A "sponsored" wedding?

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RaskyKat

RaskyKat

New DJ
Sep 13, 2007
369
0
67
Philly Suburbs...Top of the food chain!
Hello again, friends. Hoping you all can offer some insight into the following: I have the opportunity to do a "sponsored" wedding. What this means is all the wedding vendors provide their services for free or at reduced rates in exchange for the opportunity to showcase and promote their talents. The client has suggested signage, goodie bags, and recognition in any printed materials that might go out to the guests.

Here are my thoughts on it. I don't want to give my services away if other vendors are not giving theirs away. Being a service rather than providing a product (like the caterer or florist) there is little or no cost to my performace besides the time. But can I expect a caterer or florist to give away their product? Besides that, I figure the caterer will incur costs associated with their staff, so they have to charge something, right?

Have any of you had any experience with sponsored events and what should I present as my terms and what should I be wary of? :sqerr:

Thank you all in advance.

Regards,

--Will
 
Sounds like a GREAT DEAL .... for them.

Now,. if you are brand new to DJing, or desparate to be seen, then that might be something to consider. Seriously, though, I generally laugh when people think I should work for free so that I get "exposure".... especially when you know that some vendors will be paid FULL PRICE.... Unless of course the caterer is doing it for free.... you know, for the "exposure". :sqlaugh:

I don't mean to come across as rude, I just find this whole concept very amusing. And the B &G will laugh their butts off that they found a sucker to work for free.

BTW, trust me, the caterer isn't charging "something".... they are charging FULL price, most probably.
 
Papa Deuce said:
Sounds like a GREAT DEAL .... for them.

Now,. if you are brand new to DJing, or desparate to be seen, then that might be something to consider. Seriously, though, I generally laugh when people think I should work for free so that I get "exposure".... especially when you know that some vendors will be paid FULL PRICE.... Unless of course the caterer is doing it for free.... you know, for the "exposure". :sqlaugh:

I don't mean to come across as rude, I just find this whole concept very amusing. And the B &G will laugh their butts off that they found a sucker to work for free.
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I have to agree. You are the DJ, that is pretty much all the exposure you need. People will see your talents good or bad for what they are, and if they are going to be in the market for a DJ or impressed with your service, they will ask for your card.

The idea od promotional materials in a goodie bag.... Who is going to create those materials and pay the printing cost or whatever they are?

So, not only do you give a discount, but it costs you more on top of that.
Let's say it is an event of about 200 people. You certainly aren't going to be booked by all 200 of them. You'll be lucky to get two inquiries out of it.
 
jtnichol said:
unless it comes as a free ad in local wedding directory, local newspaper, restaurant tables, trade magazines, ETC.
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Yeah, but notice what the OP said... signage, goodie bags and printed matter going out to guests. The value of that is minimal, IMO. Not worthless, but minimal.
 
Papa Deuce said:
Seriously, though, I generally laugh when people think I should work for free so that I get "exposure"....
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No, man, I don't consider your response to be rude. But I did a little bit of reading on this (really couldn't find a whole lot) and they do this all the time for the Hollywood types. Then they put it all on Entertainment Tonight, but that's a different story.

I am starting out and could use the exposure, but by the time next September rolls around, I figure I will be well on my way in the wedding market and won't care so much about the exposure. That's another thing...they picked one of the primed wedding months instead of the off season.

But your first thoughts are my first thougts too, that is, I don't want to provide my services for free if others are being paid, and then end up looking like a sucker.

Or should I be looking at this as a big opportunity, since I won't be incurring any costs like the caterer will?
 
jtnichol said:
unless it comes as a free ad in local wedding directory, local newspaper, restaurant tables, trade magazines, ETC.
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Actually, Jeremiah, I like this idea! If they write an article for the Knot, and include a little more than just our names, that might be a big thing! ...And maybe get the Knot to give me an ad for free or at a reduced rate!

But to answer the question submitted by John, I would not spend a dime in printing for this...that has to be part of the terms...that they provide all the cost of promotion.

But if the avg wedding costs $26,000, and they spend just half of that on vendors (b/c of discounts) and the cost of promotion, then still they got their wedding for half-price, right?

--Will
 
Rasky... here is how "I" broke in.... I found someone I already knew, and liked, who was getting married. And then I VOLUNTEERED to DJ. They were quite thrilled, and I haven't played the sucker role for some people who don't even know me.

