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so i get an email regarding a wedding, and i quote using the copy and paste

"(so & so) gave me your number and email and said you did her brothers wedding and that you were really good. we are looking for a dj for our wedding we have a mixed crowd of 120 people but we want a dj who is not going to play any crap music like hip hop, house, dance, pop, rock or music from the 90s and 80's or old stuff... (followed by other incoherent gibberish) .... we can go up to $120 if you are really good"

Sounds like a fun crowd :) How do these people come up with these ideas? this was my look for a while...
 
Posté Thu 29 Mar 12 @ 10:41 pm
how would you reply to this email? smh
 
This would be my reply...

I am glad that you have heard about my services but I have a couple of questions 1. is what is the date of the wedding 2. what is the time of the hours that if we come to terms that I would be working... 3. What type of music would you like played? & also my fee is ( whatever your price is ) & I need a deposit of (whatever your deposit would be ) with the remaining balance due upon my arrival.
 
If i recieved a Email like that. I wont respond back... Why bother.
 
id probably mail back and say

"$120? no crap music? will 1 hour of gospel be enough?"
 
It could be genuine but it's more likely to be another DJ having a laugh, I think I'd be more worried if it was genuine.

Personally I think it's a non starter either way, my advise would be to ignore it.
 
Generally what i do with gigs i'm not interested in is ask them the date, and then let them know that I'm fully booked for that weekend.

I'm not sure how people arrive at these conclusions and ideas, the funny thing is that i get these type of people all the time.
A couple of weeks ago i met with a couple who said not to play any "corny" music, when i asked them for an example they didn't know, so i asked them "what if one of your guests requests it?" and then they had the stupid look on their face... then they said to play whatever was going to get people to dance...

I always try to educate these people by explaining to them that for weddings there is a wide age group and that the dj should play music for all of them, obviously not one hour sets, but good wedding djs must entertain everyone and try to get everyone out to the dance floor...

Some people just don't know what they want, and can't put the words together to explain what they need...
 
Here is how I would respond...

"Thank you for contacting our company! We are always happy to meet new people, and make new friends! Sadly, we do not give written quotes. All to often people take our quote to another DJ, who promises to beat any price.

If we may be so bold, however, please allow us to give you some advice. After servicing the wedding industry off and on for the last 25 years, we have learned one thing. There are three areas it is not wise to skimp on, for your special day.

#1. The Food. Food has a unique ability to bring people together. "Breaking bread" means join in fellowship, as friends.

#2. The photographer/videographer. The pictures/video will be with you forever. Hiring a competent professional to provide this service is essential to lasting mementos of your special day.

#3. The entertainment. We set the tone for your event. A good DJ will provide fun for all of the people you love. We will make them dance, or just tap their toes. A good DJ will make your reception, a bad DJ will ruin your reception.

If you would still like a quote contact us at 555-555-5555 to discuss our rates.

Yours very truly:

Terry M. Martin
Owner, Positive Spin Music
www.positivespinmusic.com"

If that looks like it was copy/pasted, it is. That is our standard reply to anyone asking for a quote. I did change the phone number, for obvious reasons.
 
this would be reason number 48 why i don't do weddings!

Teary is right though - a good professional response that doesn't burn bridges for the future is much better than what they deserve ($120 is their dj budget? - it's gonna be a Jerry Springer themed wedding at the trailer park! yeehaw!)

"No crap music" - Ma'am, i have an extensive collection of tibetan throat singing and that i would be glad to bring to the party! i would love to see the rest of the "incoherent gibberish"!

you mobile and wedding guys have more patience than i do. more power to ya's!
 
I've been doing weddings for about 2 years. Never had such ridiculous requests... If that would be the case I would have quit a lot sooner....
(BTW I quit because the company that hired me had some weird thoughts about pricing..... Maybe I should start for myself... :p)
 
Martin FourS wrote :
I've been doing weddings for about 2 years. Never had such ridiculous requests... If that would be the case I would have quit a lot sooner....
(BTW I quit because the company that hired me had some weird thoughts about pricing..... Maybe I should start for myself... :p)


As well as you should.

There is a lot of money in the wedding industry if you know how and where to go. $1200 to $2000 for one's day work which is usually less than 7 hours is really not bad money.

The problem is to weed yourself out of the "low budget" DJs.

