Interested to see what others think on this issue. I don't know why but I always instinctively quote a lower fee for a birthday party than I do for a wedding, almost as if my sub-conscious is telling me that their budget will be less for a birthday party than for a wedding so they won't go for my usual fee for weddings.
The poll is assuming that all things are equal, i.e. same number of hours for either function, same type of venue, same distance from you etc.

This is a very interesting poll i charge more for a wedding because I feel there is more pressure on you at a wedding. Also they do have a bigger budget usually.

I stick to the same prices regardless of the event. I have three price tiers dependant on the size of the rig required and as most parties are smaller events than weddings then they normally pick the cheaper package but if it's a big party and the full rig then they pay the same and why not - after all it's the same amount of work.

PaulS

i charge the same. the only reason i increase prices is dependant on the amount of equipment needed. if i have to hire extra then i want to cover that cost....

I would charge a little more for a wedding as there tends to be more time spent upfront (ie song selection and agenda planning) .
Vinnie

The only time I put up my prices is if the customer wants longer hours, more sound and light or I have to travel tons more miles. I cant understand people who put the price up just because its a wedding... surely there is no added pressure because you should enter into every engagement with the same attitude.. that you want to do the best job you possibly can - whether its a wedding, birthday, dinner dance etc. If you go into a job with the attitude "well its only a birthday party" it is unfair on your client. You as the DJ are responsible for making the evening...if you are not prepared to put in the same kind of effort as you would with a wedding then it is a very sorry tale!
Likewise, I dont understand DJs who put their prices up in December - surely a month when you will be out more than ever.. so why be greedy? I had a rather heated debate with a so-called professional disco company who upon hearing the words "corporate function" would add another £50 to their normal fee... given the fact that most company dinner/dances you only ever do any real work for the last couple of hours - why? His rather pathetic justification was that because it is a corporate do then the people will take the p... with the bar and he had to cope with lots of drunken yobs!
The double edge sword comes into play for those who hike up their fees in December..... do you then cut your prices in january cos gigs are less frequent?
My prices are set - that way I never have a customer complaining that "you only charged my mate £....."
As a professional DJ I put in maximum effort at EVERY gig - no matter what it is, at the end of the day, as long as I play to the crowd and keep a full dance floor then please explain how there is any extra pressure on the DJ if he/she is doing their job.

Same price as it takes the same effort, doesn't matter if the girl is celebrating her 21st or wedding to me.

Plus if you are talking budgets... a wedding involves much more cost anyhow so why add to the burden any further

For me the same price for both, which is as much as i feel I can get

The same price. I enjoy doing all djing. Although the money od very very handy to keep with wife happy, I do the job because I love it. So my price is always the same depending on the hours, venue distance.

Yes, travelling distance and function duration are the main criteria for my quotes. Although it is always tempting to hike up the price for Weddings, knowing how challenging some of them can be .

There is always one function however, Wedding or otherwise where you wished that you had quoted twice the price - or better still, passed it to another D.J. Usually THAT function which comes complete with a 4 A4 page playlist, and the client has phoned me 13 times to "Check that I haven't forgotten".

I charge the same but i do understand eskies urge to charge more for a wedding

One does not do weddings! How many people want Karaoke at a wedding for a start?
But back in the day that I did I was always told to charge more for a wedding that I would for a birthday bash! and I did......

So thats 3 that said yay who's the other 4?

Then i didn`t understand,why charge less for anything? do you take less equipment? or not work as hard as a wedding?

For the last 8~10 years, I've charged the same price for every gig, regardless of duration etc - even New Years Eve. Ok, the fee has gone up slightly each year, but what I mean is each disco is the same price thoughout the year.

Before I entered into my current contract with a single hotel, I used to deal with lots of hotels - and they found it so much simpler (and MUCH more successful) to be able to quote hirers of their function rooms, a simply, set, non-negotiable rate for my services. Hotels (and I) found that the customer who had to be called back with the price for "starting at THIS time", "ending at that time", "for this many people", and "that many miles"...had normally done a bit of phoning around, even in the few minutes or so that formerly took for the hotel to call me, tell me the information, and get back to the hirers.

I have a set rate, irrespective of whether it is a wedding, bithday, anniversary etc.
The only times I charge more is New Years Eve and Christmas Eve but I never work Christmas Eve, as it is the one day during the year that I totally dedicate to the family.
I think that people find iteasier knowing what you will charge and you don't have the problem of someone quoting a price that you did for someone previously as a favour etc..
Spinko

Looks like I'm with the majority here. I have a fixed pricing with the only extras is late finishing and distance to travel.

With my experience with weddings is due to 99% of them never run to time, or reception venues inability to plan I always have to hang around.

You get paid the same amount but just work few hours.

I do charge more for weddings this is because I work for longer and have to put up with screaming brats.

We charge the same for all our functions. Why should people having a wedding be taxed for there happy event.

Scotty.... shame on you - you are just as likely to get screaming brats at a 40th birthday as you are at a wedding.

I think charging more just because it is a wedding is otherwise known as "ripping people off" - You are doing exactly the same job as with any other function - If you do charge more for a wedding then perhaps you should ask yourself if you are really capable of doing the job that the clients think you might be up to! If you consider a wedding more pressurised than any other function I suggest you get out of the kitchen!

