This lead depicts a HUGE chunk of the wedding market today..Or not?

To many ads? Support ODJT and see no ads!
DJ Ricky B

DJ Ricky B

DJ Extraordinaire
Mar 9, 2015
7,786
6,426
42
I'd like to touch up on the topic that is so prevalent in the forums in recent years.

This is a perfect example to what is going on in the industry today, and why so many couples are choosing on price when it comes to literally EVERYTHING to do with their wedding. They might prioritize one thing like the venue, spend 30% to 50% of their budget on that, then pinch pennies with every other aspect of their Special Day....

Christine & Patrick are looking to hire a DJ. Here are the details for their request. You can submit a quote until 06:27pm on February 23, 2016.
Couple's Name
Christine & Patrick
Estimated wedding date:
October 02, 2016
Location:
Annapolis, MD
Note:
open bar, buffet we are paying ourselves and our budget is less than 10000. Planning for no more than 60 guests. Not formal or fancy. Simple and fun.


That line "We are paying for everything ourselves" is tossed around A LOT when they have a tight budget. ...Well, I would think they are paying...Don't I pay for everything I purchase myself too?

Is there this notion that someone else should be paying, and now they are burdened when they have to pay?

Also, note that they stated LESS THAN $10,000 budget. Figuring that a DJ is typically about 5% of budget...they are stating that they are likely looking at DJs who will quote under $500.

...They use that "We are paying for everything ourselves" line as a reasoning as to why their budget is small, and why they will pick the lowest price quote they receive. ...I understand why they are doing that...it's because it's tough putting a wedding together, and both of them are likely working low wage jobs to make ends meet. Much of their $10,000 or less budget is likely being put on credit card to boot.

Judging from the bridal shows and open houses I participated in recently...$10,000 seems to be the magic budget number a lot of brides/grooms are gravitating to. I would say that $10,000 to $15,000 seems to be the most common budgets. If you don't fit within a 10K to 15K budget as one of their vendors, you are out. ...That is a very tight budget...especially if they booked a fairly expensive venue, and especially when the venue itself often takes 3K to 6.5K of that budget. If you aren't targeting this market with the right pricing, you are having trouble booking these clients. ...If you are not targeting this market, then you need to be precision focused on the above 20K wedding market(where every other vendor WANTS to be)... It's there, but there are far fewer brides in this range, and it can be slim pickings if you aren't superb at marketing your business and targeting these brides.

It seems to be getting more tricky every year on the above 20K wedding market.

I remember seeing budgets of $15,000 being touted as "a low budget" back in 2006 when I was a much younger DJ. ...10 years later $15,000 or less is totally the NORM when it comes to wedding budgets, and it's become difficult for all vendors to sell within those presets with a higher cost of doing business.

Here are a few questions:

Is it becoming more difficult to book clients due to their budget restrictions?

Is the wedding business ballooning? Are we literally in a bubble that could burst because of economic conditions and costs of doing business today? Are we in a sinking ship as wedding vendors?

OR...is the Wedding Market Healthy and active, and these constraints are all a problem the wedding vendors created for themselves?

Or...Is the market no different than it was in the past, and any issues with attracting paying clients and growing year to year a vendor issue 100%?
 
When I started, the bride and groom were usually younger than 25,
still lived at home, and the parents always paid the wedding day bills.
These days, I see couples writing their own checks for everything.
It seems to have started with parents not being able to afford everything (or anything) the kids wanted...
and now it has a lot to do with the b/g paying the bills to gain control over the details.

In the end, if they are trying to get a bargain, it's because they really NEED a bargain.
But I will say, there ARE a lot of wedding vendors who see weddings as a cash cow.
Once prices started going up...EVERYONE jumped on the bandwagon.

So, are clients being unreasonable in how much they wanna pay....
or are WE being unreasonable in how much we wanna charge?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dan The Man, redhotdj, dunlopj and 1 other person
Ricky --- seems to me that you focus a lot of time and attention on why a potential client cannot afford your service(s).

