreshments
A Supplier Meal or light refreshments is welcome where bookings are 4 hours or more – eg, Ceremony and Drinks plus Meal. We are however entirely flexible on this and at no point expect our clients to provide us with refreshments of any kind.
5. Music Requests
There is plenty of inspiration on the listen page of our website. If you have a particular request for a piece or pieces which are not on there, generally this is not a problem at all but please let us know at least 30 days before your event and we will let you know if this is possible. In the vast majority of cases we are able to accommodate all such requests without additional fees and we do not charge to ‘learn a song’. Very occasionally we may come up against copyright issues which do not permit us to play a particular song – if this is the case we will contact you in good time to discuss alternative options.
6. Accompanying a Singer or Instrumentalist
If you have a singer or instrumentalist who is not part of JAM Duo it is entirely feasible that our pianist can provide musical accompaniment. We will be happy to discuss this with you. Your musicians will need to fulfil certain criteria to work with us, and there may be additional fees chargeable depending on the requirements. For example if you require us to have a rehearsal with other musicians this will attract a fee and be dependent upon our availability. Please contact us for more information.
7. Venue Requirements
Indoor performances do not usually present any difficulties. We are equally happy to perform outside and we have our own parasol which we can use as a protection against the sun. We cannot however perform outside in the rain but are quite happy to perform in a marquee for example. We very much work on the assumption that your guests will not be outside in the rain either! In the event that we start outside and the weather turns for the worse (i.e it starts raining) then we will have to move our instruments indoors.
We will always try to be flexible and adapt to the particular situation and will endeavour as far as possible to always perform at your preferred location. We will discuss your preferences at the time of booking.
8. Vehicle Breakdown, Traffic And Illness
If for any reason (including vehicle breakdown, traffic delays or illness) we have to cancel the performance prior to, or on the day of your event, you will receive a full refund of any monies you have paid. You agree this will be the limit of any financial (or other) responsibilities we have to compensate you.
9. Outside Performances
If requested we would be delighted to perform outside. The British weather however presents its own unique set of challenges at all times of the year. Being a professional duo we perform using expensive instruments which can have a combined value in excess of £25,000. The instruments, iPads, stands and musicians must be protected from rain, making outside cover required. A marquee, awning, large umbrella, extended canopy or the inside of a doorway are acceptable. To perform under a tree is generally not acceptable cover.
We understand the importance of your wedding day and also know from experience that a lot of couples are very keen on an outdoor ceremony. We will always aim to be flexible and adapt to even the most challenging of situations in order to provide music for your wedding or event to the very best of our ability.
Nevertheless, the decision whether to perform outside will be made by the musicians at the time of performance and you agree that their decision will be final. Performances may be moved indoors due to weather conditions. We bring our own parasol for protection against the sun but cannot provide protection against rain or harsh weather conditions.
10. Balance Payment
Your balance payment is to be made by bank transfer to JAM Music Group Ltd business bank account 30 days prior to the performance date. We will send you a final invoice around 6-8 weeks before your wedding date. If you wish to pay earlier than this, please contact us and we shall supply you with our bank details.
We do not accept cash, cheques, PayPal or card payments of any type as balance payment. Failure to have correctly paid your balance will leave us unable to perform and will also leave you liable to the full balance payment and any costs incurred to recover our fees.
11. Delayed Start – Not Due to JAM Duo
Should we arrive on time and be ready to start at the agreed start time, but due to the hirer, hirer’s guests, hirer’s service providers or any other reason not down to us, our duo is unable to start performing, the start time which was agreed prior to arrival at the venue will go ahead as planned anyway.
This does not necessarily mean that we are performing music, but the total hired time clock has started ticking at the originally agreed time. This means as far as the original booking is concerned that we will not carry on beyond the agreed finish time if we are in place ready to start and “others” are not. “Others” can be described (but not limited to) as the hirer, guests, any person in the building, suppliers, companies, organisations or events linked, or not linked to your event, that has caused delay to the start to the originally agreed booking start time.
The hirer may wish to extend their booking time to cover any additional booking time required due to delay. Please read section 14 (Changes To Total Time Hired) for more information on time extensions to your booking.
