Watchwww.youtube.com

*waits for musicmiester to chime in*

People have been using cassette players, CD boomboxes, and other hoopty shit at weddings for years now. I don't see how an iPod is anything more than a technological upgrade to what's been happening for years.

In other words, "nothing to see here, move along."

but had he had 2 Ipods instead of one and an Ipod mixer, that would not have happened!

The reason you see poorly skilled DJs at most weddings is the simple fact that most brides and grooms are unwilling to spend the money necessary to hire quality entertainment. They have already spend most of their budget on ice sculptures, chair covers, and illegally copied CDs that they give out as favors.

Tru Dat!

oops the quote didnt work

At all the weddings I've been to, the "DJ" is little more than a guy sequencing (not mixing) one shit track after another. Occasionally he'll mumble something incoherently into his oh so crap mic, the meaning of which is lost because of lousy sound and insisting on forcing the mic down his own throat.

Wedding DJs need to raise their game significantly to compete not just with each other but even with Joe Public, as the above article shows.

Dont turn this into a wedding DJ debate please. Just please explain what the difference between a 5 grand DJ and a 10 grand DJ. What do I get thats so much better?

Its also quite the opposite, they spend enourmous amounts of money on DJs that cant mix kool aid and are wack on the mic. My cousin had a wedding recently and they paid this guy 4 grand to DJ. He actually was part of the package deal where they had the reception at. It was truly a waste of money. No crowd control, couldnt get people on the floor and the intros sucked ass.

Wedding DJs need to humble themselves big time. The #1 quote I hear from these guys is "yeah Im done with the clubs, blah, blah, blah, Im all about the money, I made this amount, etc". Lets face it, 95% of those guys cant get work in a real club so they get in where they fit in. Sad really cause these people spend so much money on such an important day and cant even get a real DJ.

+1



I don't know about the #1 quote... but I agree.

i wouldnt pay 4 grand for a wedding DJ unless i was getting jazzy jeff or some shit. fuck that.

if i'm paying 4 grand, i better have heard of you before!

I charge a lot of money for weddings. But the money that I charge is well justified. Now obviously not every wedding/high end party is the same. But for me, if I am doing a high end wedding that I am charging 4 grand or more they are getting a lot of stuff. That 4 grand wedding will have a full sound system (all JBL and Crown) backup speakers and amps just in case (and people like to know that you have backup just in case). I know people say I go overboard with backup but you never know, but thats for another thread. You are getting a full intelligent light show. And 2 Plasmas. Now the plasmas will be playing photo montages for each of the bride and groom dances along with zap shots from the wedding and during the night. So figure you are getting 4 people (minimum) at the party. 1 DJ, 1 MC, 1 Light guy 1 video guy. And possibly another guy to help carry shit. There is a lot of preperation in to do a wedding (to do it right anyway). Figure equipment wise there has to be close to 50 Grand in equipment. I think 4 grand for a wedding for all that is 100% fair.

Just my 2 cents.

Well put CQE.

... I still wouldn't pay 4 grand for my wedding either... not for the DJ alone.

For just a DJ no way you can charge 4 grand. But for all of that stuff I mentioned, you can't do it for less than that. Maybe 3500. Obviously it depends on a lot of things, but there is a minimum I charge for bringing all that stuff. Thats like a 13-14 hour day for all that gear, + all the time before hand prepping for the party and meeting with the bride and groom.

I would pay 4 grand if (like i said) i was getting Jazzy jeff... but thats it.
oh and some lights.

I'm with ya CQE, I dont do a lot of weddings, but I do a lot of private gigs with large entertainment companies that have over 60-70 employees and 30 jobs a weekend on the calender and pay all there employees VERY well. Can't complain at all, for me I enjoy it better than doing clubs and getting home at 5 in the morning and smelling like smoke and dealing with drunken assholes all night lol

right, but for 4000, cqe is also providing plasma screens along with pictures that the client gets at the end of the night, It is not 4000 just for the dj and some lights. I think a good standard Long Island/NY price for a 2 man wedding is 1400 with some basic lights, then you can add on from there

I agree. That is exactly where I start off quoting clients and move from there. I think I'm at 1250 actually and then everything else is ala carte.

I think you just have to go out and find the clients who don't mind spending all that money, versus expecting every potential client you encounter to spend so much money.

Some people, myself included, just can't afford to pay that kind of money.

exactly, thats why we built up a rep in the right area's of Long Island that have that money to spend and know our name very well

Definitly a good sell.. thats what my team does now for weddings. This is what I would expect minimum if I were to pay someone that much to DJ a wedding.