I gave my cousin a wedding as her wedding present. That was way back in the 1980's.
 
We set up at a similar type of situation a couple of years ago. This was a bridal expo and there was a wedding ceremony at the end.

The B&G were contest winners and didn't have to pay anything. Us vendors paid to get in the door, though. Supposedly, the DJ company worked free. The catering was very nice and as Papa mentioned, they didn't give it away. I know because I knew the catering boss. They got their money.

Yeah, all vendors had custom signs at the booths and the guests got goodie bags to carry their free stuff in. It was all tire-kickers and we didn't a single booking out of it.

For my part, I wouldn't offer to do a wedding show without some type of compensation that would make it worth my while.
 
See Me Jumping Up And Down!!!!

No, no, no ,no no! I've had this offer on at lest 4 or 5 occasions over the past 15 years. The "agreement" never happened, and I got no advertisement, or promotion. They are trying to scam you, in order to get something for nothing. If it's a "Hollywood" type, then they have money to hire great vendors.

I'm guessing that you're going to do it anyhow, but I warn you... you're going to get taken.
 
Run Forest Run away quickly you do the gig at your price or for reduced or even free you will get the exposure exactly the same either way.
 
RustyKat : Think about this from a truly selfish standpoint and repeat the manta until it hits solidly home.

"Protect your career at ALL costs."

Every vendor who takes on this event is going to be either a newbie looking for exposure or someone who rots and can't get work any other way. Regardless, no matter who screws up, the finger of responsibility is going to be focused and directed right in YOUR face.

Not only are you taking on a huge responsibility of your own, you'll be carrying the burden of and be accused of causing every other failure during the night.

This is a shameless tactic tried by many a couple who don't give a real rat's pahtootie about their event and then will demand, demand, demand.

Offer them a $100 cash rebate for every event you book from theirs within the next six months if they think their day is so good a marketing opportunity.
 
in the past Cap I offered incentive to my brides to refer me and once booked I would send out a 75 dollar gift in return. One Bride got nearly half her costs back using this very strategy. Great selling point for new DJ businesses.
 
RaskyKat, are you new at the DJ world?
Are you new at the Wedding world?


Do you feel confident enough in your abilities to do this for real?
If so, don't start out with a freebie and just go for a real gig.


If you need some exposure and practice, this may be good for you.
But I'd lean heavy on getting exposure through ads outside the family.

Because if you don't the family will pay you with this BS for their reunions, birthdays, and perhaps the couples 1 year anniversary.
 
Tyrone Blue said:
I'm guessing that you're going to do it anyhow, but I warn you... you're going to get taken.
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At the VERY LEAST, you'll be shown no respect.
 
RaskyKat said:
......they do this all the time for the Hollywood types. Then they put it all on Entertainment Tonight, but that's a different story.
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The reason the Hollywood types get away with it is because the DJ wants to be able to tell future clients that he/she did (name your superstar)'s wedding, in an attempt to add perceived value to her/his services. I don't believe this is the case for you. Your services have value- charge for them!
 
jtnichol said:
RaskyKat, are you new at the DJ world?
Are you new at the Wedding world?
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Hey Jeremiah,

Yes, I am new, having started in April. But I have had a number of gigs so far since then and have served as an apprentice to 5 DJs and am reading and learning all the time. I have only done one wedding so far. But this wedding is for next September, and I feel by then I won't need to do it for the sake of practice.

But what interests me in this opportunity is the novelty of it and the chance for exposure. Let's look at this from another perspective, and you gentlemen can tell me if my thinking is all wrong.

This could be a something-for-nothing scam, or it could be a chance for vendors to showcase their talent. I don't know at this point how extravagant and how advertised this will be at this point. But if it seems like it is going to be legit, wouldn't it be that the vendors will pull out all the stops to make an impression? That is to say, wouldn't the caterer put on a spectacular meal instead of just chicken breast and rigatoni? And wouldn't the baker do a super-extravagant cake? Or am I dreaming?

Also, what are the implications of this? Say it goes over big time and all the bride's friends decide to do it too. Are we slowly go out of business? Or am I dreaming again b/c this won't even get off the ground?
 
Rasky, here are my final words on this, and I wish you luck, no matter what you choose to do.

The people who have answered your questions, collectively have 100+ YEARS of experience, and nobody really thinks it is a great idea. That ought to tell you something.
 
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