What is your definition of a cheap wedding?

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MIXMASTERMACHOM

MIXMASTERMACHOM

Mac Daddy DJ
ODJT Supporter
Oct 16, 2011
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Now I came up with this thread because DJ Jimmy D said I should do cheap weddings. Now what is your definition of a cheap wedding? My take on the subject is this. Not every bride has 20k or more to spend on a wedding. Along with not every bride has money to spend on a fancy catering hall. I did my oldest niece's wedding. It cost them 5k. It was in a very nice venue called Snuffy's on route 22 east in NJ. That still is my favorite event of all time I've done. Part of my reason for that is not just because I was her DJ which was my wedding gift to her. It also had to do with the fact that my mother and father were there. Along with my mothers friend and the grooms grand mother. My sister and my other niece was there also among a host of other family members and guest. Since then my father, the grand mother and my mothers friend have passed away. Too bad the grooms mother couldn't have been there. She passed away a few years before from cancer.

Now back to the topic at hand. Just because a bride doesn't have a ton of money to spend on a wedding doesn't mean she shouldn't have a nice wedding. Some brides can only afford a reception in a VFW post. To me there is nothing wrong with that at all. The way I see it there is no need to go all out for a wedding and to be left completely broke the next day and not being able to figure out how next months rent or mortgage is to be paid.

Now just because a bride isn't spending a ton of money with other vendors for their wedding doesn't mean the DJ can't be the most expensive vendor at that wedding. It's all in what you have to offer a bride and how you sell your services to said bride. Just like a bride spending 20k or more doesn't mean you mean you won't be the cheapest vendor there. As it has been said many times before it depends on how much of a value a bride perceives you to be. There are those out there who say that if they run across a bride looking to spend less then $500.00 that they is no way they could get that bride to spend say 1k or more for their services.

It can and does happen. What I've found out is that you've got to be able to show them what I call the WOW factor. Meaning you're leaving them saying WOW I've got to have you. Where do I sign? What can easily help a lot is the right up sell. Things that are add ons that a bride will spend more money for. Another thing to is that at some weddings You have people who serve you at your table asking specifically what do you want to eat from a list of items. And then there are those weddings where it's like buffet style where you get up and serve yourself. Just because it's buffet style doesn't mean it can't be a nice meal for the couple and their guest.

What it comes down to is that some brides budgets are high end steak and others are ground beef. What they pay any other vendors shouldn't have any bearing on the price I quote a bride. The sad part is that some brides will spend a ton of money on everything else and when it comes to the DJ look for the cheapest thing they can find or close to it because they don't see what we do is all that important or special. Again it comes back to 2 big factors for you the DJ. 1. What do you feel you're truly worth and not selling yourself short. 2. Knowing how to sell yourself so you truly get what you're worth. Lastly the sad part are those who feel that any DJ doing a wedding should be charging $500.00 or more. Not everyone doing weddings is worth $500.00 or more and there are those charging more then $500.00 that truly aren't worth it. The thing to staying on top as I see it is delivering a service that will leave a bride excited about you being their DJ, can't wait to tell the people who didn't attend the wedding what a great time they had because of what the DJ did and will very easily highly recommend you to others looking to book a DJ to do their wedding.
 
DJCC said:
Mix, stop asking the same questions over and over.
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I never asked this question. Maybe others have but I haven't. I'll say this. What the total amount of money a bride spends for their wedding is really none of my business. My concern is what we get paid. That's what counts to me. I remember wedding.com just recently used to post a brides budget for their wedding and then stopped doing that. I don't know why but they did. My guess is that brides didn't like that practice and started to complain or they just simply cut that part out on their site. I remember seeing some budgets on there for 40k-60k. Now does that mean a bride will spend over 1k for their DJ. No that's not automatic because their budget is 40k plus. You still need to sell yourself so that if you want to get paid 1k or more that you get that.
 
DJCC said:
Mix, stop asking the same questions over and over.
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Ah now, let's give him some slack. ;) He's suffering from a severe case of Chivertonitis, "the inability to refrain from posting inane threads or comments." :p
 
<note to Dan> Could you limit Mix's thread postings to ....maybe one 30 word paragraph per day??? Reading the entire post gives me a headache and its time I'll never get back.
 
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Mix : Perhaps consider there is no such thing as a cheap wedding, though some may cost more than others.

If one means the event is on a tight and frugal budget regardless of the ability to afford more, then cheap (like beauty or professional) is in the eye of the beholder.

It's most often the people in attendance that cheapen even the most costly affair.
 
