Would you DJ a wedding for $550 in 2021?
- Thread starter DJ Ricky B
- Start date
I absolutely agree with you about our job starts the moment the doors open, but the magic and the reason I am hired and how I set my rate derives from my DJ performance once the dance floor opens up. I'm definitely influencing the vibe, atmosphere, and overall tone, with respect to music and flow of things, at ALL times. I am not saying that the other elements of a wedding are not valued or as important, and one could argue they are equally important combined, but it is very clear from the moment someone inquires about booking me, it's my DJ skills that attracted them and what they are expecting.
Anybody here have an event they were doing and no matter what you did they just wouldn't dance? I have. Thankfully it rarely has happened to me. I learned over the years not to go crazy and doubt yourself when it happens. Just look forward to the next event.
If that were true you'd never have a non-dancing crowd and people would not cite their DJ as the reason people chose to dance less than expected.
Could your customers simply have unrealistic expectations? Yes. You may also be feeding into or attracting the same and unwittingly setting yourself up as the perfect scapegoat for a lackluster review when they don't materialize.
Your sales and marketing should not make you dependent on the behavior of other people and circumstances you cannot control.
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The important thing is to know WHY it's happening so you can deal with it and adjust what you do to make the event a success in spite of the empty dance floor. For example:
Are there lots of a younger children present? This often results in the adults becoming observers rather than participants and the DJ becomes an unwitting babysitter. A DJ may think nothing of a 5 year old turning in circles - but, to parents and grandparents that's the entertainment and they will watch that sh** all day without leaving the table.
Is it an afternoon reception on the first beautiful spring day after a cold snowy winter? If there's a nice outdoor patio even the best DJ on the planet doesn't stand a chance of keeping people inside.
Is somebody missing or something hanging over the occassion? Was there a recent death, loss, divorce, or ongoing feud in the family? Is there an event that is coloring the mood of the occasion? I once had to do a Bar-Mitzvah the same day most of the families in attendance had also attended half a dozen funerals for a handful of school-mates killed when their school bus rolled over. It took a lot of effort and a crew 5 dance motivators to get people on the floor and feel okay about having fun.
The idea that ANY disc jockey is somehow a magician who can ALWAYS fill a dance floor is a lie. We fill dance floors when and where the conditions are conducive to dancing (which is the whole point behind nightclub and lounge spaces.) If we buy into a false narrative about the world in which private events take place we will inevitably find mixed reviews when reality intrudes on the fantasy.
One thing I take exception to is a bar/ club or lounge is mostly about people dancing. The big thing is turning the bar over so people are buying drinks. If the place doesn't make enough money selling drinks then they don't need that DJ no matter how good they are.
I remeber being in a lounge playing and one of the regulars said to me to get the people dancing. I knew they would dance after a while. My concern even though I knew I had no issues with getting paid what I was to get paid. They danced up a storm and no issues with getting paid all the money due to me. Unlike other situations where they say they didn't make enough money to pay you all the money you are to be paid. Before I take a beating, most places around here it's just word of mouth. No contract. The ones that honor their word is the ones to stick by.
A hopefully helpful reminder: Sometimes all of the fault-finding on here gets draining. It's simply not productive and reading through this post I gotta admit it sounds like an old crotchety married couple just bitching at one another and looking for something negative to say to the other person...even to the point of "setting someone up for the jab or put-down". Can we please elevate here? I haven't been on in awhile and to come back to this just has a toxic feel to it (like the constant bickering that goes on on FB). You don't have to "take the bait". Be settled in who you are as a person and as a professional.
Which says nothing about the plan or needs of the event.
Look, it's clear you position yourself like a product - discreet and not sever-able. (..or as you would call it: a brand.)
Not a concern for me, and there are more than enough DJs doing it your way to keep you company so, what's your point?
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LOL. I suppose you think a bowling ally is mostly about knocking things over?
I don’t take anything you say personal or with offense, I actually appreciate the Input you provide. I was just trying to get clarity on how it is that you’re differentiating my view of “wedding” from yours. To me, all inquiries for weddings, or any event frankly, that I get are viewed equally. This goes to the view of the worth of my time and the value that I, or my brand as you say, bring.
