Weddings Your usual reception/contract time?

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sirdj

New DJ
Oct 1, 2006
660
2
49
Northern California
www.soundwavemobiledj.com
I've been thinking for some time now about this, my usual Wedding with ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing is about 6 hours and they usually work great because is basically all under the same roof, there's no traveling, it's all a success.

5 Hour Weddings also work great with no Ceremony, keep in mind people have already traveled from the Ceremony destination to the venue.

Now I'm finding that a 6 hour straight reception, with no ceremony, seems to drag on and on.

What would be the most popular and successful package in hours(actual working) that you do?

I guess what I'm tryint to find out is that is 5 Hour enough for a successful reception or 6?
 
It's been shown time and time again that wedding reception timing is very regional in it's entire process.

The answer to your question lies in a thorough investigation of your specific area of operation, the places you frequent, and then make a policy change that adapts your preferences into the larger picture.

One option that seems to universally work is to charge extra for whatever you don't like. 5 hours is fine, 6 is bad? Charge extra for the 6th hour. A BIG extra fee. Most often, that'll eliminate any p.i.t.a extra time BUT would be worth your time if they paid the freight.
 
85% of the weddings we do are 6 hours.

1 hour cocktail
.5 intros, toasts, blessings, cake cutting
1.5 dinner
3 hours dancing
 
Most of my weddings are about 5 hours. The high as been 7 hours. I hate 7 hour weddings. Pay is good.
 
See? In Scotty's Cleveland area, it's 6 hours. In Ruben's it's 5.

Here in my little niche, it's four. Cocktail hour is a billable extra. Anything after the four hour reception (not including the cocktail hour option) is a billable option at twice the cocktail hour rate.

Most upscale halls here have a five hour package, with the cocktail hour taking place in a totally separate room with their own muzak systems. These halls also charge a significant fee for anything beyond the five hours. The fraternal halls (VFWs, Fire Houses, American Legion) and the Mom & Pops are generally unlimited time because it's the only way they attract mid-end clients who have tighter budgets.

Again, don't wanna do the 6th and/or 7th hours? Charge extra.
 
Around here the norm is 7 hours without ceremony and 9-10 with. Ceremonies are usually at 3 and then cocktails at 5, dinner at 6 and open dancing starts at 9 and ends at 1am. I do a lot of off site ceremonies but there are more facilities re-designing to be full service and have the ceremonies on site.
I charge extra for off site ceremonies and the extra equipment needed. I also charge extra for more hours of dinner/cocktail music.

young...
 
Here in North Alabama, most receptions are 4 hours. I have had one 8 hour, and a couple of 6 hours, and a couple of 2-3 hour ones.

Overall 90% are 4 hours.

Mike
 
Also, make sure any "Extra" considerations are addressed in the contract, including "Can we go over" or "can you show up early" requests.
 
sirdj said:
I've been thinking for some time now about this, my usual Wedding with ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dancing is about 6 hours and they usually work great because is basically all under the same roof, there's no traveling, it's all a success.

5 Hour Weddings also work great with no Ceremony, keep in mind people have already traveled from the Ceremony destination to the venue.

Now I'm finding that a 6 hour straight reception, with no ceremony, seems to drag on and on.

What would be the most popular and successful package in hours(actual working) that you do?

I guess what I'm tryint to find out is that is 5 Hour enough for a successful reception or 6?
Click to expand...

My average with ceremony is six hours.

My package is now up to six hours and it includes ceremony and reception but I will only do the ceremony if it is at the same location.
 
My norm is 5 hours.

.5 HR Cocktails
.5 hr Entrance and etc.
1 hr Dinner
3 hr Dancing

I only do maybe 4 weddings a year with Ceremony the are generally 6.5 to 7 hours.

.5 hr Guest Arrival
.25 hr Wedding
1.75 hr downtime / Cocktails while Bridal party gets pictures
.5 hr Entrance Etc.
1 hr Dinner
3 hr dancing
 
Here in New Jersey, New York City, and Eastern Pennsylvania, the normal wedding reception is 5 hours, 6 with the ceremony.

The cost of the DJ Entertainer is really not a major factor in the decision to have a 5 or 6 hour event. In my region, its the catering hall costs that determine the length.

Just this past Saturday night for example, I was doing a Sweet 16 party and it was going very well. The client asked me about staying an extra hour, I told him no problem, $250 extra, and it has to be sanctioned by the catering hall manager.

Well, the manager told the client that the extra hour would cost him $2000.
The client nearly dropped dead. Needless to say, we didn't get to stay an extra hour.
 
The majority for my area run 5 to 6 hours from guest arrival/cocktail hour to finish
 
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