Right now here is how my 2016 is shaping up:
Booked - 8
Leads - 11 (about 5 of which I would expect to gel into bookings)
Booked - 8
Leads - 11 (about 5 of which I would expect to gel into bookings)
Current Bookings for next year
- Thread starter Ron
- Start date
I am close to to my goal of 30 and have 10 on the books for 2017, I try not to do more than 40 Saturday gigs a year, I have a full time job and a family that deserves at least some of my time.
2017. I have not even seen an inquiry or even a lead from Gig Masters for 2017 yet. ...The furthest I book out is maybe 15 months, and it's rare I book stuff more than 12 months out.
Remember .. Wisconsin has like 3 reception halls .. so they need to book them early ... 
We have 6 on the books with maybe another 4 that might come in very soon. We are ahead of last year at this time and this year we have about 27 on the books already. We only seek to do about 25 per year. We haved raised our price and lowered our hours, we have a very specific venue that has changed their way of allowing weddings at their business. They are in very very high demand because of the type of venue they are.
They now request you use the vendors on their list or you must get your vendors approved. Because there is only about 3 total DJ's they will recommend us being one of them. The demand for our services at this venue has greatly risen. Think California and the gold country and then place this venue at the top of the heep for what it is. Its the one that is number one. Brides are coming from all over the states for this place, we are blessed.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/coolest-places-to-get-married-in-america#.ckv8dgdDD8
They now request you use the vendors on their list or you must get your vendors approved. Because there is only about 3 total DJ's they will recommend us being one of them. The demand for our services at this venue has greatly risen. Think California and the gold country and then place this venue at the top of the heep for what it is. Its the one that is number one. Brides are coming from all over the states for this place, we are blessed.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/coolest-places-to-get-married-in-america#.ckv8dgdDD8
This year has been slower than usual I might hit 50 personally and another 20 for the other DJ's if it's a good Christmas season but 2016 looks great I have 19 booked already and alot of inquiries besides. I have 3 booked for 2017 all referrals from previous clients
I have 19 booked for next year so far I limit myself to 36-40 a year as I have a very intense full time job and a family. This year I have done 21 weddings so far and have 18 more on the books.
So, you have two full-time jobs.
That doesn't leave very many free weekends for the family. I did that for a few years and my marriage suffered from it.
I did this for 24 years with a very understanding wife. I worked days and and she part-time 6-10pm.
I have great memories of us crossing paths on the sidewalk as I got home as she left, dinner on the table, putting our daughters in the bathtub as babies, bringing in dinner, putting the toilet seat down and that was my dinner table as they played in the tub.
Having a full time job AND this gave us the luxury of never using day care for our three daughters and allowed us to send them to a very good private school for pre-school through the 8th grade as well as upping the savings.
During the really good years (1990 through say 2005), I regularly did 80-120 events per year.
Now that they are all grown and on their own (and retiring from the DJ biz at the end of 2013), we are enjoying weekends together doing whatever we want to do...movies, concerts, comedy clubs, etc.
We're going on our 1st cruise in September to celebrate our 35th anniversary.
Forgot to say Randy...I'm sorry your marriage suffered because of the work load.
Yeah...it was definitely a bad situation. Working so much between several jobs (both of us) and having no time for the good things in life. It's a great thing we loved one another so much and valued the promises we made to each when we were married. Lesser marriages would have not lasted.
Glad you both made it through...with hopefully a stronger and deeper bond.
BTW, I find laughing at comedy shows to be like hocking a loogey to get rid of any of the week's stress.
We saw Sinbad two weeks ago...
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My wife and I both have full time jobs. Mine at the same place for 30 years and my wife has been in the legal field for over 25 years. The good thing about our business is that my wife and I do this together. We also sell ourselves as a team which brides eat up. Our idea of relaxing together is working in our home office at the same time lol. Many times our weeks consist of going to a booking meeting, going to a planning session and going to a wedding.
My idea, and way of relaxing is sitting down with a drink or four. I won't say our marriage has suffered from all of this but my liver has. For our 20th anniversary we are going to the Wedding MBA in Vegas. Were we will mix business with pleasure. When asked if our business is our hobby that has been met with a stare, a frown and a "Hobbies are for fun". Now people know better than to ask that question. )
My idea, and way of relaxing is sitting down with a drink or four. I won't say our marriage has suffered from all of this but my liver has. For our 20th anniversary we are going to the Wedding MBA in Vegas. Were we will mix business with pleasure. When asked if our business is our hobby that has been met with a stare, a frown and a "Hobbies are for fun". Now people know better than to ask that question. )
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Oh that is such a great selling point! And that is also a really nice arrangement for you both to have...congrats!
My wife and I are both very busy. We've made it a point to make time for each other. Tonight we are going to dinner for our 10th anniversary. Next week I'm having a party for her at a restaurant downtown with a group of 40 friends. It will be about 2 weeks earlier than her actual birthday, but I'll be in China during then.
It takes work, but making time for each other is important.
Next year should be a record for us in bookings, but I've made a commitment to try to lower the amount of events I do personally.
It takes work, but making time for each other is important.
Next year should be a record for us in bookings, but I've made a commitment to try to lower the amount of events I do personally.
The Booking Season is January through April for us. I don't want to accurately judge how the year will be until no earlier than April 15th each year.
All of my 2016 wedding bookings so far are all over over $1,000. I currently have a Mitzvah client who was quoted $1,500 for May 7th. She still deciding. Hopefully I don't lose that one over price, BUT no biggie as I'm sure come January/early February I will easily get at least 4 to 5 more opportunities to book myself for May 7th (I would think)
All of my 2016 wedding bookings so far are all over over $1,000. I currently have a Mitzvah client who was quoted $1,500 for May 7th. She still deciding. Hopefully I don't lose that one over price, BUT no biggie as I'm sure come January/early February I will easily get at least 4 to 5 more opportunities to book myself for May 7th (I would think)
The past few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, I have been worrying up a storm. Leads have been dead and cash flow has been crappy. On Sunday, I started getting leads for photo+DJ gigs. Have gotten 3 this week with 2 being strong contenders on gigs that are $3k+ each. Today, I got a verbal that I was going to get an April prom that will add on another $2k gig. I'm about to leave for a meeting on one of those wedding leads. Hoping to close that one this evening. Keep the faith, gents/ladies. Just when it seems all hope is gone and you're wondering if the phone will ever ring again, it starts a-ringing. Wish me luck.