12. Late Arrival At First Or Second Venues
If JAM Duo arrive later than the start time that was originally agreed at the first venue, we will endeavour to perform beyond the originally agreed finish time until the original booking duration is fulfilled to compensate for late arrival. On occasion due to previously arranged further commitments we may be unable to stay beyond the originally booked finish time. If your booking is a multiple venue (more than one place of performance), which involves the musician(s) travelling between venues, please be aware travelling time may vary on the day to that predicted. This could be due to a wide range of factors beyond our control. We take all reasonable measures to get to the venue on time. However, under no circumstances will we compensate you due to the delayed start of a performance at any additional venue beyond the first.
13. Hired Time, Required Breaks
For all our performances the booking time duration and fees quoted on your booking confirmation email is for the total time hired. This is not the total playing time. We generally take a 10 minute break per hour during a function of 2 hours or more. We are happy to coordinate our breaks with your function’s itinerary, so please let us know when speeches are likely to occur for example.
In a wedding ceremony booking, breaks for the musicians are built in to the service. The musicians will stay in position throughout the ceremony. Should you wish to extend or reduce the total time hired at a later point beyond what was agreed in the original booking, please read section 14 (Changes To Total Time Hired) for more information.
14. Changes To Total Time Hired (Extension or Reduction)
A time extension to your original booking means you are increasing the total time hired. This is not necessarily actual performance time. This includes (but is not limited to) any additional time requested by the hirer for practice, sound checks, run through, delayed start, or any other kind of time extension request made in addition to the original agreed hired time. Time extensions to your booking which are requested after the original date you booked may be subject to an additional fee.
Fees will be quoted to you upon request. The fees to extend the total hired time may be higher than that of the set time periods quoted when you originally booked. If the new increased hired time period fee is higher than what the hirer wants to pay, both parties agree to abide by the original hired time and fees. Please note that extra hired time that is requested on the day of performance is charged at a minimum rate of half an hour (no less). We reserve the right to increase our time extension fees at any time.
A request for a reduction in total hired time may be subject to a reduction in fees. If there is a reduction in fees applicable (which is not always the case) the fee reduction will be quoted to the hirer at the time of request. If the new reduced booking time period fees are not acceptable to you, both parties agree to abide by the original booking period and fees.
15. Changes To Venue(s)
Changes to the originally agreed venue(s) that would attract an additional fee are (but are not limited to) a change to multiple additional venues or a change of the original single venue. Additional fees (if any) will be quoted to you upon request. If the fee to change the originally agreed venue(s) is higher than what the hirer wants to pay, both parties agree to abide by the originally booked venue(s). Please also read section 19 for important notes regarding changes to performance venue.
16. Changes To Performance Date
Changes to the originally agreed performance date will be looked at upon request. There may be an additional fee payable by the hirer, especially if the new performance date is considerably forward of the original date booked, or for the following year or any year beyond that. If we have the new performance date that you have requested free in our diary, as long as there is no duration or other changes and you are willing to pay any additional fees advised, we will advise you that we can move the date.
If we cannot move your booking from the originally agreed booking date to the new requested booking date due to commitments of any kind, or you not willing to pay the advised additional fees (if any), then your booking will have to be cancelled. Your deposit and any other monies received by us will not be refunded.
If you move your booking within 1 month prior to the original performance date and we are not able to play on your new date due to prior commitments, you will also be liable to compensate the musicians at the rate to which you had agreed the original booking (in other words the full balance remaining payable). Please remember if there is also a requested performance venue change, the venue change rules as explained in section 15 will also apply.
17. Important Notes Concerning Changes
It may not be possible to change the total time hired, change the venue, or change the performance date. Although we will endeavour to accommodate any request for alteration to what was originally booked, due to other commitments made since you originally booked we may be limited in our flexibility outside of the originally agreed booking times. If it is not possible to alter what was originally booked, both parties agree to abide by what was originally booked, or, your booking is cancelled and your deposit will not be refunded.
18. Deposits Paid & Cancellation Of Booking By The Hirer
The deposit you pay to secure your booking is non-refundable with the exception of 19.2 below.
