Would you DJ a wedding for $550 in 2021?

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Would you do a $550/4 hour wedding reception in 2021?

  • Absolutely! It's fair pay in my opinion!

    Votes: 6 28.6%
  • I would only do this on a weekday.

    Votes: 3 14.3%
  • I would only do it if it's under 10 miles or 15 minutes from my house

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • Nope. There is just no situation where I would do a wedding for $550 today

    Votes: 7 33.3%
  • No, I have never even booked a wedding that low before!

    Votes: 2 9.5%
  • No, but I would for $595 to $650 if it is logistically favorable for me to do it.

    Votes: 1 4.8%

  • Total voters
    21

DJ Ricky B

DJ Extraordinaire
Mar 9, 2015
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Just as it says. Would you book and DJ a $550/4 hour wedding reception in 2021? And yes, you would bring your own equipment and set up like normal (Not a situation where you plug into a house system)
 
I answered absolutely in my area that's big money for a 4 hour event most are in the $300 range. I start at $450 for 4 hours basic sound and lights (2 NX55 and a gig bar) and within a 15 mile radius. I do upcharge for subs or quote higher if they are definitely needed I've played every hall here I know where they are needed. I also charge for any extras like a wireless mic although I will usually throw in one if it's convenient for me. More lights means a higher charge. It's actually rare to do a 4 hour wedding anymore most are 6 -8 which again jacks up the rate. Most of my weddings are travel also
 
I gave my answer. I don't know if that's a fair price. That depends on you and how any of you have branded yourself. Right now doing events is still a bit of a challenge due to the Pandemic, even though restrictions have been lifted. Some people are still in panic mode and still believe it's too soon.
 
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I will add I voted as to my market situation If I was in another area it would likely be completely different
 
I gave my answer. I don't know if that's a fair price. That depends on you and how any of you have branded yourself. Right niw doing events is still a bit of a challenge due to the Pandemic, even though restrictions have been lifted. Some people are still in panic mode and still believe it's too soon.
That’s a VERY SMALL group of people mix, which at this point sounds more like an excuse, as you’ve been saying it for months. Again you live in NJ where restrictions for weddings were lifted since last august and never closed again. The actual REALITY is that it’s impossible to find venues right now to host events in the next 3-6 months. I’m on my towns Facebook page and everyday people are asking if they know of any venues for a small birthday party or christening or graduation or to cater food as there’s no one that has any availability left. People were holding off on booking and now that they’re all trying to book, there’s nothing left due to all the weddings. The industry is even busier than BEFORE the pandemic. It won’t be until late 2022, early 2023 until things begin to settle down. I have my best January since I started coming up in 2022 (revenue wise).
 
I mean even my very first wedding I charged $1500 for. Idk if that’s even a relevant question in my location as I don’t think it’s possible to find a wedding DJ that cheap.

... and as soon as I typed that I realized you can. Mix you’re up.
Why did you mention me in this thread and automatically decide I would do it. Nothing is automatic for me today. Also why did you have t
I mean even my very first wedding I charged $1500 for. Idk if that’s even a relevant question in my location as I don’t think it’s possible to find a wedding DJ that cheap.

... and as soon as I typed that I realized you can. Mix you’re up.
What was that shot at me for? You telling us you did your first wedding and got paid $1,500. Was that to stroke your ego? Let me ask you this. How long were you in business when that happened and what did you offer them besides you to get them to pay you that price? Also to your credit because I don't want you to think I'm just making this post to attack you. You told us that most of the clients you get to book you have their own successful businesses.

Now stop assuming I would automatically do a wedding for that price. It depends on the particulars, where the wedding is taking place and the other particulars for the wedding.
 
Why did you mention me in this thread and automatically decide I would do it. Nothing is automatic for me today. Also why did you have t
What was that shot at me for? You telling us you did your first wedding and got paid $1,500. Was that to stroke your ego? Let me ask you this. How long were you in business when that happened and what did you offer them besides you to get them to pay you that price? Also to your credit because I don't want you to think I'm just making this post to attack you. You told us that most of the clients you get to book you have their own successful businesses.

Now stop assuming I would automatically do a wedding for that price. It depends on the particulars, where the wedding is taking place and the other particulars for the wedding.
Not to stroke my ego just that that’s a really hard price to find a DJ to perform at in this area. And I mentioned you because you’ve taken weddings and gigs that low, and you do continue to do so, so it’s hard but not impossible to find. The fact that you even just said you’d have to consider location and particulars shows that There’s a possibility.
I guess the point is in NJ a $500 DJ isn’t really a common thing. It’s a needle in a haystack. Most venues require insurance so they wouldn’t even be able to perform it 90% of the time.
 
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Why did you mention me in this thread and automatically decide I would do it. Nothing is automatic for me today. Also why did you have t
What was that shot at me for? You telling us you did your first wedding and got paid $1,500. Was that to stroke your ego? Let me ask you this. How long were you in business when that happened and what did you offer them besides you to get them to pay you that price? Also to your credit because I don't want you to think I'm just making this post to attack you. You told us that most of the clients you get to book you have their own successful businesses.