This is my perspective from someone who chooses to not worry so much about the overall budget and winning every client that inquiries. I know I'm not going to to be the right company for everyone. I say broaden your perspective and make yourself worth more in their eyes and you won't have to worry about where you fit into the budget. My main (and target) clients are soon-to-be or just-did college grads. I'm guessing that many of them use their student loan money to help pay for their weddings; possibly getting some additional help from their families. Since 2010, I've dedicated my business to continuing to raise my rates, with justification that I provide a much superior product. I could easily slip into what most jocks do is racing to the bottom. If you're going to look & act like every other DJ that a potential client contacts, then it does become a pricing-only war.

Btw, this would be my exact approach if running my DJ company full-time for the wedding portion of the business. Fill-in work would be handled differently & rightfully so, IMO.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Ausumm, Hank Davidson, NickC and 4 others
Randy A said:
Ricky --- seems to me that you focus a lot of time and attention on why a potential client cannot afford your service(s).
Click to expand...

With all respect Randy, you and I are part-timers. We have a lot more latitude to pick and choose from our prospects than Ricky does. We can throw our price out there, then let it go by. Ricky has to make it happen, every week. He MUST make deals happen and hopefully maximize as best he can. I find it completely understandable that a lot of his focus of discussion is price.

Now, as for Ricky's question:
Is it becoming more difficult to book clients due to their budget restrictions?
Click to expand...

The problem we're up against isn't budget restrictions. It's that the girls all have their online forums, where they can compare notes and share with each other, strategies to get the best deal possible. Unfortunately, honesty doesn't seem to be of much value so more of them start using the same ruse, the same lies to try and squeeze us "over-priced DJs".

I just recently booked a couple that used the "we're paying for it ourselves" line. In their case, I don't think it was a line. They got pregnant, had a baby, and now they're getting married, on their own dime. He's in the military and she's not making that much either. I pitched $3.5k for photo, DJ, lighting and photobooth. The other photographer was pitching $1k, and they played him against me. In this case, I didn't buckle, did a lot of persuading and prevailed on getting my wage. It could have just as easily gone the other way. I realize I'm not offering a solution, only more discussion. Randy apparently has a lot of things right. He's fetching $1.5k for DJ service. Not sure if it's that he's just that slick, it's his level of service, or it's his market. I wish I had it figured out. I'm pulling my hair out (and I ain't got much left) trying to figure out how to couch my packages. Good discussion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Ricky B
rickryan.com said:
With all respect Randy, you and I are part-timers. We have a lot more latitude to pick and choose from our prospects than Ricky does. We can throw our price out there, then let it go by. Ricky has to make it happen, every week. He MUST make deals happen and hopefully maximize as best he can. I find it completely understandable that a lot of his focus of discussion is price.

Now, as for Ricky's question:


The problem we're up against isn't budget restrictions. It's that the girls all have their online forums, where they can compare notes and share with each other, strategies to get the best deal possible. Unfortunately, honesty doesn't seem to be of much value so more of them start using the same ruse, the same lies to try and squeeze us "over-priced DJs".

I just recently booked a couple that used the "we're paying for it ourselves" line. In their case, I don't think it was a line. They got pregnant, had a baby, and now they're getting married, on their own dime. He's in the military and she's not making that much either. I pitched $3.5k for photo, DJ, lighting and photobooth. The other photographer was pitching $1k, and they played him against me. In this case, I didn't buckle, did a lot of persuading and prevailed on getting my wage. It could have just as easily gone the other way. I realize I'm not offering a solution, only more discussion. Randy apparently has a lot of things right. He's fetching $1.5k for DJ service. Not sure if it's that he's just that slick, it's his level of service, or it's his market. I wish I had it figured out. I'm pulling my hair out (and I ain't got much left) trying to figure out how to couch my packages. Good discussion.
Click to expand...

But, to hear some others that are full timers, they will argue that they are better because they are able to support themselves by djing alone.

In my opinion, both full time and part time djs have positives and negatives. Price is a concern for both groups. Both need to decide what group they are targeting and what groups they can have success with.

the wedding market has changed and we need to adjust. But a lot of things haven't changed. There is still a small % of couples that are spending good money on a wedding. This is the hardest yet most fruitful group to go after. It takes work, lots of it.

There's a middle group that will spend money on a wedding, but they are paying it themselves, so budget concerns are somewhat important.