Still the guy who I just seen didnt have anything like this. Rackmount CD player and some weak EV Speakers. Shame.

Back to the subject. I think people are so accustomed to the average wedding DJ that they cant understand why they would want to pay anyone to DJ a their wedding.

I hear ya.

But I think almost EVERY Bride and Groom really underestimate what they should spend on entertainment, whether it a DJ or a band. They spend a shit load on flowers, limos, dresses, etc and always want to skimp out on the entertainment. Well all the people aren't going to leave the wedding saying...oh my god the dj was freakin aweful, but her dress was beautiful!! Oh my god, that made the whole wedding! No, they are going to tell everyone that the wedding was horrible because the DJ was just pathetic. There was this article somewhere where they intereview brides (and I say brides because they have most say in a wedding) before and after the wedding. 7 out of 10 or something like that put DJ and entertainment around like 4 or 5 in order of importance. They interviewed the same people afte and like 8 out of 10 put DJ all the way up to #1 as most important thing because if the DJ sucks, your wedding sucks. Plain and simple.

I rocked a wedding reception this past Saturday, and I agree it is the exception to the rule. I live in the DC/Baltimore area and there are many very affluent people here. So, what is happening is that DJ's are signing with agencies that spend a lot of money to market their services. They pay to be in bridal shows and partner with web sites like "The Knot" so that they can get referrals. One of the reasons I got back into DJ'ing after stopping for years is because I was quoted $1400 for a DJ. Just because he could mix (sort of. he gave a demo) and he felt as though he had great taste in music. If I choose another DJ on his staff it may have cost about half that. I later signed with them and got into a debate about why I would be paid $200-$300 where as he might get twice as much. These guys do nothing more, and probably less than a "real club/mixtape style" DJ could do, if that is the kind of music they want. I don't mind doing weddings, but I have far less fun playing Sinatra, and The Beatles, than I do, current Top 40 HipHop/R&B or House. And yes I charge half what the agencies do....
I guess my point is yes Wedding DJ's are getting snuffed out by guys with laptops or iPods that play exactly what the couple asked for, without mixing or even saying anything other than announcing the crowd.

Please link us to that article if you find it again.

It was a long time ago. Ill look for it though.

This video was kind of ridiculous. "Disaster?" If you let the things that didn't go perfect in this video make a "disaster" of your event, you've got problems that hiring a DJ just won't solve. Just my opinion I guess.

I paid $300 for the DJ at my wedding, and it was great. Now, it wasn't perfect--it was his first wedding, so there was one slip-up, but I totally didn't care. Bottom line: he had people dancing all night long. I rented the equipment (one light did us fine), my buddy did the MCing, and everything was golden.

Everyone is looking for different things out of their wedding DJ. My wife and I obviously didn't want much more than a packed dancefloor, which was exactly what we got. But I've seen DJs who got paid megabucks to basically be a human Winamp--THEIR days are numbered, I'd say. If one of those flunkies showed up at my wedding, I'd be pretty pissed, I have to say.

When I DJ a wedding, I basically do what the couple wants. Some couples know me from my club stuff, so they want that vibe for their reception--beatmatching, quick mixes, etc., etc. Some just want the human Winamp, and some want a little of both (e.g. I have one coming up where I'm basically human Winamp until the old folks clear out, then it's night club time). I actually prefer the gigs where I get to actually use my mixing techniques--they're rare, but fun.

To be honest, I'd be kind of happy if all the human Winamp gigs dried up so all I was left with was the real DJing gigs, but this isn't my only source of income, so I can afford for that situation to happen.

Speaking of a human Winamp: I met this wedding DJ recently who sold me his speaker bags. He surprised me when he told me the following:

1) He uses PCDJ
2) He hardly mixes his music
3) He charges about $1,000

Someone on the boards here has mentioned the term "button pusher" or BJ instead of DJ...

Now like many of you, I come from the school of "You Gotta Mix Your Music If You Want To DJ." That's just the rule that I grew up with, and I still can't help but be surprised to see that a lot of wedding DJs are getting paid so much money and break this rule at the same time. But that's just me.

To each their own, I guess.

BTW, some people are perfectly fine with having so-called "McWeddings" and there's nothing wrong with that.

Wedding DJs, Bar Mitzvah DJs and Club DJs are totally different animals.


Many of my Wedding DJ friends are more bussiness men than anything else.

I've always worked as an MC with a DJ that plays the music for me.

