Am I undercutting again?

[SolDios]

Went to a meeting with the bride and groom for a wedding im doing for them

They want me to play from 7 till 10, so I quoted them $350, which seemed like a fair rate ($100 an hour, + 50 setup fee)

Later they told me that someone else quoted $700

Am I undercutting, my rates seemed fair for this, or was the other guy over charging?

[Slippy]

I dont think thats overcharging at all man, bear in mind ive only ever charged for a gig once because i dont promote or anything i just play for friends etc so never feel right but gosh i think 350 is more than enough... maybe the other guy has been doing it for like 10 years and charges it cos he can or just wont bother for less? i dunno... i think 350 is more than enough (i would be over the moon with those rates!) but also doesnt suprise me that people are paying 700+ for 3 hour gigs either.. sorry cant help much lol maybe someone else has better input

[Gandy]

i would think you would charge more for weddings then your normal mobile gig

[Jaz]

nah dude seems fine, i dont know why people charge more for weddings then party's though...is it because they know they will get the price they want because weddings always have money thrown at them?

i look at it this way, party = drunk kids and running the risk or fucking your gear, weddings = less DJing then party's with slow dance songs etc

i dunno, maybe its just me

[Mitch]

your expected to have a more professional prescence at a wedding.

more professional service = more money charged

[Jaz]

what do you meen though (ive never done a wedding so genuinely curious)

just put on a button up shirt and tie in stead of T-shirt like you would doing a party?

[Vaughn]

I would expect someone:

To set up early and have Lighting and more then enough sound, an abn number, a receipt, dress to the occasion and most of all lots of music for all ages

[Mitch]

may have to do some MC work as well which is a skill in itself

[Lurk6r]

Technically you are undercutting, BUT from what I have seen most pro dj companies that charge $700+ hardly deliver. That being said I think $350 is a very fair price.

[Jaz]

Look at it this way sol, a did company usually takes most of the money then pays a dj, your just cutting out the middle man

[Cupe]

it's a good and very competitive price =D>

sol is becoming the hero but we have a blank spot in the journey for some reason

[Vaughn]

Z2H?

[andyman]

I remember the days when Sol was charging some bullshit price like $15 bucks an hour or some shit.

Look at him now.

I feel like I'm watching my own son grow up.

[SolDios]

That price is for weddings, my current rate is $40 an hour + $40 setup fee

Weddings for me involve alot of mc work, and preparation, as you can't risk a stuff up, and you want to keep your setup looking the best it possibly can.

I would love to charge more, but my area is abit of a "Low - Mid" socio economic area (I hate using that word)

If I charge any more, im not going to get any gig's. :/

But still, I get $200 a gig that way, so im pretty happy.

[MelodyIlliterate]

Are you confident at MCing Solly?

If not you could tell them that you charge less because your un experienced at MCing but you will be more than happy to supply the microphone if they elect their best man(for example) as their MC

Just food for though bro...

[SolDios]

Im 100% fine with all mc work, I have done heaps of public speaking in the past, heck I even spoke on the news.

[Mitch]

heck I even spoke on the news.

How could we ever forget

[AlexJ]

heck I even spoke on the news.

How could we ever forget

If there is a link floating around somewhere, could someone be so kind?

And yer Sol, i think your prices are fair. I charged 500 for my cousins wedding last weekend inclusive of my travel costs to the event. They put me up in a nice cushy hotel room for the night so couldnt complain. Stress less bro.

Mcing you'll be right. Just avoid insulting people. which is no brainer.

GL though man

[DJBigKev]

even Mobydisc charges more than that, you should be charging min $100 an hour + traveling time plus time you spend meeting with the clients. remember a 5 gig works out to be 9+ hours when you add up time for loading up, driving to, unloading and seting up, time to pack up at the end of the night, drive back home and then unload. and thats no including time you spend meeting with them, on the phone, time chasing up those special songs the bride wants.

I've seen MC's charge more than $350

Weddings is a specialised Job

[Jaz]

$100 an hour...not sure if serious, way to much, you will end up being someone's story to another DJ, customer to different dj "Oh your much cheaper, this other guy was trying to charge me $100 and hour"

as a mobile DJ you here that story all the time, don't become that person

[Robsta]

Maybe I should start charging hourly

The three parties I've done were $120, $120 and $150 respectively

That being said however, there was no set time and I just started playing when everyone was intoxicated enough C:

[Lurk6r]

What lights and speakers do you have robusta?

[Robsta]

What lights and speakers do you have robusta?

A strobe I won in an arcade machine C:

And I've gotten them to hire speakers or offer to do it myself for a little extra

[Vaughn]

Every whale lowballs the shit out of me, i bring lighting, equipment, speakers and my own table and they expect me to do it for less then $100 and i generally do it for 90-150 as i always need the money

[legunner]

I charge 50 an hour if I don't have to bring speakers/lighting

100 if I bring all the shit