Then the largest group. People who don't have money, their family doesn't have money to spend, and they are scraping the money together to throw a party. Budget is extremely important.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Ricky B, ittigger and Jeff Romard
Everyone, even the wealthy, have a budget just theirs may be higher.

Ricky if you plan on being full time you have to find a way to maximize the first half of the year. Let's be honest for most of us June to December take care of themselves. If you can make a somewhat steady income from January to June you may be able to charge a little less the rest of the year and fill up your schedule with more moderately priced clients. I'm not talking taking a 50% cut on those but if you can fit in to where the majority of the clients are there's a much bigger pool. Right now you are trying to make a living on 6 months a year and it's almost impossible

Five percent of 10K is $500 but from my experience most will spend more if you can give them what they want
 
  • Like
Reactions: ittigger and Scott Hanna
rickryan.com said:
With all respect Randy, you and I are part-timers. We have a lot more latitude to pick and choose from our prospects than Ricky does. We can throw our price out there, then let it go by. Ricky has to make it happen, every week. He MUST make deals happen and hopefully maximize as best he can. I find it completely understandable that a lot of his focus of discussion is price.
Click to expand...

I do realize that ... my suggestion was for him to quit focusing on so much on that aspect & creating value for those clients that contact him. Putting so much time & energy into negativity, yields negative results.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DJ Ricky B, Ausumm, Hank Davidson and 3 others
rickryan.com said:
W Randy apparently has a lot of things right. He's fetching $1.5k for DJ service. Not sure if it's that he's just that slick, it's his level of service, or it's his market. I wish I had it figured out. I'm pulling my hair out (and I ain't got much left) trying to figure out how to couch my packages. Good discussion.
Click to expand...

I've did it with years of continuing to satisfy my clients and not ever settling on what I was currently doing, but how I could do it better for the next client. I do it in a market that's flooded with $500 jocks who all look & sound the same .... I used to be with the group. There was nothing to make me different. Now, I'm different and I reap those benefits. I maintain a HIGH level of customer support and confidence. I turn more jobs away or give it to a few other guys than some of those other $500 jocks are getting inquiries for.

That, and my damn good looks. ;)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard, NickC, dunlopj and 1 other person
So here we go on this merry go round again. You bring this subject up about every 3 months. What is new?

It has become much easier and cheaper to become a DJ. Decent gear can be had without breaking the bank. Music is far tooeasy to get today. Some are part time DJs. They have another source of income that they don't have to rely on the DJ business to survive. For some it's just extra money to go into their pocket.

What I don't get is if a brides budget for their wedding is 10k, what's wrong with having their reception in a legion hall? Nothing wrong with that to me. Most of those places can be rented out for under 1k depending on how many hours the reception is to take place. That leaves room for other things.

My top concern is how am I to get paid? After that whatever they spend the rest of the money on is on them. I say keep the focus.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
So here we go on this merry go round again. You bring this subject up about every 3 months. What is new?

It has become much easier and cheaper to become a DJ. Decent gear can be had without breaking the bank. Music is far tooeasy to get today. Some are part time DJs. They have another source of income that they don't have to rely on the DJ business to survive. For some it's just extra money to go into their pocket.

What I don't get is if a brides budget for their wedding is 10k, what's wrong with having their reception in a legion hall? Nothing wrong with that to me. Most of those places can be rented out for under 1k depending on how many hours the reception is to take place. That leaves room for other things.

My top concern is how am I to get paid? After that whatever they spend the rest of the money on is on them. I say keep the focus.
Click to expand...

When the masked man that continues to use Mix's login really identifies himself, I'll be happy to discuss things with you. Until then, you'll continue to live under the 'not-so-great' reputation that Mix has on the boards. Honestly, you need to quit hiding behind Mix's login and create your own account. It's clear that there are at least two people using Mix's login.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard and SEDJ
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
So here we go on this merry go round again. You bring this subject up about every 3 months. What is new?

It has become much easier and cheaper to become a DJ. Decent gear can be had without breaking the bank. Music is far tooeasy to get today. Some are part time DJs. They have another source of income that they don't have to rely on the DJ business to survive. For some it's just extra money to go into their pocket.

