Bismarck | Dude Walker

How Much Do You Charge?

Dude Walker — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 09:11:11 +0000

How Much Do You Charge

How Much Do You Charge?
By Dude Walker

How Much Do You Charge? Perhaps the 5 most dangerous words you can ask any vendor as your initial question, especially entertainment. Date availability, areas of expertise and event length can play a significant role in determining the investment.

How Much Do You Charge has become the question that traps many of those planning a wedding, and setting them up for buyer’s remorse after the hysteria around the wedding subsides. Planning your wedding today is fraught with seemingly endless options. You may find yourself long on want, but short on means. Finding qualified and experienced wedding vendors is very important and needs to be a priority when starting your wedding planning process. There are few areas of your reception that are as important as entertainment, being as music is absolutely vital to the overall success of your reception.

There are some very simple steps that you can take to help turn the wedding bell whoa and woes into WOW’s.

Step 1:

Put yourself into the right frame of mind. When it comes to quality, it can’t be the best if it’s cheaper than the rest. No matter how long you polish a penny you can’t turn it into gold.

Step 2:

Set two budgets.

Budget #1: The Ballpark Budget: Generally speaking around 30% of the bride and groom’s total annual income or around $100 per guest.

Budget #2: The Commitment Budget: Generally speaking your comfort zone. Pick an amount within reason, in reference to your ballpark budget, that you and your fiance can feel good about as you plan your special day. Don’t be scared, but be cautious about exceeding your commitment budget.

⇓ DOWNLOAD ⇓
Sample Wedding Budget Checklist Here

Step 3:

Get your priorities straight. Prioritize your wedding plans by importance. If a wedding dance is not a number one priority to you, go without and consider using that portion of your wedding budget elsewhere. However, if you recognize that entertainment is the lifeblood of your reception, consider prioritizing your budget to reflect your needs. Keep in mind that a hasty decision to hire an under-qualified low priced mobile DJ, in reality, ends up costing you more when they fail to connect with your guests and your guests end up wandering off or leaving early.

Step 4:

Set up a separate account for your wedding. It will help you keep an eye on costs and assure you that you only use those funds for your wedding purchases.

Step 5:

Choose your wedding date and reserve your church or reception site immediately. Wedding costs can vary greatly depending on the time of year they occur.

Step 6:

Get control of your guest list. Build a guest list of family and friends that are closest to you and work your way out to your outer circle friends and co-workers who might not make the guest list cut if cutbacks need to be made. Keep a close eye on your commitment budget. Difficult as it may be, you may find it necessary to trim the guest list or go without to stay on budget. Sacrificing quality for quantity is one of the quickest ways to experience wedding buyer’s remorse.

Step 7:

Choose wedding entertainment wisely. Make your entertainment selection based on experience and talent first, price second. Be wary of false testimonials and credentials. The wedding industry is filled with impostors that are long on promise and short on delivery. Don’t hire entertainment that is not fully insured and registered with the secretary of state. Insist on meeting in person to interview potential entertainment and require that you get everything in writing.

Step 8:

Know what you want and why. Wedding vendors want your business, however, there are real costs involved in making your dreams come true. There’s nothing wrong with asking to scale back the services offered by the wedding vendor you want if those services don’t fit you or your wedding day. However, not asking guarantees you’ll make the wrong choice by focusing on price associated with things you don’t want or need.

Step 9:

Avoid the iPod, iPad, personal laptop or MP3 Player! There has been a recent trend among today’s couples to load an iPod, iPad, personal laptop or MP3 Player with songs and let that be their wedding entertainment. One thing most of them forget until they are in the midst of a failing DIY reception, is that the entertainer, not the equipment, can make or break your wedding reception. Qualified mobile DJs know that there is little margin for error when reading a room, crowd and dance floor. An iPod, iPad, personal laptop or MP3 Player completely ignores the essence of drawing upon experience of knowing what to play and when to play it to keep your dance floor alive. If your reception is a back yard barbecue without any desires for dancing, then maybe an iPod, iPad, personal laptop or MP3 Player would be for you. But, very few have looked back on the DIY route as a good decision for their reception.

Step 10:

Avoid the friend, friend of a friend, college buddy, roommate, co-worker or relative that thinks they can DJ! Music is subjective, people are judgmental. Trying to save money this way can lead to hard feelings and resentments that can last years, if not a lifetime.

Investing a little bit of time and asking your potential vendors the right questions and basing your decisions on the things that truly matter will go a long way in assuring you that WOW wedding most couples dream of!

Check DJ Pricing & Packages

Dude Walker can be reached at : dudewalker@dudewalker.org

The post How Much Do You Charge? first appeared on Dude Walker.

Book A DJ Now

Dude Walker — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 16:05:52 +0000

I’m Ready and I Would Like To Book My DJ

To receive a contract for your event, please fill out the form below.

Upon receipt of this form we will contact you to confirm your booking request
– and –
send you a contract for the date you’ve indicated.

