Karaoke Forums

Hi folks,

does anyone have an example for a quote to do a reception for a wedding?
My client expects me to send him a quote by email. I kind of have it all together, but I want to make sure that I don't forget anything.
I'm also interested in what kind of format you use for a quote.

My email address is alexdoll[at]gmail.com

Thanks in advance!

do you mean a "pricing quote?"

If you do, I usually quote a flat-rate and here's why:

Many DJ's will quote a lowball price for 4 hours and then have the kicker be the "overtime rate" for any time after that.

Almost all wedding receptions in this area run 6 hrs. so I quote them a rate and tell them that they rent me for the day.... hours don't matter.

99.99% of the time, they end at 6 hours....

Yes, I meant for the pricing quote. Thanks!

I have basic packages.

My basic package is $999 for 5 hours. It includes all my planning, my basic sound system, a basic lighting package, standard load in, my assistant, and is in my local service area.

My other packages include Uplighting, Monogram lights, and or Custom Dance floor lighting. I just wrote a contact for a $2700 wedding package, that was only for 5 hours.

You must charge accordingly for things like: Stairs, Extensive setup, impractical load in, and down time.

Tonight's wedding the client wanted me setup for 6PM but I didn't start til 8PM. I charge $100 an hour for down time vs $200 an hour for performance time.


Going back to your question, you can't quote a customer properly without knowing what they want out of a DJ. Do they want someone with large lighting setups? Do they want someone that will lead and instruct dances? Will their event be inside or outside? How many guest will be attending? Some large weddings require extra sound. How far is the travel?

All areas are different, in Canada weddings can go 10 hours, here my average is 5 hours.

"Down time?" Seriously?

If they want you to start at 8pm and you're going to charge them for 2 hrs of "down time" then you simply want them to pay you an additional $200 for you to set up your gear. Do you charge them to tear down too?

What time did you plan to get there to set up? 7:00pm while all their guests are milling about? Sorry, not my style. I have a policy that all of my gear is completely set up before the first guest sets foot in the building. It's not like I would be coming from another gig that day, I've reserved that day for them. I believe it's very unprofessional to be hauling in gear and setting up while guests, usually formally dressed, are waiting for the roadies to do their job.


To each his own, but that's just not my style. I will attach a pdf file of the wedding set up sheets that we give to the bride to fill out when they hire us.

I can't attach the file here since it is a pdf file, but here is a link to it:

http://dkusa.com/WedSetUp.pdf

This is a 4 page wedding set up sheet. We also have one for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs..

I've done a lot of weddings this year. I have 2 prices not including overtime. 1 for DJ and 1 upgrade for bringing karaoke. My rate includes 6 hours. It includes me being the DJ/MC for all activities and includes pre meetings. Your price should depend on two things in my opinion, what's the going rate in your area and what is your experience and visibility as a DJ. I charge less than some around as they've been around and have a large list of references. My charges are $700. I've had one plan for 7 hours. I charge $150 for overtime IF it is arranged up front. If last minute, $200. Nobody has taken me up on the last minute route yet.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

I'd also add the charge for a TUX rental, if they wanted you to wear one. I'd add the charge even if you owned it to cover the cost of dry cleaning it afterward.

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I like everyone when I first meet them. If you don't like me that's not my problem it's YOURS!
A stranger is a friend you haven't met yet

Let me clarify, that's $150 per hour OT.

I have my own tux, nobody has asked for it yet. I don't charge extra for it, like to keep my pricing simple.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Charge for tux rental? If I went looking for a DJ and these costs were passed onto me, I'd never hire you. If you're presenting yourself as a true professional, you should have your own tux already. Any client is going to look at that charge and think, "Boy, they probably never do weddings if they don't have a tux. I want someone who does this regularly."

Just remember, for every little incidental thing you want to nickel and dime your potential clients on, there's 100 other DJ's who will add that service for free.

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Birdofsong

Nothing is free. Costs are built in. And as some you here are fond of saying "time is money". You better believe I get paid for standby for karaoke and my regular job. To buy a tux for a few events a year is ridiculous. Now if you're doing a wedding or two each week for a year then I can see it.

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You can be strange but not a stranger

Her point exactly. If you only do "a few events a year" you will most likely NOT get the job... a wedding client wants a DJ with experience and a couple events a year isn't going to cut it. There's nothing worse than a karaoke jockey that doesn't have a clue how a wedding should operate, including the protocol... too often they just think and treat it like a bar night since that's all they know.

I've owned a tuxedo since the beginning.... It costs no more to clean than anything else.... think of it as an "event uniform" if you like, it's part of the professional appearance and a cost of doing business. Tuxedo's are not expensive.

I agree with the tux rental fee. I dress in khakis. My shirt or my tie will match the color scheme. That's it. If they want me to wear a tuxedo, as far as I'm concerned, they should pay for it.

With that being said, my target market is different from most. I do very little marketing - yet I am booked every Saturday and some Fridays from May - Sept. I make less ($450 for 6 hours - the average rate for my area). But, the more expensive companies are the ones who set up booths at bridal shows, buy Yellow Page print advertising, etc. These are also the ones who go in with huge truss lighting, uplighting and complete overkill on the sound system. I generally use a Bose L1 Model 1 with two JBL EONs for proper disbursement. For lights, I use two Chauvet CH-158 Color Banks on each front corner of the dance floor and moving heads on a T-bar for the dance floor itself. I have never heard a complaint about my light show, though admit it is somewhat limited.