I've worked in both sides. I started out as a roadie for a wedding/mobile company, and like someone already said, I wasn't to enthusiastic to play YMCA and Grease and all that stuff. The guy i worked for did mix, but it was the same schict every night, so I broke off probably when I was 21 and started doing bars and clubs and have not looked back yet. I do odd jobs for him every now and then, the money is tight, but I just love the freedom of the club circuit. I always said, when I get to old to hack it in the clubs, I'd consider doing the mobile thing, something to do and keep in the business, I guess I view the mobile dj business as the club dj's going out to pasture and making all the money they should have been paid when they were hustlin!

If i played ymca and grease at the jobs I do, the clients would shoot me, lol. Those days are over for us, no more schtic at our company

It's a good thing i'm feeling restraint today and biting my tongue instead of posting my thoughts here. I respect "real" DJs doing weddings. Guys like CQE, etc. I'll bite my tongue on the "other" wedding DJs.

i feel ya a-swift, I know some dj's like that and it drives my f'n nuts, they have no skill at all and call themselves 'Pro"dj's because they downloaded 30gigs of music from limewire, got an illegal copy of pcdj or some shit, and then look to buy the cheapest laptop possible to run it on. I have much respect for people like cqe and mobile dj's like myself that can rock a party by building up the energy in the crowd mixing the music properly,,, not relying on an mc or a lot of alcohol, lol

I gotta chime in here fellas with my thoughts (mini novel).

Since I got Serato and now can have thousands of songs .vs heavy crates I have been researching doing weddings/mobiles since BIG BUCKS have been mentioned numerous times. Again most of us here are Beatmixing, and/or scratching club DJ's so the perception of a REAL PROFESSIONAL wedding DJ is as skewed as Soulja Boy is to Hip Hop. All many of us see is the end result at the wedding, a button pusher that doesn't mix and gets double, triple or much more than we do on a club night.

I have been picking the brain of a older Pro Mobile DJ in my market and he has enlightened me on a few things that made me see why they make what they do (if they are Pro).

First they have to be a salesman, (imagine auditioning for a club residency EVERY weekend). They have to sell themselves against a ipod limewire microwave and justify why they cost 4 times the amount. This is often done over the phone, hopefully with a follow up face to face, if they are lucky and the person doesn't hang up after price quote (or lack there of).

If they pass the audition, a lot of pre-work is evolved (meeting the couple, picking songs, correct names, etc, etc, etc). The Pro Wedding DJ is often part wedding planner/co-ordinatior on the big day and is often like a "ring master" that keeps the flow of the wedding.

At the gig, he needs to be "shot caller" as to when things happen or co-ordinate with person(s) do various things (dinner staff, photographer, videographer, wedding party/toasts, etc). Imagine doing your DJ gig, while also working a live performance (stupid dances, cater toss, cake cut, etc) and being the Host/Manager of the club (work the crowd).

Then he is the entertainment. He needs to keep grandma as happy as the nephew who wants to hear Soulja boy 12 times. We all pretty much know this part like reading a crowd, but couple that with all the shit mentioned above.

I thought I was ready to hop in the wedding game because I thought it would be some easy shit, but there is a lot involved IF you want to do it RIGHT.

A popular quote among wedding DJs is something like:



I still want to do clubs but that wedding money smells pretty nice too and it is a challenge. I like learning about shit before I do it on "my level".

Speaking of which: Watchwww.youtube.com

Holy shit!

I think some people forget that the wedding DJ does way more than just play music. At the weddings I've DJ'd, I usually end up running the schedule, making sure things happen in a certain order, getting the wedding party ready for this or that, putting out fires, etc. You don't get that out of an ipod!

Here is what I found based upon what I said about picking the DJ. The information on where it was published is on the bottom. You can look it up if you want, but this is the jist of it. I got this from ADJA. Here ist he link www.adja.org

Interesting Wedding Statistics

*AFTER THE VOWS...
72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
During wedding planning, Brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer - reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of Brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!
When asked 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment.
65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain at their wedding, said, if they had it to do over again, they would have chosen a disc jockey.

*These statistics were published in St. Louis Bride & Groom Magazine in 2003. Sources include: Simmons, 2001; USA Today, 2002; National Bridal Service, 2001; The Knot, 2002; Brides Magazine, 2001.

just forwarded these statistics to the fiance. hahaha

lol good job!

I didn't have to, DJ Art Pumpkin did it for me with this...


I've used that quote on boards - never to a bride though.

