Weddings Why a Wedding DJ Costs THAT Much

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
At lunch today I got to chatting with the couple at the next table. Their daughter is getting married and they need a DJ. They talked to one - he charged $250/hour and their eyes rolled as they said it. A bit more conversation and he knows another DJ here, went to HS with him, and I mentioned his prices and again, an eye roll. He has 2 friends that DJ in other states - so he 'knows' the prices for DJs...or well, what HE values it as.

I gave them a card and price. Wedding is at a church and a county park lodge..an inexpensive venue, barn like but lots cheaper. think $20-25/plate for catering, $500 for the venue and kegs of beer/BYOB or similar (no bar here).

As Ricky has stated - THIS is very very very typical here. There are not many people that perceive a DJ as worth 2-3times the cost of the venue.

I was told the same thing the other day by a guy that turned down at least half a dozen that I tried to send him this year. In his case, and quite likely your partners, the problem isn't the business
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Ricky B
I think brides/grooms will continue to book DJs for their weddings. Same goes with Mitzvahs it is more entertainment, hands on etc. However, only so many mitzvahs, and most DJs over age 40 really don't want to do mitzvahs.

I believe that prices have stale mated, and with how brides/grooms are shopping, and how tight they are with budgets, I foresee DJs dropping prices to get things booked in the coming years. The ones who can't effectively compete, and are not willing to drop prices AND do not offer or market spectacularly like Taso does will end up retiring, or turning their DJ biz into a very part time business.

However, When will this actually happen?

I mean, if I am judging by how many DJs/DJ companies out there are paying big bucks for Wedding Wire/The Knot advertising, then apparently there are still enough clients booking a large group of DJs and those DJs earning "ENOUGH" money to continue to keep on truckin.

Wedding Wire is charging $337.50 a month in my area, and over $400 a month I believe for featured in the DC area. Over 25 DJ companies in both areas are paying those prices! Add another 15 companies in the Baltimore area, and 40+ companies paying for secondary listings at $120 to $180 per month. Unless some of these DJ companies are operating on small margins, or just foolishly blowing their money on these expensive advertising platforms and not making money at all, then there must be enough clients still propping them all up to support this many DJs in this area ...I dunno about other areas, but this hasn't seemed to have changed over the past 7 years or so. I thought I would witness the amount of DJ companies out there advertising decrease on these platforms by now, and that has not happened. If anything, there might be more DJ companies on these platforms now than there were in the past. It seems as if there are even more DJs in the pool willing to spend a lot of money on advertising. That leads me to believe that the market is at least moderately "Healthy" for the time being to support so many DJs.

It's interesting to me that you can basically predict the end of DJing being a viable business, and in the same post point out that signs of a robust DJ economy around you are still there.

For me, WeddingWire paid for itself 2.5-3X what I paid for it. I didn't renew the contract, and moved to The Knot for now. But I also did some print advertising. There is no doubt I'm still experimenting with my marketing mix - but everyone knows you've got to get in front of buyers.

I don't know that any one platform is right or wrong, just right for different companies and strategies. But I'd much rather spend $400 a month for quality eyeballs than answer 16 leads a week that are nonsense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger
Personally, I think the market is very healthy for DJ's that try to stand out, as there are a good number of couples looking to have that stand out DJ. I think something that many are overlooking, not just on here, but in general, is that they're trying too hard to be like everyone else, and not offering anything that is truly them... kind of their signature style that can only be had by booking them.