But, for my limited light show and my lack of marketing, I am booked solid for the wedding season. I could make more if I wanted to DO more and spend more to offer more, but in my area, for every couple willing/able to spend $750+ for their DJ, there are probably 3 that aren't. Instead of fighting for the big dollar gigs, I'll settle for the way things are.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

Hey, thanks everyone for posting on this thread.

The information here is valuable.

I have only booked a couple of weddings among the private events that I do. I've only been booked for the reception and have never been asked to participate in the ceremonies or protocols though the members of the wedding party will have my PA system available to them. I usually request a "favorites" list of tracks from the b&g and work those songs into the event as things progress. The weddings I've worked have also been close friends and relatively informal (but still traditional). I don't have a lot of DJ specific experience and have been hired to provide karaoke entertainment. I do have an extensive music selection and enough skill to keep things moving along.


I'd be interested in more detail from others.

Can some of you describe your methods for locating and marketing to these clientele?

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Never the same show twice!

I build things like 'down time', 'personnel needed' and 'load in and load out' into the price. You should know ahead of time what your plan for the day is, so quote them the price for the day. If they want a breakdown of the cost, keep it as general as possible. You're not fixing their car; you're quoting a fee for you to entertain at their wedding. I currently charge for ot, but am considering NOT charging for, say, the 1st hour of OT, and just building it into my fee.

I'll let them know what I have to offer (ceremony music and PA, monograms, simple uplighting and simple dance floor lighting etc). Once I know the details (date, time, venue, load in and load out, personnel needed etc), I can give them a final quote based on everything they want and what I'll need to do.

How much you should charge is based on what you feel you're worth, and demographically what the market will bear.

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DJ Don

You won't actually "participate" in any ceremonies, but you may be asked to provide family seating, processional, recessional, unity candle lighting music or even sound/music for vocalists... (and it that person may be you.) Some of the logistics of this ceremony portion is if the ceremony is in a different location than the reception.

Will you need a second sound system to do this, or will you have enough time to tear down and move your system before the guests get there? It's usually a race. I did one ceremony on the 14th hole of a golf course and had to move the system with a golf cart and provide my own generator. The instant the ceremony was done, the staff were shuttling the guests to the reception at the clubhouse.... I had my main system already set up there and pre-loaded it with 2 hrs of music and it was playing along happily.



You will also need to request a list of "UNfavorites" as well. Those songs or genres that the bride and groom do NOT want played under any circumstances. One of my "rules" if you want to call it that... it that I'll tell the bride and groom that as a matter of course, I will not play any song that relates to the termination of a relationship. I don't let the bridesmaids request "I Will Survive" or "Bad Romance" or the guy request "You've Lost That Loving Feeling".... without they couple's approval first. (and never, never, never, accept an approval from a third party)



And that's a start. The thing to do now is to learn how to "orchestrate" the reception so that you are actually in control of what is happening and what is about to happen. For example: Never do any of the formalities until the family is ready and most of all - the photographer - is ready as well. If you work with the photographer and keep them apprised of what's going to happen, everything will run smoother and you'll look very polished.

The best advice I can give to anyone doing weddings is that the star of the show is ALWAYS the bride and groom, not the DJ.

Sorry - that's a trade secret. I have to be careful. My competition basically took my website and copied it for his own. I am so careful now that although I market a custom play list, but I won't send it until I receive their contract & deposit.

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I'm not a cheerleader, but I paid for my pom poms with my own money!

Market yourself to your local talent agencies. A lot of brides and grooms will start there when looking for a DJ. If you're on their approved list, you can get a lot of work that way. Let the agents work for you. You may make a few dollars less, but it's well worth it for the additional work you can get.

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Birdofsong

Didn't realize we were going to get into the details.

Once I have the job, I meet in person (when possible) with the bride and groom. We put together a timeline of events (intro, cake cutting, garter toss, yadda yadda) along with the cues. I get their preference of music for open dance music, I get a list of "must play" open dance music.

After the meeting, I type up the timeline with all the events, music to play, music not to play and any other items. I send it to them by email for confirmation of 100% correctness. Once they confirm, I make sure I have every song and that every song is good to go and works. Then I print it out and use it at the reception to ensure I do everything correct. This system has yet to let me down. I bring an extra copy for the bride in case she wants it.

I like to set up in the morning, I don't like to rush on the most important day of a bride's life. I will make sure all cords and cables are hidden or secured. Everything is clean, no dust or smudges. I pull my laptop and bring it back with me 45 minutes before the start of the ceremony and I have back up equipment in my trailer in the parking lot just in case.

I've never been involved with the ceremony itself and it has always been at a different location.

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KingBing Entertainment C'mon Up! I have a song for you!!! [font=MS Sans Serif][/font]

Ceremonies are becoming a big part of my business now. I've invested in wireless lapel mics, and am looking into a battery powered speaker/mic all in one for remote locations as well.

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DJ Don

I charge for downtime. Downtime is when a client request that I be setup earlier than I would need for any event.

I stated my wedding started at 8PM this past Saturday, but my client wanted me completely setup by 6pm, so I had to by the clients request be ready 2 hours prior to my paid start time. They wanted all vehicles off the property so at anytime they could take pictures anywhere on the grounds and not have cars or trucks in the pictures.

Most of the time this happens at outdoor events