Playing music at a wedding is about 10% of what I do as a "Wedding DJ"

For $120 they are better off renting a PA system and using their iPhone.
 
So what is the other 90%? I'm looking to go into the wedding aspect of DJ'ing and the money for one days work is sure worth it, but how do you "weed yourself out" from the lower djs?
 

The other 90% include but it's not limited to (in no particular order):

Knowing what equipment to use
Handling the Bridezilas and MOBs (mother-of-brides)
MC-ing
Planning the whole night
Making sure everyone runs according to plan
Presentation (yourself and your equipment)
Use of space
Time management


First step of weeding yourself out would probably be to go to craiglist and search for DJs. Find those that say 'we specialize in weddings, birthdays bat/barmitzvahs, quinceaneras, bridal showers, company events" and have a price tag of "500" or less.

Might as well say "we specialize in everything"
 
Dj Arum wrote :
how do you "weed yourself out" from the lower djs?


You set your price, and stick to it....
 
Not every person is you're client! ;-)
 
Ticoindamix wrote :
There is a lot of money in the wedding industry if you know how and where to go. $1200 to $2000 for one's day work which is usually less than 7 hours is really not bad money.


If you are going to specialize in weddings and are looking to make said paycheck, be prepared to invest 30 to 40 hours into each event to get it right. Sure it may be 7 hours of performance time, but what about meeting with your clients multiple times, the continual phone conversations and emails, co-ordinating with the venue and other vendors (photographer, caterer, etc)? That all takes time, dedication and perseverance.

If you go in thinking that you're going to make $1200 - $2000 for 7 hours work, you are setting yourself up for failure. Offering your client something that sets their wedding apart from every other event and dedicating the time necessary to plan it will make it successful.

Now back on topic: If you ignore the email, you could potentially be hurting your own business as most of our clientele is based on referral. When a friend or family member asks "what about (your company name here)?", the inquirer will simply state that you didn't respond giving any potential clients who are willing to pay for your services reason not to contact you. All emails should get a response no matter how absurd they may be. TearEmUp's post above is a perfect example of this.
 
i too think you should respond with a polite response

TearEmUp's is an excellent example


i wonder if Renee' couldn't hook us up with a "Jerry Springer trailer park wedding reception video" ....

don't forget the Tibetan Throat Singing .......
 
superaceman wrote :
Ticoindamix wrote :
There is a lot of money in the wedding industry if you know how and where to go. $1200 to $2000 for one's day work which is usually less than 7 hours is really not bad money.


If you are going to specialize in weddings and are looking to make said paycheck, be prepared to invest 30 to 40 hours into each event to get it right. Sure it may be 7 hours of performance time, but what about meeting with your clients multiple times, the continual phone conversations and emails, co-ordinating with the venue and other vendors (photographer, caterer, etc)? That all takes time, dedication and perseverance.

If you go in thinking that you're going to make $1200 - $2000 for 7 hours work, you are setting yourself up for failure. Offering your client something that sets their wedding apart from every other event and dedicating the time necessary to plan it will make it successful.


I'm not sure how you run your business. I do not spend more than 4 hours outside the 5 to 6 performing hours with each client, and I AM making that money.

I've never had to coordinate anything with the Venue, except 1 simple 5 minute phone call to find out whether they are booked for that date with said client and if they require proof of liability insurance.

The schedule is emailed and there is no need for "multiple meetings" with the client. There are forms which contain all the info the clients need to fill out.

Oh and those prices don't even include uplighting.
 
Really? Not one sight inspection, to make sure they have sufficient power outlets? I carry 50' of extension cables, and that's it. Not one pre-signing meeting to make sure you're a good fit for the bride and groom? I've turned down jobs, if I thought it wasn't a good fit. No purchasing music, to ensure you have their requests lined up, in advance? Not one phone all to the photographer/videographer to discuss how they prefer handling different events? That is what we do for every wedding. There's more, but that is an example of how I run my company....
 
Ticoindamix wrote :
I'm not sure how you run your business. I do not spend more than 4 hours outside the 5 to 6 performing hours with each client, and I AM making that money.


So by this statement you are either working for a multi-op/booking agent that does all the prep work for you or you're some sort of miracle worker that can read your clients every thought in advance.
 
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