I'll give a personal example of what I am going through right now. I just got engaged about 3 weeks ago. We have began our wedding planning and have locked down a few vendors already. The thing is, we are searching for things that stand out... things or quality that people don't see too often... like a live event planner (check out Katherine Gressel). My biggest dilemma has been with photography. I couldn't find anything that stands out and has that unique/artistic/mindblowing touch to it. The photographer I originally wanted who had that style was not available... and my backup plan was a photographer I met at a wedding we did together. Unfortunately, despite his amazing images, he has very negative feedback from that mutual bride (over a year with no albums and avoiding calls) and multiple weddingwire reviews stating the same. So at this point we had to act like a normal couple and do research and find someone from scratch (my connections failed me here). I found many photographers in the mid tier $2500-$4500 range (album, digital copy of edited files, ceremony & reception coverage)... but the images were all EXACTLY the same. The shooting style, colors, poses, etc. Put there albums side by side and you wouldn't know whose is whose. The only difference I guess would be the personality of who I was talking to. I said to myself, ok let me start looking at the guys that charge a little more... but I couldn't really find that range of vendors on my own. I found a couple who were slightly more at 5k, and while they had a more unique style, I still wasn't impressed with what I was getting for the amount I was spending. It wasn't until I asked around and I got to the $7500 -$10,000 range (again, for album, digital copy, all day coverage, etc) that I finally found that WOW factor (look up Duke Images or Susan Stripling) . Now, I don't know if I can get my budget to be that high for the photography aspect (especially since one requires flight and hotel accommodations) and may have to settle for a step down... but I will try my best because I know they are worth it for what they do (I may have to work a little more than I wanted to this or next year). Mind you the one I originally had found was what I consider a hidden gem... someone who should be charging more than what they are for what you get (in the mid tier price level).

I am 100% certain that I am not the only one that has this mindset and looks to get something that stands out and really makes them feel their money is well spent. I may have to think a little more about it, but the couples that really belong in the luxury market would probably not even think twice about locking in that vendor if they felt they were a match. One thing I noticed about all of these photographers in the "luxury" price range, was that NONE of them advertised. They didn't need to. Every one of those photographers I found came from a person that was mind blown by what they saw. The funny thing is that each person in this price range was uniquely different from the other as well, and targeting a very specific client. Some even wrote on their site that if you're looking for a specific style (one found commonly in mid tier), then he/she is probably not the right photographer. I could go on and on about what I've learned about the luxury photography market, and am planning on finding ways to incoroprate their strateiges into what I do.

Bottom line to tie it in with the DJ industry... those looking to serve all crowds and all parties will blend in with the rest and will really be competing on price... as they are attracting a crowd that doesn't value their dj like the ones willing to spend more. Now for those targeting a wealthier segment (each area has a different definition so lets not attach numbers to this), they will be targeting a smaller crowd, but a more lucrative one. However, you need to have a niche... you need to stand out and offer something that the others aren't... and when that happens people will talk. You also have to market well to your base as they will help spread your name... not to a market that has no idea who you are. Keep wowing the people that know you and have seen you, and they will do the selling for you. Through word of mouth I have wedding in chicago this weekend (don't even ask about the trail of referrals that led to this one), a plantation in maryland in september, and in the last two weeks I have been working on 3 new events... one in Baltimore, one in Miami, and one in North Carolina. Since Ricky and some others are near baltimore... its the Belvedere. I am able to drive to and from this event with no requirement of giving up other event days to make it possible so it's just a $500 surcharge to make it happen... total price $3300 compared to $2800 locally. Will probably leave with a $2900-$3000 profit after immediate expenses (labor, gas, tolls),
 
Personally, I think the market is very healthy for DJ's that try to stand out, as there are a good number of couples looking to have that stand out DJ. I think something that many are overlooking, not just on here, but in general, is that they're trying too hard to be like everyone else, and not offering anything that is truly them... kind of their signature style that can only be had by booking them.