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MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I never asked this question. Maybe others have but I haven't. I'll say this. What the total amount of money a bride spends for their wedding is really none of my business. My concern is what we get paid. That's what counts to me. I remember wedding.com just recently used to post a brides budget for their wedding and then stopped doing that. I don't know why but they did. My guess is that brides didn't like that practice and started to complain or they just simply cut that part out on their site. I remember seeing some budgets on there for 40k-60k. Now does that mean a bride will spend over 1k for their DJ. No that's not automatic because their budget is 40k plus. You still need to sell yourself so that if you want to get paid 1k or more that you get that.
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You ask this same type of question all the time.

There is no magic answer. To someone who makes 35k per year a $1k wedding could be very expensive. To someone who makes a million a year a 200k wedding could be cheap.

So, please stop asking the same questions.
 
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Kirby Ball said:
Ah now, let's give him some slack. ;) He's suffering from a severe case of Chivertonitis, "the inability to refrain from posting inane threads or comments." :p
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I really have to SMH at how you guys get away with Baiting. I thought it was against the TOS, maybe rules have changed.
 
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A good start towards a definition is the bride who, once pressed will finally admit, "You want me to pay $500, just to play some dam music?"

Personally, I usually classify cheap weddings when they want me to work for $300-$500. I'm sorry they can't afford more, however, from my perspective, those people are usually the most demanding, class-less, and downright mean people who are wanting me to hand them a magical event.
 
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Let me say this please. I made this thread out of being upset at Jimmy for him telling me to just keep doing cheap weddings. Like that's all I have done or can do and all I go after. Just to assume that a DJ is only good at doing certain things without either knowing the DJ personally or having seen them in action is not fair. To tell the truth if it is the truth I probably might run circles around Jimmy as a DJ where he might shine better then me at selling his services.

Not saying that is true but I won't know that because neither one of us have seen what the other can do.
 
My wedding was totally DIY and very low cost. Obviously couples from a more affluent family have more to spend on their reception. But 99% of couples cut corners somewhere or another. Saying someone is cheap is a cheap shot, because nobody knows another's financial situation.
 
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Jas said:
My wedding was totally DIY and very low cost. Obviously couples from a more affluent family have more to spend on their reception. But 99% of couples cut corners somewhere or another. Saying someone is cheap is a cheap shot, because nobody knows another's financial situation.
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That was very well said!!!!!!!!!
 
ahoustondj said:
I really have to SMH at how you guys get away with Baiting. I thought it was against the TOS, maybe rules have changed.
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I can't speak for the other Mods but if i bagged everyone for baiting it would get pretty lonely here ;) You are both big boys have at it

MIX

Ive done weddings where the budget was over 100K. I've done weddings where I am the most expensive part of the day cheap is in the eye of the beholder but what I think Jimmy is trying to tell you is start at the bottom and work your way up....or don't maybe you can make enough to make you happy doing cheap weddings. Hey if you are prepared to just charge on performance time $250 is $62.50 an hour you ain't making that as a greeter at Walmart...But then again it doesn't cost you 10K in gear to work at Walmart ;)

You like to talk about Bobby Carpenter alot and I get it he's a very good guy to strive to be like but he does things very differently than you do. You are Mix you're not Bobby C or Cap or Stevie Cie or Jeff Romard (I just wanted to see my name in a line up with those guys :) ). They all started somewhere too and now you have to also.

The first thing you have to do to decide what a cheap wedding is is to find what your cost of doing business is. If you don't know your cost of doing business there is no way you can set any price and that's all part of a business plan but there are 48 threads on that already you are ignoring.

It seems like you want the magic answer but sadly for you there is none until you put plans in motion
 
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Jeff Romard said:
I can't speak for the other Mods but if i bagged everyone for baiting it would get pretty lonely here ;) You are both big boys have at it
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Trust me Jeff, I can take it, I was only pointing out the hypocrisy. Seems that there is always more of THEM always crying "foul" and "being offended". Bunch o' crybabies they are! I am glad you noticed it.
 
I too, didn't have the patience to read the whole OP.
But I did read the responses.
By now, you probably get the point that "cheap" is a relative thing.
And as Wes stated, there is a difference between CHEAP and INEXPENSIVE.
Inexpensive is spending money frugally, usually because you don't have it.
Cheap is spending money SO frugally, that it's noticeable.
Cheap is usually used by people who have enough money, but aren't willing to part with it.
(even at the risk of making their guests feel that they are not worth it)
The difference for YOU, as the DJ....is that someone who is CHEAP,
will probably not be happy with anything you do, because they're are only worried about how much they paid you.
 
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I'll say it this way and that is when it comes to a wedding depending on the location the starting price that would get me to do a wedding would be $500.00. Now I know for some here that is too cheap for them to do a wedding. I wouldn't mind just so that I can get some good pictures to add to the website if allowed.
 
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