I know many people that view an event based on its difficulty... not in the sense of Time, but expectations and work involved to prepare etc. To me that’s not a great way to value my time.
You missed my point. If people are only dancing and not spending money buying drinks, how can they stay in business?
Here goes another train wreck. These topics end up nowhere. In most cases someone will disagree with a DJ for doing a wedding for that price without knowing a thing about that DJ. They don't know how long they have been a DJ, how many weddings they have done, what there style is at doing weddings, how they dress doing a wedding, what equipment do they use, what do they have to offer a bride, there level of skills, if they are doing this full time or part time and how good are they at selling themselves to brides. I'm keeping it on weddings because that's the type of event is being talked about here.
There are obviously those who wouldn't do a wedding for that price. There are those who won't aim their business to such brides who want to pay such a price or even close to it. There are those who can convince a bride to pay them 1k instead of $550 and those who can't. So the bottom line is these threads about what a DJ charges ends normally in a train wreck with arguments going nowhere.
There are obviously those who wouldn't do a wedding for that price. There are those who won't aim their business to such brides who want to pay such a price or even close to it. There are those who can convince a bride to pay them 1k instead of $550 and those who can't. So the bottom line is these threads about what a DJ charges ends normally in a train wreck with arguments going nowhere.
Well then, instead of what I will do for $550, here's what I won't do -
As Bob mentioned, you can often tell from the time of day the reception is, venue, song requests, approximate number and age of anticipated guests, etc., what kind of an event you'll be dealing with. I won't DJ a wedding where there's NO dancing. Period. At my age I've been to more weddings as a guest than I've DJ'd, and those without dancing and/or bad sound systems were terrible - every single one. As a guest, I have zero desire to get dressed up, go someplace, give the newlyweds $200+, and then sit on my ass.
As Bob mentioned, you can often tell from the time of day the reception is, venue, song requests, approximate number and age of anticipated guests, etc., what kind of an event you'll be dealing with. I won't DJ a wedding where there's NO dancing. Period. At my age I've been to more weddings as a guest than I've DJ'd, and those without dancing and/or bad sound systems were terrible - every single one. As a guest, I have zero desire to get dressed up, go someplace, give the newlyweds $200+, and then sit on my ass.
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It's your job as a club/lounge DJ to rotate the floor and influence food & beverage sales. If either you or the people whose establishments you solicit for work aren't practicing F&B Hospitality fundamentals - then no, they likely won't remain in business.
That is entirely independent of weddings - which are private events with privately hired contractors whose only client is the bride or party planner.
If you explained this disposition to people I'm pretty sure you could avoid getting an invitation in the first place.
Seriously, when did someone's wedding become all about YOUR preferences? LOL.Some people attend a LOT of events, and it gets pretty boring and unmemorable if they all make a dance floor the central or only entertainment. I've worked in some locations where I literally had much the same crowd at two or three consecutive events on the same day or weekend simply because that was the nature and connections of the social scene.
I've done a verity of weddings that did not make dancing central to entertainment, and they were terrific events. The most common would be morning weddings with a brunch menu, often outside at waterfront, historic, or other destination locations where just being there with family, friends, food and drink, is more than enough entertainment. They are like mini-vacation retreats and are great jobs to get but are often booked with live musician's, trio's. etc. whenever possible.
I NEVER assume that the only gig I can profit from is the iconic DJ-DANCE-LIGHTING-TVs-PHOTOBOOTH preset. Boutique style weddings are for real.
Two things drive all of this.
First, we're going to get inquiries consistent with what we troll for. That means the calls we get reflect what we promote or the prior occasions we have been seen doing. If we've never been seen doing a Bar Mitzvah for example, it's unlikely we would get many qualified calls for that, and the ones we would are likely people who are somewhat disconnected from that scene and simply found our advertising somewhere.
Secondly, any given DJs rates will reflect the their next best alternative, along with their highest skill set. 90% of Mobile DJs are part-time and simply can't do any gig that intersects with the responsibilities of their regular employment. They are also unlikely to do any event they deem beneath their station or their assumed professional profile. You don't see many physicians, or trial lawyers out spinning the tunes on weekends for obvious reasons, but there are also people who make a killing as truck drivers or plumbers and wouldn't waste a moment of their time as a DJ.