I'll give a personal example of what I am going through right now. I just got engaged about 3 weeks ago. We have began our wedding planning and have locked down a few vendors already. The thing is, we are searching for things that stand out... things or quality that people don't see too often... like a live event planner (check out Katherine Gressel). My biggest dilemma has been with photography. I couldn't find anything that stands out and has that unique/artistic/mindblowing touch to it. The photographer I originally wanted who had that style was not available... and my backup plan was a photographer I met at a wedding we did together. Unfortunately, despite his amazing images, he has very negative feedback from that mutual bride (over a year with no albums and avoiding calls) and multiple weddingwire reviews stating the same. So at this point we had to act like a normal couple and do research and find someone from scratch (my connections failed me here). I found many photographers in the mid tier $2500-$4500 range (album, digital copy of edited files, ceremony & reception coverage)... but the images were all EXACTLY the same. The shooting style, colors, poses, etc. Put there albums side by side and you wouldn't know whose is whose. The only difference I guess would be the personality of who I was talking to. I said to myself, ok let me start looking at the guys that charge a little more... but I couldn't really find that range of vendors on my own. I found a couple who were slightly more at 5k, and while they had a more unique style, I still wasn't impressed with what I was getting for the amount I was spending. It wasn't until I asked around and I got to the $7500 -$10,000 range (again, for album, digital copy, all day coverage, etc) that I finally found that WOW factor (look up Duke Images or Susan Stripling) . Now, I don't know if I can get my budget to be that high for the photography aspect (especially since one requires flight and hotel accommodations) and may have to settle for a step down... but I will try my best because I know they are worth it for what they do (I may have to work a little more than I wanted to this or next year). Mind you the one I originally had found was what I consider a hidden gem... someone who should be charging more than what they are for what you get (in the mid tier price level).

I am 100% certain that I am not the only one that has this mindset and looks to get something that stands out and really makes them feel their money is well spent. I may have to think a little more about it, but the couples that really belong in the luxury market would probably not even think twice about locking in that vendor if they felt they were a match. One thing I noticed about all of these photographers in the "luxury" price range, was that NONE of them advertised. They didn't need to. Every one of those photographers I found came from a person that was mind blown by what they saw. The funny thing is that each person in this price range was uniquely different from the other as well, and targeting a very specific client. Some even wrote on their site that if you're looking for a specific style (one found commonly in mid tier), then he/she is probably not the right photographer. I could go on and on about what I've learned about the luxury photography market, and am planning on finding ways to incoroprate their strateiges into what I do.

Bottom line to tie it in with the DJ industry... those looking to serve all crowds and all parties will blend in with the rest and will really be competing on price... as they are attracting a crowd that doesn't value their dj like the ones willing to spend more. Now for those targeting a wealthier segment (each area has a different definition so lets not attach numbers to this), they will be targeting a smaller crowd, but a more lucrative one. However, you need to have a niche... you need to stand out and offer something that the others aren't... and when that happens people will talk. You also have to market well to your base as they will help spread your name... not to a market that has no idea who you are. Keep wowing the people that know you and have seen you, and they will do the selling for you. Through word of mouth I have wedding in chicago this weekend (don't even ask about the trail of referrals that led to this one), a plantation in maryland in september, and in the last two weeks I have been working on 3 new events... one in Baltimore, one in Miami, and one in North Carolina. Since Ricky and some others are near baltimore... its the Belvedere. I am able to drive to and from this event with no requirement of giving up other event days to make it possible so it's just a $500 surcharge to make it happen... total price $3300 compared to $2800 locally. Will probably leave with a $2900-$3000 profit after immediate expenses (labor, gas, tolls),


Congratulations on your engagement Taso!

Have you chose a wedding date yet?

I do have some suggestions for you:

1. Don't go into major Credit card debt in order to "splurge" on your wedding.
2. Take a deep look at how important these photos will truly be to you in the future.

My wife and I are closer to the opposite side of the spectrum than you are when it comes to photography. We chose not to spend a lot on photography. We knew that the photos would be something we would share on Face Book for a few months after the wedding, BUT we also knew we would rarely look at all these photos in the future. Guess what...WE WERE RIGHT.