If you the hirer cancel your booking at any time, for any reason, your deposit will not be refunded. If you cancel your booking within 1 month (30 days) prior of the performance date, you will also be liable to compensate the musicians at the rate to which you had agreed the booking (in other words the full balance remaining payable).
19. Deposits Paid & Cancellation Of Booking By JAM Music Group Ltd
With a lot of bookings being made a year or more in advance of the performance date, JAM Duo will periodically keep in touch with booked clients to answer any questions and also ensure the booking is still planned to go ahead as originally agreed. In the event that we contact you on two separate occasions (using the contact details you have provided us, see 19.1) and do not hear back from you within 14 calendar days of the second contact attempt, we reserve the right to cancel your booking without further notice. Should this prove necessary, you will forfeit any deposit payment made.
19.1 It is your responsibility as hirer to ensure that you provide JAM Music Group Ltd with your up to date email and telephone contact details at the point you make a booking and pay a deposit. If these contact details change at any point, particularly prior to your booking date, then you must ensure you update your contact information with JAM Duo. You can do this by contacting us using our website contact form or the telephone number and email address publicly displayed on our website.
19.2 In extenuating circumstances which could include, but not limited to, personal commitments, and separately to point 19 above, JAM Duo reserve the right to cancel your booking for any reason by giving you a minimum of 3 months (90 calendar days) notice before your wedding or event. In the unlikely event this proves necessary, we will refund any deposit paid and you agree this will be the limit of our liability to you.
20. Additional Rehearsals And Meet Ups
We do not normally attend any additional rehearsal or meet ups prior to performance at weddings or events. Having played at hundreds of weddings and events, this is not usually necessary. Our experience and flexibility mean that we will be in step with what is happening during your wedding or event. For wedding ceremonies we are skilled in timing the processional music to the right length. One of us will discuss preferences and details regarding the performance with you by phone or email in the weeks leading up to your wedding or event. On the day for a wedding ceremony for example, we liaise with the Registrar or Vicar for cues.
If you absolutely require attendance and/or advice at a rehearsal or meet up, we will quote you an additional fee (minimum fee of £250 for up to 2 hours) plus travel costs for a consultation at an agreed place of meeting. This is dependent upon the availability of at least one member of our duo to attend on the requested day. It may be one or both performers in the Duo. This meeting is to give advice and discuss the performance only, and will not consist of any performance. If due to unforeseen circumstances on the day of meet up we arrive late or have to cancel the meet up for any other reason, our financial liability is limited only to a refund of any fees already paid to us by the hirer for the meet up.
21. Duo Definition & Responsibilities
You agree as the hirer that the musicians performing on the day of your event will be JAM Duo comprising Anne-Marie Humphries (Cellist) and Jules Addison (Pianist). As far as is reasonably possible we do not use substitute musicians. JAM Duo is not an agency. In the event one of our Duo members is ill on the day of your performance or cannot attend for whatever reason we will, with as much notice as possible, attempt to arrange a substitute musician of equal calibre. In the event the Duo is unable to perform due to illness, we will refund you in full for any monies paid including the deposit. You agree this will be the limit of any financial (or other) responsibilities we have to compensate you.
22. Data Protection & Privacy (GDPR)
The General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) specify that we must advise you of our policy on any data that we hold relating to you. The data you have sent us on the booking form may be shared between JAM Duo members and any person involved with organising or performing the services you have requested so that they can carry out their work as required for your booking.
We do not share, sell or market any of your data with any 3rd parties whatsoever. All data supplied to us by you is kept securely in our email facility and electronically filed as a booking form. Both our email facility and files are password protected and encrypted, as are our servers. Part of the GDPR is your right to view the data an organisation holds in relation to you. Upon your request to view your data, when approved, you will be sent an email with the all the data that we hold on you.
23. Variation of Terms
JAM Duo operate a transparent policy with regards to terms and conditions and the way in which they conduct business. From time to time special offers or advertised concessions may appear elsewhere on our website or in the public domain. In the event that information elsewhere appears to contravene these terms, our standard terms and conditions as set out above (this document / web page) will always prevail.
Last Updated – December 2023