Please could somebody tell me what the big difference is with a wedding?

You have guests to entertain.... as with any function

If you think that announcing the bride and groom onto the dance floor is too presurised for you then why dont you just decline the job.... its much better than ripping people off!

A little post script to the above... for those of you who feel justified in ripping off people because its a "wedding" are you prepared to give them some of their money back if you feel that the wedding has not lived up to expectations?

Second... would you actually say to your client who has asked you to do a 30th birthday "oh, Let me take £50 off because your party isnt anywhere near as important to a wedding.... if I get yours wrong it doesnt matter" That is the message you are sending out when you look at it!

Scenario.... A mate of the bride asks you for a card at the end of her mates wedding..... she knows what you have charged for the wedding... months down the line she then phones you to ask you to do a party for her 30th... you then quote £50 cheaper albeit for the same venue, times etc..... she then asks you why you charged her mate so much more for her wedding... how do you explain that.

Somebody convince me that it is necessary to charge more for a wedding....
What exactly do you have to do that is any different.. what extra expenses do you incur etc etc.... If you can persuade me then I will have no worries about charging more for weddings....

I only charge more for an early set-up, i.e. morning

I checked same for both, but wedding do pay more in the way of extra charges.......setting up at 12.00 midday for instance, and or background music during the afternoon.

Tony have you been reading the newsletter again?????

This is part of an aticle in the oct TVDJA newsletter, it makes you think are we charging enough for any function........

Average Wage 2003 £24,164.00
Factor by three times £72,492.00
48 working weeks [4x holidays] £1510.25 per wk.
96 gigs a year [2 per Wk] £755.12 per gig.
72 gigs a year [1.5 per Wk] £1006.83 per gig.
144 gigs a year [3 per Wk] £503.46 per gig.
Compare all of the above to the rates you currently charge? Compare the same
figures to those charged by all the other DJs in your area?
Given this reality check, would you start out in
business today as a Mobile DJ? How does this reflect
the condition of your company and its future
sustainability?
I know, I can hear you all cry, “The most I can get is
£xxx and that this figure varies according to the area
and the type of party”. To make a DJ service work and to make a living, some
harsh decisions have to be made. This is where Marketing comes into the equation
and the reality that not all enquiries or clients are the ones that you want to provide
services for. There is a huge market out there, and clients are nor all the same. They
have different standards and expectations. The challenge that we have is identifying
that market, and positioning our services to accommodate the client with a
professional presentation in return for a Professional fee.

mikee... they are extras so should be charged.. if you have to do an early set up - its extra time.... Im fine about that because you are justified in charging.. all I am saying is that if you charge more for no extra service then its wrong.
Scotty.... just to say when I am using the word "you" I am not directing my opinion at YOU! I am only using the royal "you".. Hope YOU understand!!x

And kazz speaks [QUOTE]it is wrong!![/QUOTE] it's all about price versus demand how much people are prepared to pay wily should we not do it when everything we buy conforms to this rule a company can only charge what the consumer is prepared to pay that the equilibrium point. I personally believe weddings are more difficult to please everybody than say an 18th that's why I charge more for a wedding by still provide the same professional attitude to every function I do but I would rather not do weddings at all and because of this people offer me more money to do them. I have a minimum I would work for But no maximum![/QUOTE]

I am not sure about this but a few years ago one of the TV investgative programmes, Watchdog I think it was looked into this as found the charging of extra for weddings to be "bad practice" at the least.

just think how you would feel if you were charged more for a tradesmans service than someone else.

I do have a charging structure, but thet depends on the day of the week, time worked etc

You've got a point Ian, but is the practice of "overcharging" or if you prefer, charging slightly more for a wedding any different than The local hotel charging more for meals on Valentines Day or Mothers Day?, and Florist's charging more for all national celebrations...not to mention Taxi's charging double time after Midnight??.

This has been a great topic and I may review my pricing although I do give more time to wedding gigs in the planning stages and quite often an extra consultation.
I agree the thought of just charging more because it's a wedding does seem like sharp practice. Will give it more thought, but good debate!

With regards to corporate or gigs where there is a door charge what do others do there?? Not done too many corporate gigs so opinions would be good.

As to charging more in December I tend to think that there is a "high season" for DJ's and this is it.

Do people charge more for New Years gigs?

By the way did I mention that this is a brilliant site!

Sometimes, the end justifies the means. eg: There is a reason for some services charging more.

Hotels and Restaurants often bring in extra $taff to ensure that important dates (like Weddings, Mothers Day, Valentines Day etc) go smoothly. In which case, yes, I could see this as being a justification for charging more. EG: there are greater overheads, than on a wet Wednesday night in October.

Similarly many firms have to pay their staff extra for "unsociable hours" for example: After 11pm ~ Until 5am (varies)...So, if a Taxi firm has to do this, then I can see why "after midnight" might bring in surcharges.

However...for bringing in the same amount of gear, with the same number of Roadies, for the same duration, the same distance from home, should be the same fee.