As for pricing - There are a number of DJ's across the country that are pulling $5000 WITHOUT LIGHTS, OR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THEM AND A PA SYSTEM. I know because I hired Peter Merry for my wedding in October of this year. And I'm providing the equipment.

I've done night club work... it's not for me. It's not that I was 'bad' at it, it was just that I didn't care for it... I hated the smoke, the drunks, a lot of the music, and the same flippin' request every night/weekend... My weddings almost NEVER have the same playlist - I have played the chicken dance once in the last year, YMCA twice, and Macarena once. There was one wedding that requested every single cheesy song known to man - that was the exception to the norm. Most of my clients want something completely different from the 'norm'.

I also just realized that article was posted in August of 2007. More than 6 months ago! I'm curious how his wedding actually turned out.

Hahaha....he called you Pumpkin. lol

Peter Merry?? Who the hell is Peter Merry?? Is he like the Jazzy Jeff of the wedding scene or something??

For $5000 you should have got Keith Murray...probably would have been cheaper. haha

You hired THAT guy for your wedding? Good God, you really ARE sprung on him.

I was at a wedding last saturday night and the dj was on a laptop plugged into the system and he was fading two winamps with a little program that was nothing more than a crossfader

Jeff is $15,000... For 4 hours. I *thought* about bringing him to DJ my b-day party.

MusicMeister, I never did much research on what it costs to rent a system and was shocked to find this:

www.studio116.net

Mind you, these packages do not come with lighting. I also got a quote from Astro, a famous DJ shop here in L.A., and for a pair of JBL Eon G2s with stands (no mixer, no nothing, just the speakers) was $120.

You know the funny thing -- and I'm sure some of you can relate to this -- is that when I first started spinning 10 years ago, the only reference I had around me when it came to pricing was the DJs who were in my area, and you'll be shocked to hear that charging $150 for a 6 hour gig (not necessarily wedding gigs) was the norm for them, therefore I also started charging around that much.

Forget about who had good equipment or not -- peeps in my area just knew that $150 was the average price and any DJ who charged more than that would barely even be considered.

In a city like L.A. where DJs are a dime a dozen -- no exaggeration there -- it's really tough to compete with low ballers in certain areas.

And remember the saying that competition is always good for the customers, and if you're a customer in L.A. who's looking for a DJ, then you are bound to get a pretty good deal.

I'm just sayin.

Competition is good for everyone. It forces you to either become creative and make yourself unique or suffer in the quagmire of mediocrity.

In other words, in that same LA area you're referring to are a number of DJ's pulling in $5K for weddings - no lights or anything else. Just them and a PA system.

In my area the going avereage for a 4 hour wedding is $400-$600. If bottom feeders and the like force the prices down for everyone then why are my rates 2 to 3 times this and even higher?

And yep - I had a call for someone to rent a small PA system for a ceremony on June 7th of this year. The cost for that rental is going to be more than most people charge for a ceremony!

Most mobile DJ's just have no clue what they're doing to themselves and the industry.... Club DJ's have a completely different set of issues to deal with...

Interesting Peter Merry....that guy is like god with wedding DJ's. and YES, i did see his seminar on Weddings. he is THAT good at what he does. let us know how it goes.


Im with MM and CQE as I also do weddings along with my club gigs and radio gigs (yes im that busy). as a single operator 25 weddings alone is way more than enough for me and ive had to turn down some. I do more than most dj companies do with mulit. dj's and people. I meet with couples 3 times before there wedding. I GET the names right for introduction. I HAVE all there songs. I MC well. AND I MIX MOST IF NOT ALL MY SONGS. I have good lighting (not the best but it will do). I have good equipment (pioneers, mackies and JBL's). and i can also provide projectors and screens.

when my time at the club is done and gone, weddings will always be there because SOMEONE is always getting married. oh and by the way, i dont even advertise i do weddings, its all referals.

you're from the valley huh...hahaha @ astro (burbank) & $150.00 a night. (valley dj rates) i know because im from north hollywood and use to live @ astro + charge $150.00 a night.



this is a great sale's pitch..
love to use it once i get my mobile biz up & running!!

you're from the valley huh...hahaha @ astro (burbank) & $150.00 a night. (valley dj rates) i know because im from north hollywood and use to live @ astro + charge $150.00 a night.



this is a great sale's pitch..
love to use it once i get my mobile biz up & running!!



great thread really good info

Actually no. I lived in Boyle Heights/East L.A.

=)

^^ok my baddie