Fields marked with ** are required fields and must be filled out.

If you are unable to see this form please send us a direct e-mail
concerning your event: admin@dudewalker.org

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Bismarck ND Wedding DJ Rates Packages and Pricing

Dude Walker — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 15:00:23 +0000

Wedding DJ Packages
and
Pricing for Bismarck, ND

There is simply NO “one price fits all” option when considering the multitude of wedding entertainment options available to wedding planners. Planning your Bismarck, ND wedding can be a time consuming task.

How much does a wedding DJ cost? Use our handy Instant DJ Price Checker to get an instant wedding DJ rate quote within two clicks.

Here’s the best part! You don’t have to create an account to view our pricing.

Click 1: How long will your wedding dance be?

Dude Walker’s Music On Wheels Bismarck Wedding DJs can help you take the guesswork out of finding the right Disc Jockey / Emcee for your event, assuring that you can stay within your wedding budget.

Whether you need wedding song suggestions, wedding dinner music or special wedding reception lighting decor, we take the time that is necessary and meet with you to customize your event. We’ll help you avoid your guests thinking that you’ve planned a cheap wedding.

Understanding DJ Skill Level vs Pricing »
Key Questions To Ask Before You Hire A DJ »

< RETURN TO COMPARE ALL WEDDING PACKAGES >

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Wedding DJ Bismarck ND September 17th Amvets

Dude Walker — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 07:50:16 +0000

Sep 17th | 10 ★ Interactive DJ, Bismarck, ND

“Great job!” – Pat of Bismarck, ND

<< Back to September Ratings Reviews Comments Testimonials

<< Back to Comments Reviews & Testimonials

Dude Walker’s
Music On Wheels
Wedding DJ’s of Fargo ND
in Bismarck ND

Sub Category:
Bismarck DJs
Wedding DJs in Bismarck
DJ Bismarck ND

Venue:
Amvets, Bismarck ND

The post Wedding DJ Bismarck ND September 17th Amvets first appeared on Dude Walker.

3 Essential Tips in Hiring A Wedding DJ or Band

Dude Walker — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:53:10 +0000

Wedding DJs, Bands and wedding themes come in all shape & sizes.

Abilities, credentials and actual experience are directly related to whether or not your wedding reception will be a successful, well planned, family oriented event.

During the selection process you’ll discover Wedding DJs and Bands that range from timid to theatrical.

Understanding the “differences” between entertainers and how to plan a wedding is your responsibility when you serve as your own wedding planner.

Making the best informed choice can begin by visiting a good wedding website, picking up an informative wedding magazine or finding a useful wedding guide. You need to feel confident, when planning a wedding reception, that your DJ or Band entertainment won’t make it look like you planned a cheap wedding…whether or not you are working with a small wedding budget to keep your wedding affordable.

Hiring a Wedding DJ or band to fit your wedding theme can be simplified by applying 3 Essential Wedding Tips in your selection process.

KNOW – Your DJ or Band

LIKE – Your DJ or Band

TRUST – Your DJ or Band

KNOWING YOUR DJ or Band; requires involvement and interest on your part to discover experience, behavior and traits that will compliment you, your wedding guest list and your great wedding ideas.

What do you really know about your DJ or Band?
Does your DJ or Band have good wedding etiquette?
Has your DJ or Band performed several successful wedding receptions?
Does your DJ or Band possess good wedding planning skills?
Does your DJ or Band work well with other wedding services?

Ask questions that require more than simple yes or no answers. Try to discover whether you have things in common with your DJ or Band that can establish a positive working chemistry to benefit you and your wedding program.

LIKING YOUR DJ or Band; is essential in fostering a successful wedding plan. One of the most common mistakes people make is to focus on finding cheap wedding ideas or the lowest price rather than taking the time to discover the greatest value for the dollar. Liking your DJ or Band has less to do with price and more to do with what your DJ or Band is capable of handling for you on your behalf so that you many enjoy your wedding day. Assuming that your DJ or Band will provide a service, skill or item will almost always lead to resentment for all parties involved. You should always have a level of comfort to be able to ask questions or whether or not something is included. Most Professional Disc Jockeys or Bands are willing to go the extra mile if they are given the opportunity to cover costs incurred on your behalf.

TRUSTING YOUR DJ or Band; should be the basis of your entire entertainment decision BEFORE you book your Disc Jockey or Band. Trust creates a safe environment to allow you to reveal to your DJ or Band who you really are and what your “wedding picture” is along with your unique wedding ideas to keep your wedding planning timeline on target. Your DJ or Band has to get to know the real you and your wedding plans to properly assist in keeping your guests feeling invited. Trust opens the door to honest communication in wedding planning. You can’t communicate honestly if you’re always second-guessing how your DJ or Band will react to your creative wedding ideas, wedding songs or whether they try to change your wedding plans to fit their agenda.

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