For example, a DJ who had come up through a club circuit with me and later the mobile arena - would later only do hand-picked events where he was sure no one in attendance would know or recognize him. His aspirations were in the advertising business and he was paranoid that advertising executives or clients might see him DJing and think he was doing it because he needed the money. The irony is that he did (need the money) he just didn't want anyone to think that was his motivation. So, there's always an ego of some sort driving the bus and typical business metrics often fail to account for that side-gig variable. .
I've always done this for a living and I like a challenge. Education in this field is FREE and the best of it comes from the kind of events that seem like "too much work" or "not my style." Events with real or unusual considerations or problems that need to be solved are extremely valuable to me - and they are how you get from being a wild card version of "Have Music will Travel" to sought after "Qualified Event Professional."
Like anyone, I decline a gig that offers me nothing. But I would never simply decline a gig solely on the basis of it's size or price. There is too much to be learned, too much experience to be acquired, and growth to be had - to focus solely on numbers. The skills, insights, and ideas things that have served me so well in the heat of high pressure, high profile events are the things I've learned at small and often "rough around the edges" events. By rough - I'm referring to the degree of resources and planning not the demographics or character of endeavor.
Obviously, the people who get the best deal from me are also part of a network that repeatedly benefits me and keeps me in demand. It helps when you're trying to do something on a budget to be connected with other recurring business or clients. Loyalty is important and it has to go both ways if you want clients who truly find you reliable and valuable to their goals. You see this play out as the Covid restrictions recede. Loyalty has a lot to do with who survives and who doesn't as some vendors make it easy for their clients to grow back to their prior business levels while others gouge in an effort to make up for their own lost income. I have a base of loyal clients and I reward them for that loyalty by adjusting for the circumstances they are in and growing my response accordingly.
It's not enough to be really good at what you do. It's important to also be accessible to clients who can return and repeat with the business you need and want.
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a painter charge $X per hour - he couldn't care less if he's painting one wall or a 10k sf mansion, painting white or blue or polka dots.
If you play for 4 hours, does it matter if it's for 30 or 300? A wedding or a graduation party?
Yes, for 300 you may bring more equipment and a wedding will have more announcements, and a script or agenda for the events, but otherwise....does it REALLY matter or make a difference?
If you bring and setup more gear, more lighting, then yes, charge more.
The person hiring you will pay more for the bigger venue, for more meals - you arent' involved in that in anyway though.
People are WILLING to pay more for weddings than simple grad parties, etc.
A DJ on here once told me he "charges $1800 and never anything less"...liar liar pants on fire. I just got a gig he's done in the past because he told them he retired...their budget? Under $500. (corp xmas party) If it was a wedding it'd be more for the same time/date.
If you play for 4 hours, does it matter if it's for 30 or 300? A wedding or a graduation party?
Yes, for 300 you may bring more equipment and a wedding will have more announcements, and a script or agenda for the events, but otherwise....does it REALLY matter or make a difference?
If you bring and setup more gear, more lighting, then yes, charge more.
The person hiring you will pay more for the bigger venue, for more meals - you arent' involved in that in anyway though.
People are WILLING to pay more for weddings than simple grad parties, etc.
A DJ on here once told me he "charges $1800 and never anything less"...liar liar pants on fire. I just got a gig he's done in the past because he told them he retired...their budget? Under $500. (corp xmas party) If it was a wedding it'd be more for the same time/date.
Very true - I've done a quince - and I get calls for more, and for spanish events. Bar/bat mitzvah? nope. Indian or other ethnicities? no.
You also have a price range, advertised or not, that brings in more like it. Referrals, WOM, the venues you play in or refer you also factor into it, as may your phone/zip code. I've gotten many jobs because of where i live - people here like to hire local.
You also have a price range, advertised or not, that brings in more like it. Referrals, WOM, the venues you play in or refer you also factor into it, as may your phone/zip code. I've gotten many jobs because of where i live - people here like to hire local.