We have sat down and taken the time to look at all the photos on our CD ONE TIME. Yes, once and we have been married since 2009. We never even got the photos printed up. We went online and spent like $23 on a few select photos she wanted, and THAT WAS IT. I think about a dozen or so of our friends and family went to the website and ordered a few photos each for themselves as well. Our photographer was a guy I had worked a wedding with before. My wife and I interviewed 4 photogs, but we chose him. The reason we chose him DID NOT HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH IF HIS PHOTOS WERE BETTER OR NOT. The reason we chose him is because he had us laughing along with him during the interview way more than the others. We were real comfortable with him, and thought he would keep the bridal party uplifted for photos better. He was also easy going on our wedding day. He had given me a "industry discount" which he offered...I did not ask, and at the time his regular price was $1450 all inclusive for his 8 hour package. I think I spent $1150 after the discount.

Myself, I personally could not fathom spending $5,000 on our wedding photos knowing that I have looked at them 1 time since the wedding and here we are 8 years later. Now, my wife and I aren't BIG photo people, and we have very few pictures on our walls in our house, so we vary greatly from you, but if you are going to spend $7,500+ on a photographer, make sure you can truly afford it. Don't go into major credit card debt to have your dream wedding. ...There is a lot of other stuff you COULD spend that money on for instance, a nice honeymoon, or save it, and make it easier to purchase a new car or house in the future.


It took my wife and I almost 5 years to pay off our credit cards from revolving Wedding Day Debt, and we only had a $11,000 wedding. ...Now I have even more debt to try to pay off as time marches on, but at least the debt on those cards now are not wedding day debt LOL.
 
Congratulations on your engagement Taso!

Have you chose a wedding date yet?

I do have some suggestions for you:

1. Don't go into major Credit card debt in order to "splurge" on your wedding.
2. Take a deep look at how important these photos will truly be to you in the future.

My wife and I are closer to the opposite side of the spectrum than you are when it comes to photography. We chose not to spend a lot on photography. We knew that the photos would be something we would share on Face Book for a few months after the wedding, BUT we also knew we would rarely look at all these photos in the future. Guess what...WE WERE RIGHT.

We have sat down and taken the time to look at all the photos on our CD ONE TIME. Yes, once and we have been married since 2009. We never even got the photos printed up. We went online and spent like $23 on a few select photos she wanted, and THAT WAS IT. I think about a dozen or so of our friends and family went to the website and ordered a few photos each for themselves as well. Our photographer was a guy I had worked a wedding with before. My wife and I interviewed 4 photogs, but we chose him. The reason we chose him DID NOT HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH IF HIS PHOTOS WERE BETTER OR NOT. The reason we chose him is because he had us laughing along with him during the interview way more than the others. We were real comfortable with him, and thought he would keep the bridal party uplifted for photos better. He was also easy going on our wedding day. He had given me a "industry discount" which he offered...I did not ask, and at the time his regular price was $1450 all inclusive for his 8 hour package. I think I spent $1150 after the discount.

Myself, I personally could not fathom spending $5,000 on our wedding photos knowing that I have looked at them 1 time since the wedding and here we are 8 years later. Now, my wife and I aren't BIG photo people, and we have very few pictures on our walls in our house, so we vary greatly from you, but if you are going to spend $7,500+ on a photographer, make sure you can truly afford it. Don't go into major credit card debt to have your dream wedding. ...There is a lot of other stuff you COULD spend that money on for instance, a nice honeymoon, or save it, and make it easier to purchase a new car or house in the future.


It took my wife and I almost 5 years to pay off our credit cards from revolving Wedding Day Debt, and we only had a $11,000 wedding. ...Now I have even more debt to try to pay off as time marches on, but at least the debt on those cards now are not wedding day debt LOL.

