How Much should you spend on a wedding DJ/Entertainment in Grand Forks?
There are so many articles about how much to spend on a Wedding DJ. Im
going on the record to tell you that every single one of them is WRONG.
I've seen articles say that you can DJ the wedding yourself. You
certainly can! You can also go to Wal-Mart and buy a dental kit to do
your own fillings.
Our market in both Minnesota & North Dakota is very diverse. I see
DJs are high as $12,000, some as low as $250 and EVERYWHERE in the
middle. The $250 DJ really scares me, not just as a
entertainer/business-man but mostly as a family man. How can someone
charge $250 and make a living?
For those of you who are expecting me to tell you about how important we
are to your wedding will not be happy with me. I'm not writing that at
all. You already know this, otherwise you would be reading anything I am
writing. Im going to tell you WHY we charge what we charge.
Here's a cost breakdown for a small DJ package that can handle around
100 to 150 guests (tops).
Two speakers / Amp = $800/each (there are
cheaper, but you get what you pay for) $800 is a very conservative
number for a system that can handle 150 people. 1 year music
subscription (multipled by the last 5 years) = $1,200,
Cheap Mixer =
$100
Cheap CD Players/Computer = $400
WIRED (not wireless) Microphone =
$50, Tripods for speakers = $100
, Console (case to hold everything
together) = $150,
Simple LED-based light show with all cords &
connections = $700
Keep in mind, I didn't add in gas, insurance, other business expenses
and a trust worthy computer (most DJs spin MP3s with a digital
controller that works just like a CD player/turntables).
That comes to around $4000 total. All rental companies charge at least
10% of cost. This means that to rent out this system at 10% it would be
$400. In the last three years this number has averaged to about 20%.
We'll stick with a low 10%.
A simple equation to calculate price is equipment + talent = service
price. Makes sense, right? Your DJ has business expenses (though he paid
for the equipment, it doesn't last forever). What does this conclude of
our $250 DJ?
$250 (price of said DJ) take away the $400 is NEGATIVE $150.. This means
the DJ either 1) values his skills at NEGATIVE $150 (or he's paying YOU
to work at your wedding) or 2) He's bringing out low-grade equipment
that won't serve justice to the most important day of your lives. Oh, I
didn't mention.. but theres TONS of business expenses: taxes,
advertising, office capital, and non-event gas (for meetings). Even if
they were booked every Saturday of the year (52), that's $13,000. Just
over double of what it costs to purchase the equipment, not including
the costs of running a business itself.
How can someone charge $250 and make a living? If you guesstimate the
gross income after business expenses, you'd actually read. How can
someone give away $100 per wedding and make a living?
Some DJs may tell you that they're part-time and only do this as a
hobby. Very true! Now this means they're paying out of pocket to play at
your event. Not bad for you right? If they said they're part-time and
DJ as a hobby it means they don't take their job seriously and most
likely will RUIN your wedding day Or their full-time job will keep them
too busy for your event. No matter how you slice it, you hire a
full-time professional. Why? YOUR happiness is required for them to put
food on their table. They have no other source of income to rely on.
They will work harder at your event!
I'm not saying ALL part-time DJs are going to be bad, however a
full-time entertainer is obviously good enough to make it on his own!
Here's something to think about: the numbers I gave you are for low end
equipment. We didn't even touch on high-end equipment that will easily
run 5 to 6 times more. Many entertainers have high-end lighting, video,
or other special effects. Many of our weddings see over $40-50K worth of
equipment! Also, most entertainers go to one or two yearly conventions
to further their craft.
So where do you start? Research DJs!!!
The first questions when you meet or call them should be:
-Do you have our date open?
-Are you a dedicated DJ company that specialized in weddings?
-What do you do to further your craft?
-Are you respected amongst your peers in the industry?
So how much should a DJ charge? Well, as you can tell it all comes down
to value of equipment plus value of talent. Equipment has a fixed cost,
TALENT DOESN'T. Every DJ knows what he or she is worth. Once a DJ gives
you a price, ask them why they charge that. Was it low? Was it high? Was
in between? DJ's that may seem on the high side will ALWAYS be better.
DJ's that seem low don't bother with. Always ask the DJ's for client
reviews and current references.
Thanks for your time,
Ransdell Productions
701.772.0455