Not that I'd spend Christmas day away from my family for ANY money now though.

Thanks for the Vinnie - as a community its the actual members who make it what it is, so hopefully you'll keep visiting and joining in .

I don't charge more for Weddings than any other function, although I can understand why others do!. Another reference to the debate of course, are the Drinks prices in clubs - often more than over the Bar in the Local Pub for the same beer and measure!, and then the charge for Tap Water etc etc, you could go on, and on this basis I would say that we (as an industry) would be in our right to charge for different functions or at least it should be up to the individual.

For Xmas gigs I don't charge any different, although I never work Xmas day or Boxing Day. Neither do I charge anymore for the hire gear which goes out during December.

New Years Eve is different, I always charge more, but then again, so does any industry or any employee working on that night!.

@ Kazz

For those new to the forum who haven't yet voted, we have an ongoing poll here on the forum :- PRICE POLL which gives some idea of what you, as a D.J charge for an average disco in your area. Please take the time to vote, the vote is totally anonymous so the Tax Man will never find out .

To answer your Wedding Fee Question, I charge around £110 - £130 for a 12.00 finish held locally. Rising to £140 - £170 for disco's going beyond Mid Night, or where I have to travel out of town. This may seem very low to the Southerners, but as discussed previously, I am one of the highest priced D.J's in this Area. with competitors going out for £60 - £80 per night, and I'm just not talking Newbies or Cowboys, I'm talking of a D.J who has been in the business almost as long as Mikeee!. The less experienced D.J's in this town are going out for as little as £40 a night for the average Pub or Karaoke gig!.

What equipment and lighting are these guys using ? ive seen people trying to use hi-fi's in pubs with a few cd's and some lights from curry's.

Scotty - of course you can ask what I charge.. £250 for a typical 730/800 - midnight with a further charge of £50 per hour or part thereof thereafter should the client wish to extend the hours. This charge is for whatever function I do no matter what the occasion.
You say you charge by the hour for weddings - thats a good idea because then it is certainly not ripping people off if you do longer than the average function - most saturday night gigs start at 7/730 and finish at 11/12 - many djs I know also dont charge for a nights work - they charge for the hours worked - so obviously a six hour gig is gonna cost more than a four - this is ok - but they still charge the same hourly rate whatever the gig.
As I said before Scotty, my remarks were not directed at you - the first paragraph was - then by opening another paragraph I thought my intentions would be clear.
In 14 years of having worked as a full time professional DJ, I would almost guarantee that almost every wedding I have done has never run to time... when a client asks me to start the disco at 7.30 and they over-run with the wedding breakfast, on many occasions I havent started till 8 or 9 - this is probably another reason that I dont charge by the hour! If my clients book me to start at 7/730 then they pay the full rate - I dont deduct a couple of hours because they have run late.... but at the same time, I am there ready to begin at the stated time.
If you read carefully what I have said, I have stated that it is a rip off if you dont do ANYTHING different to any other function.... increasing your sound system, light show IS an extra and it is ok to charge extra on those occasions. My point is simply that if you only have the one system, as many jocks do, and you put that system into a venue for the same hours then there is no justification for charging extra. A professional DJ will always enter into every job with the same amount of professionalism - and hopefully the same attitude - as they would with every kind of function.
I have a different price structure for a two hours kids party or school disco... it is a flat £150 for the two hours - yes, in hourly terms more than I charge for a wedding, but what I actually do at kids parties if far more physical - ask Paula!
So please dont take it personally when I speak in terms of "You" ...... I perhaps should have said "one" but then thats the queens english and I aint to good at that!

So I did... whoops have corrected that immediately! (how gramatically incorrect is that!!)

LOL ok point taken I feel im justified charging more because I do offer more i.e. lighting etc and do put in more hours, I seem to work harder and longer doing weddings than any other function.

Phewy! Glad we got that one sorted scotty! I will try to remember my grammar in future..... and as I said, if you do longer hours OF COURSE you should charge more... its only the Halifax who GIVE you extra.. the rest of us charge!

Kazz so would you charge the same price on new years eve for the same hours oh this has given me a idea for a poll.

whilst talking about charges has anybody else come across this one........

a pub venue i havn't worked in,who have a regular dj, but they have asked me if i can do a free disco for children in need. i do my bit for charity and have done freebies before. however i asked if there is going to be any other regular work from it he said no, i asked why his regular dj couldnt do it, reply he's unavaiable. so to sum up he wants me to work for free whilst he still charges full price for drinks and makes money at the bar. the charity money comes out of the punters pockets.

sorry a bit off topic, but this bloke just wound me up with his attitude

There is no way on this earth that i do it for free when the manager has an attitude like that if the boss after getting paid and he is still charging the same price for drinks why should you not get paid and as for his regular DJ being unavailable it all smells a bit fishy to me I have nothing against doing certain charity work but the conditions have to be right in my opinion

I can see both sides as far a pricing goes but I kinda lean toward charging a little more for a wedding myself. Its not a matter of taking more equipment, its just in most cases theres a little less to worry about at a birthday, graduation or reunion. I guess I figure if I have to spend more time putting things together at home I'd like to see a little more money for the invested time.