Now stop assuming I would automatically do a wedding for that price. It depends on the particulars, where the wedding is taking place and the other particulars for the wedding.
It was 2012 just 4 yrs after I started doing events in a professional manner... and all I offered was 2 moving heads. I didn’t really have anything else to offer yet at that time as an add on. They weren’t wealthy by any means, and were just a normal couple making normal wages.
 
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Not to stroke my ego just that that’s a really hard price to find a DJ to perform at in this area. And I mentioned you because you’ve taken weddings and gigs that low, and you do continue to do so. The fact that you even just said you’d have to consider location and particulars shows that There’s a possibility.
I guess the point is in NJ a $500 DJ isn’t really a common thing. It’s a needle in a haystack. Most venues require insurance so they wouldn’t even be able to perform it 90% of the time.
You keep saying that regularly about the price of a DJ around here. have you looked Thumbtack lately. There are plenty of DJs on there that will do it for that price or a little more. Now you said I need to know the particulars to quote a price basically. Sure I do! I need to know details before I can first decide if I want to do the event and the decision isn't always about how much money they have to pay. Some of the decision has to do with are we the right fit for the event a potential client is having. In other words I don't claim what my partner does, that he can do any event and any event is easy. One big consideration is do we have what that client is looking for? That's just some of it.

Now let me ask you this. Have you had an event that the client wanted to pay the price you quoted them and you turned it down?
 
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Now let me ask you this. Have you had an event that the client wanted to pay the price you quoted them and you turned it down?
I do it all the time. However, to be clear, they’re not even quoted a price. If it is not an event I do or like to do I say I’m not available or say it’s not really what I do anymore and refer it to someone that does. That has more to do with brand image. For example a christening came in yesterday on a date I was available. I asked how they got my info and they said they saw a friend of theirs post photos from a wedding where I was the DJ. They heard great things and called me. And I said oh that’s great to hear they had an awesome time, as I tend to specialize in weddings. As a result I really don’t do smaller events anymore and for them I do refer them out to others that are more qualified.
 
It was 2012 just 4 yrs after I started doing events in a professional manner... and all I offered was 2 moving heads. I didn’t really have anything else to offer yet at that time as an add on. They weren’t wealthy by any means, and were just a normal couple making normal wages.
Well to your credit you got them to pay that price regardless if they had tons of money or just ordinary working class people. What I find is some couples don't do great planning when looking to book a DJ. They don't save up if they need to so they can get a real quality professional DJ to do their wedding. So they wait to book the DJ last or near last after paying for a bunch of other things and have little money to spend to book a DJ.

Now I don't agree with someone in another thread saying the DJ is the most important vendor at a wedding. It's a matter to me what the couple feels is important to them. Now the DJ can make a mess of things if they don't know what they are doing. Some of them are just gig whores. They just take the job because they can make some money from doing the wedding. What I like is what you say you do. You take care of the little details for the couple to put them at ease and show them how a true professional handles things. Me I like doing the same as much as I can. My partner is just mostly interested in just how much the client is willing to pay and not so much concerned with the details of the event.
 
The last time I offered a price close to that low it was a guy I knew from college that was getting married in 2010. I offered to do it for $500 since I knew money was tight - and my girlfriend at the time was a bridesmaid so I thought I was going to have to be there anyway.

Sure enough, they found someone even cheaper than that rate and I still had to go and listen to Uncle Bill's horrible DJ set. I was not pleased.
 
The last time I offered a price close to that low it was a guy I knew from college that was getting married in 2010. I offered to do it for $500 since I knew money was tight - and my girlfriend at the time was a bridesmaid so I thought I was going to have to be there anyway.

Sure enough, they found someone even cheaper than that rate and I still had to go and listen to Uncle Bill's horrible DJ set. I was not pleased.

In 2012 I worked at a Gold Buyer's Store in a mall. My Co Worker who I spent a lot of time with at work was getting married. It was a Winter wedding at The Mansion in Valley Country Club up in Towson. (Nice Venue). He asked me how much I would charge him to do their wedding, and I told him I would give him a big discounted price of $600 total. I think this was for 5 hours as well, and he knew what my regular charge at the time was.



Well, they did not book me. I wasn't close enough to be invited to their wedding. By the time the wedding occurred, I was not working there any more. I saw the pictures of his wedding, and could tell they went really cheap on the DJ. Oh well.
 
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Ceremony sound support only, no in depth planning, no measuable travel, no refunds nor returns.
 
In 2012 I worked at a Gold Buyer's Store in a mall. My Co Worker who I spent a lot of time with at work was getting married. It was a Winter wedding at The Mansion in Valley Country Club up in Towson. (Nice Venue). He asked me how much I would charge him to do their wedding, and I told him I would give him a big discounted price of $600 total. I think this was for 5 hours as well, and he knew what my regular charge at the time was.



Well, they did not book me. I wasn't close enough to be invited to their wedding. By the time the wedding occurred, I was not working there any more. I saw the pictures of his wedding, and could tell they went really cheap on the DJ. Oh well.

Yeah... having to be there was the real slap in the face. I'm a pretty awful wedding guest already, I have trouble turning "that" part of my brain off as a guest.
 
Taso, you offered...you. And that was good enough! Am I right?
I mean that’s generally the goal that we’re all trying to achieve. Being sought after for who we are and how we do things. Everything else i do is just personal preference... but without a solid foundation those add ons have no worth.
 
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