What I don't get is if a brides budget for their wedding is 10k, what's wrong with having their reception in a legion hall? Nothing wrong with that to me. Most of those places can be rented out for under 1k depending on how many hours the reception is to take place. That leaves room for other things.

My top concern is how am I to get paid? After that whatever they spend the rest of the money on is on them. I say keep the focus.
Click to expand...
Sorry I meant to say how much am I to get paid.
 
Your top concern is how much are you to get paid? Your top concern should be what service can you provide that a customer wants - and can you provide it at a cost that they agree with. If not, then you're losing the game.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
ittigger said:
Your top concern is how much are you to get paid? Your top concern should be what service can you provide that they want - and can you provide it at a cost that they agree with. If not, then you're losing the game.
Click to expand...
When I said that I meant it. What I find is with threads like this it's hard to keep the focus on what you need to do. It goes left to what others need to do or should be doing.

My concern is what the potential client wants to pay me. The other things they spend their money on to have an event is their business. I can't control that side. I can only control what I charge and what I bring to the table. Worrying about all those other things gets me nowhere. Like I said I try to focus on me and what I'm doing. I don't say I can't learn from others. Just that I don't find myself consumed with what someone else is doing.
 
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
When I said that I meant it. What I find is with threads like this it's hard to keep the focus on what you need to do. It goes left to what others need to do or should be doing.

My concern is what the potential client wants to pay me. The other things they spend their money on to have an event is their business. I can't control that side. I can only control what I charge and what I bring to the table. Worrying about all those other things gets me nowhere. Like I said I try to focus on me and what I'm doing. I don't say I can't learn from others. Just that I don't find myself consumed with what someone else is doing.
Click to expand...

Again, your top concern should be more about what service you can provide to a potential customer - and once that is discovered, can you provide that service at a cost that you and they can agree upon. What the client wants to pay you means crap if you cannot offer them what they want. You're doing this bass ackwards.

A business is nothing without customers - if you are not selling, then you are doing something wrong. Either you cost too much, or you have not convinced them that you're worth the amount you say you want or if your cost is similar to others, then you haven't convinced them that you're the better choice.

In addition (because you have not answered this in the past), your business is a fraud if it is not paying taxes on monies received (among other things).

MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
I don't say I can't learn from others.
Click to expand...

I don't believe you want to learn from others - they have tried to teach / help you and you refuse it at every level.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: steve149, Scott Hanna, DJCC and 2 others
  • Like
Reactions: steve149, Jeff Romard and ittigger
DJCC said:
Mike, you owe me a keyboard.....and a pair of pants.

Where else can you get a DJ with 12,245.09 partners for $100?
Click to expand...

I said it was one of the options .. I never said it was THE option. ;)

However, if you want $100 / hour but you only convey that you're worth $50 / hr, then you cost too much.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
MIXMASTERMACHOM said:
When I said that I meant it. What I find is with threads like this it's hard to keep the focus on what you need to do. It goes left to what others need to do or should be doing.

My concern is what the potential client wants to pay me. The other things they spend their money on to have an event is their business. I can't control that side. I can only control what I charge and what I bring to the table. Worrying about all those other things gets me nowhere. Like I said I try to focus on me and what I'm doing. I don't say I can't learn from others. Just that I don't find myself consumed with what someone else is doing.
Click to expand...

That is such a HUGE contradiction of your entire existence here on the boards. You're always worried about what others are doing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard and ittigger
I'm thinking student loan debt would be one reason couples are looking for lower priced DJs. OTOH I've had couples in the past that got my services at a low price yet now appear to be doing financially better than I am. Nobody likes to pay more than they have to for anything do they? Paying more comes into play for things that one really wants or needs. Not many couples crave a 60 year old DJ for their reception! LMAO
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jeff Romard
Jas said:
I'm thinking student loan debt would be one reason couples are looking for lower priced DJs. OTOH I've had couples in the past that got my services at a low price yet now appear to be doing financially better than I am. Nobody likes to pay more than they have to for anything do they? Paying more comes into play for things that one really wants or needs. Not many couples crave a 60 year old DJ for their reception! LMAO
Click to expand...

I totally agree with you. That said, if you can show a client something that is of value to them, then they would pay more.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back