Thank you, and we're aiming for 8/26/18. I appreciate the advice, and trust me going into credit card debt is the last thing I am planning on doing. If anything, unless required, I will not be using my credit card for payment (and when I do I always pay my card in full at the end of each month). I don't want to get into my personal situation about the costs of things and how they personally affect me, as everyones situation is different (some pay for the whole thing themselves, some have parents pay for everything, and some are in the middle). Putting personal costs aside (thank you though again for the warning as it is very easy to get caught up in debt from this), I wanted to point out how various couples approach the selection of their vendors, and what I've personally experienced so far. $1450 when you got married in Maryland, is probably equivalent to $2500 today in NJ, which I suppose puts it in mid tier pricing. It also seems that like you, most of what you find in that range was nothing WOW, but you get exactly what you expect. Nothing more nothing less. 90% of the people will find themselves in this category, and as I mentioned... most in this category will choose based on price and/or personality... as the quality and results are virtually the same from one photog to the next. I (and many on here have said it) made the same observation about DJ's... that in the mid tier pricing, most dj's are virtually the same in terms of what they offer. Standard sound, simple appearance, and basic lighting with maybe uplighting and monogram as extras. You get a decent dj who can play music from all genres... maybe you'll get someone who can beatmix and/or have great mcing skills. Overall the customer is left with trying to figure out the difference, and all they have to go by is price and personality. The dj's in this price range exceed the number of clients out there in my opinion and it's much harder to get noticed.

In my search I just wasn't impressed... I wanted something to be wow'd by... especially if I'm spending that kinda money. For some the cost of getting that wow factor is a non-issue... for others, they may have to cut on other things, extend the budget, or add to the debt to make it happen... and some will snap back to reality in that they simply cannot afford that service. The point is, to reach that clientele... you have to wow them with something, and that something needs to be portrayed as a quality only you and no one else can provide. The vendors in this spectrum are usually word of mouth based... market to their existing clientele... and dont need to advertise much other than to maybe showcase examples of their work.
 
Thank you, and we're aiming for 8/26/18. I appreciate the advice, and trust me going into credit card debt is the last thing I am planning on doing. If anything, unless required, I will not be using my credit card for payment (and when I do I always pay my card in full at the end of each month). I don't want to get into my personal situation about the costs of things and how they personally affect me, as everyones situation is different (some pay for the whole thing themselves, some have parents pay for everything, and some are in the middle). Putting personal costs aside (thank you though again for the warning as it is very easy to get caught up in debt from this), I wanted to point out how various couples approach the selection of their vendors, and what I've personally experienced so far. $1450 when you got married in Maryland, is probably equivalent to $2500 today in NJ, which I suppose puts it in mid tier pricing. It also seems that like you, most of what you find in that range was nothing WOW, but you get exactly what you expect. Nothing more nothing less. 90% of the people will find themselves in this category, and as I mentioned... most in this category will choose based on price and/or personality... as the quality and results are virtually the same from one photog to the next. I (and many on here have said it) made the same observation about DJ's... that in the mid tier pricing, most dj's are virtually the same in terms of what they offer. Standard sound, simple appearance, and basic lighting with maybe uplighting and monogram as extras. You get a decent dj who can play music from all genres... maybe you'll get someone who can beatmix and/or have great mcing skills. Overall the customer is left with trying to figure out the difference, and all they have to go by is price and personality. The dj's in this price range exceed the number of clients out there in my opinion and it's much harder to get noticed.

In my search I just wasn't impressed... I wanted something to be wow'd by... especially if I'm spending that kinda money. For some the cost of getting that wow factor is a non-issue... for others, they may have to cut on other things, extend the budget, or add to the debt to make it happen... and some will snap back to reality in that they simply cannot afford that service. The point is, to reach that clientele... you have to wow them with something, and that something needs to be portrayed as a quality only you and no one else can provide. The vendors in this spectrum are usually word of mouth based... market to their existing clientele... and dont need to advertise much other than to maybe showcase examples of their work.
Found a good DJ yet? I hear they are hard to find! Is Mix booked?
 
There goes that option lol. Got a dj locked down already... just deciding for the greek portion if we're going w a dj or band for that (not many... if any... greek djs We trust to also do American music)
I'm half Albanian .. is that close enough .. :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger