20 Questions with Ricky Sylvia
The Buzzcatz WEDDING FAQ

Q: How much space do you need for the standard 9 piece band?   
A: 24 x 12 is our standard space for the 9 piece group, 18x12 for the small groups. For the larger band (11 + pieces), we go up to 24 x 16. For some venues a stage is not necessary. All of our electrical & staging needs will be included in our contract.

Q: Will you act as Emcee for all of the announcements and introductions?   
A: Yes! Our Deejay will act as the Emcee for the entire evening and co-ordinate with your photographer, videographer, caterer and wedding coordinator before he announces any of the evening’s festivities.   

Q: Do you have a wireless mic so that we can do our toasts from the head table?   
A: Yes! 

Q: What is the process for confirming The Buzzcatz for our date?   
A: It's very simple. You send us a confirmation email with all of your details (date, time, venue,  number of pieces you want in the band, your mailing address & phone number) and we will email you back our CONTRACT. It's a very simple two-page document and there's not a lot of legal mumbo jumbo. You sign and email (or mail) the contract back to us along with a 50% deposit. We will send you a signed copy for your file. The balance payment is due 7 days prior to the wedding.   

Q: Do have music playing on your breaks? 
A: Yes, we bring a LIVE Deejay to keep the party going. For our smaller band packages, we offer a pre-mixed playlist of your requests, played on Ipod. 

Q: Can you provide a microphone and musicians for our ceremony?   
A: YES. We can provide sound with a tech/DJ for your ceremony, along with musicians. Additional fees apply, and this service is subject to availability and depending upon your venue - we don't do beach ceremonies. If you need strings (trio or quartet), check our LINKS page for Central Florida's best ceremony string players.

Q: What do you need in a way of a stage, power, etc?
A: You provide the stage (24 x 12), the power (power drop), and any tenting needed. Your wedding planner will help you with all of those rental needs. None of our requirements are extraordinary for the hotels or country clubs. The hotels and will typically charge for a power drop, but unfortunately there is no way around it for us or any other band. It's required for proper power or we'll blow a fuse in the middle of your first dance. We always have our tech speak to the house electrician so that everything goes smoothly on the day of.

Q: What type of music do The Buzzcatz play?
A: The Buzzcatz play timeless, classic songs from lots of different eras and genres - it's a cool repertoire of  Jazz, Blues, Swing, Soul, Motown, Classic Rock, 70's & 80's hits, and party tunes. Your guests will know (and love!) every song we play. We start out with Sinatra & Jazz during dinner, and then shift to Motown, Disco, Classic Rock, and Party Anthems after dinner. The Buzzcatz are not current, modern, cutting edge, or "High Energy Top 40" -   Our Deejay covers the current music and any other requests that you may have that are not found on our band's song list. 

Q: Can you work as a smaller group than 9 pieces?
A. We do offer smaller lineups, fronted by Dana (our second male lead). Ricky can also work with a smaller  lineup on a weeknight, but weekends he's reserved for the larger groups.

Q: If we should need to extend the party, can we? 
A: Yes. If you need longer than the standard 4-hour reception, (5 hours with cocktail), our Deejay can stay an additional hour. (Additional fees apply). 

Q:  Can you learn our First Dance song and songs for our Parents Dances ? 
A: Sorry, but we are unable to learn any songs for your event. Our Deejay will handle any of your requests that are not found on the band's song list, and will host all of the specialty dances and formalities for the evening. Do let us know which tune you have in mind - it may be a song we can easily snap together or perhaps one that we have performed in the past. If so, we're happy to give it a go for you. Rehearsal time is not included in our fees, nor is it a service that we can offer. 

Q: What forms of payment do you accept? 
A: We accept direct deposit, payment apps (Zelle, Venmo, Cashapp, PayPal), cash, or credit card (a 3% convenience fee for credit card payments) for payments. No checks, please. 

Q: Can you meet with us to discuss our wedding?
A: Ricky is always available via email or phone to help you with any questions, but unable to attend in-person meetings or site visits. Your wedding planner will do that. All we will need is your completed online Bridal Form, your final timeline/agenda, and a diagram of the layout from your wedding planner on the week prior to the wedding. The rest can be done via email or phone calls. 

Q: If one of our guests wants to sit in with the band or play a song solo, is this allowed?
A: Yes, as long as it's been cleared by the Bride & Groom. Guitarists need to bring their own guitar. We are unable to rehearse with your guest performer, but will do our best to accommodate their audio needs. 

Q: Can you play a Hora for a Jewish Wedding? 
A: YES! We have played many horas, and we do a hora medley that works great. We can stretch is as long as needed. Our Deejay can also provide any other ethnic music or traditional music requests.

Q: Should we need to postpone our wedding, can we apply the deposit toward a new date? 
A: Deposits are non-refundable and not transferable unless your event is cancelled due to a mandatory government lockdown or venue closure; in which case your event will be eligible for reschedule based on the terms of the excused non-performance clause in our contract rider. If your event is cancelled due to either of these circumstances beyond your control, we can offer you a makeup date based on the band's availability. 

Q: We want to be sure that we are going to get Carmen as the female and Bobby as the lead guitarist.
A: You and me both! Don't get too attached to anyone in the band. Unfortunately, I can make no guarantees as to who will be in the band on any given night many months in advance. Our band members are all actively working in the theme parks and with other touring acts; and if they get an offer to hit the road with Gladys Knight or Hall & Oates for 12 dates or to play in a long-running show at one of the theme parks, they are not going to pass it up because it conflicts with a wedding gig. 

I can only promise that I will bring the best musicians and vocalists available to me for your date. All of our "subs" are great players, singers, and consummate pros who've played many gigs with us, and the show never misses a beat. If you look closely at all of the photos and videos on our website, you'll notice a slightly different lineup in the band in almost every shot; especially in the horn section. Even on PICTURE DAY I had to call in a stand-in for our pianist at last minute. There's not a lot I can do about it except to fill the spot with a capable understudy. Fortunately, after 47 years of performing in this town, I know every musician and vocalist around. Even THE BEATLES had subs (see Jimmie Nicol). You can see our extended family (subs) on the BAND page. 

Q: Can we see you play “live”? 
A: Since most of our gigs are private events, it may be awhile before you can see us play "live". We play some public shows every now and then, (usually bi-monthly at Blue Bamboo Center For The Arts in Winter Park), so check our website for any upcoming dates. 

We'd love for you to see us in action at a wedding reception, but we've never felt good about bringing uninvited guests to our client's weddings.  If you spend a few minutes exploring our website, you can get a very clear picture of who we are, what we sound like, and what our band is all about. If you'd like some references, just ask any wedding pro in town about us!

 CONTACT Ricky with any questions. We'd love to hear from you! 

         A FEW TIPS FROM THE BUZZCATZ:

• Hire a PRO wedding planner
  A good planner already knows a long list of dependable pros that will fit exactly what you are looking for. Do yourself and all of your vendors a favor, and hire a PRO. You can find a list of some of Central Florida's most reputable wedding planners on our LINKS page, all of whom are long-time friends of ours and whom we've worked countless weddings with. 
    
• Talk to the venue in advance to arrange for power, staging, green room, and meals for the band.
  It's important to the flow of our setup that everything be pre-arranged and set for our crew's arrival. All of our rider requirements for power, stage, and green room will be listed in our (short) rider attached to our contract, and none of our requirements are out of the ordinary for any of the resorts or clubs. Expect a fee from hotel ballrooms for the power drop - that is common practice, and unfortunately there's no way around it for us or for any band.
   
• Book EARLY!
  The best wedding vendors in this area will book nearly every weekend, so don't delay in confirming the date with them once you've made your choice. A contract and a 50% deposit is the only way we can hold a date for you. Our prime Saturday nights book a year or more in advance in some cases, with October-June being the prime season.
   
• Have a backup plan for an outdoor wedding in FL 
  An outdoor wedding in FL is always a roll of the dice, any time of the year. Floridians already know this, but many of our clients are from out of state. Florida weather can also be very unpredictable, even during the Winter months, when it can drop from 85 to 35 degrees overnight. Be sure that your venue has a "Plan B" if you are booking an outdoor reception, and trust your Wedding Planner if she makes the call to move indoors.
   
• Let The Buzzcatz do "our thing"
  After playing for literally 1,000 wedding receptions dating back to 1999, we have found a formula that works best for us.  Our vibe, repertoire, and presentation are all very evident here on our website - what you see is what you'll get. We're not going to magically transform into a Latin, Country, Hip Hop, or "High energy Top 40" band - that's not what we do. We'll do the songs you hear in our audio and video samples and see on our songlist. Our Deejay covers the rest, including your requests.
   
• Help us keep everyone safe
  Our stage is a minefield of cords, speakers, and valuable gear to trip over, and even a beautiful bridesmaid with fun intentions turns into a potential safety threat. For safety's sake, please encourage your guests to stay off of the stage.
    
• Have FUN!
  If you're hiring The Buzzcatz, chances are good that you've also hired all the best vendors in town. Many of the best vendors in Florida have worked countless weddings together and see each other regularly throughout the wedding season. Trust your team of vendors to make everything come together perfectly on your big day!