Thread: About charging more for weddings...

Do you? I do not. There are several reasons for this.

1) When I was plannign my own wedding, I HATED the fact that everything was more expensive just because it was a wedding. Just because I am getting married does not mean my pockets are lined with gold

2) Maybe I have been lucky, but most weddings I have danced for have not been for bridezillas. They do not require any extra planning or meetings than a normal gig. Sure, the bride might request a certain color costume, but even the client hiring me for Uncle Bob's 60th has been known to request a certain costume.

3) I find that wedding gigs are actually EASIER and LESS stressfull - because they either have planners who will contact you in the days leading up to the wedding and give you the schedule and exact time you will be going on, or there is a maitre'd there when you arrive to show you to your private dressing area, give the dj your music, and come get you when you go on. I have never performed at a wedding where I have had to get ready in the bathroom or the kitchen, like I do at most "normal" gigs. At weddings, I ALWAYS have a bridal suite or other large room with mirrors and a locked door to prepare.

I don't do extra work for weddings, so I don't see why I should charge more. I always go over details like time, music, cosutming, etc., with all my clients - This is standard business practice for me, not something I reserve for "special gigs".

If, however, the client wants to meet ahead of time, then I will charge for that meeting seperately (work it into my initial contract, but the fee will be for a planning meeting and not the performance). I have only had ONE bride ask for a planning meeting in all the years I've been doing this - I have, however, had to have planning meetings for several Sweet 16's and Quince's.

I think this video, while not about bellydancing, is hilarious demonstrates exactly why I don't charge more for the same service just because the event is a wedding:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gimiDBAK2wA]YouTube - "Wedding cake" from Man Stroke Woman[/ame]

What do the other professionals in your area do? Seems like a good idea to charge whatever "normal" is.

My personal policy is to charge for weddings based on the requirements of the gig. If it is a 10-15 minute show at a reception with no special requests or extra work required on my part, then I charge my general private party rates.

For anything more - zeffa, shamadan, multiple sets, coordinating other dancers, specific music set selection, etc., I charge a specific wedding rate which is higher than my private party rates and can be much higher based on the individual wedding parameters. For most weddings, I have been contracted for a full show with extras and required to be there for a much longer time than a standard gig, so the additional charges make up for the additional time and work. It is not unusual for wedding shows to cost twice my regular private party rates simply due to all of the timing/coordination/rehearsal extras required.

As always, I would see what the standard is in your area and consider it when deciding how to charge for these kinds of events. It sounds like you have been really fortunate to have some very smooth wedding shows, but my experience has been different. Most wedding shows have required a lot of additional planning and extra rehearsals when compared to my parties and other events.

Originally Posted by tigerb

What do the other professionals in your area do? Seems like a good idea to charge whatever "normal" is.

Well, it's hard to tell. Many dancers don't list prices on their website, but for those that do, mostly it just differentiates between "Standard Set" and "Wedding", without going into what the extra charge for "wedding" is.

If the "wedding" shows are longer, have more props, have two sets, have additional dancers, then sure I can see why the price would be higher. I would charge more for any of those things as well.

But if it's just the same show (like the same "cake" in that video clip) but more $ because it's labeled a "wedding" show, then........c::

Like I said before, weddings aren't the only type of gigs to request/demand extras. I think each gig needs to be looked at seperately.

So, I'm not sure exactly what other pros in my area are charging for when they charge more for "weddings".

Good question! I'm with you, Daniela. I hated that random extra charging for stuff when I was planning my wedding, too.

I would charge extra if there were meetings, tons of extra planning or rehearsals, a zeffa, or if I sensed a major PITA charge was in order. For just a standard set I charge my usual party rate.

Maybe I've been lucky but I really haven't found wedding gigs to be extra work or hassle. When I set my rates I had concerns about waiting-around time with weddings running behind schedule but I haven't found that to be much of a problem either.

As for requesting colors, I will accomodate that for free as long as I have a costume in my wardrobe that color but it hardly ever comes up.

You know, I've been dancing for three decades and haven't done very many weddings, which seems odd given the number of Bhuzzers who seem to do them all the time . . . . Could be my area's demographics, or the same two or three dancers do all the weddings by word of mouth -- or not. Who knows?

Anyway, I understand what you are saying, Daniela and you're right, any party can quickly become a PITA, or not so much a PITA as a bit more *involved* than we think it ought to be. To deal with some of this, I have a clause in my contract that speaks to "wait time" for over a certain amount: an additional fee is required and is spelled out specifically.

Although I've done relatively few weddings, they did seem to have a bit more waiting around than the average party, hence the built-in extra fee. My additional fee is relatively modest, about 20% more than the usual party fee for that particular length of performance. I have no other upcharge for weddings; for example, to me, props are props and are included in any fee I quote.

I hear ya about wedding costs: my #1 daughter is getting married this fall (I'm sooooo excited!) and we both long ago determined that we'll be staying away from anything that says "bridal" just to keep the costs down!

Deborah

I charge more for weddings, because 1. that's the norm in my area, and 2. weddings often involve extra pre-show coordination, extra attention to detail, and occasionally pre-show meetups. Plus, there's usually an extra wait, and I'll often do two audience participation songs instead of one. If I had a low-maintenance bride who wanted 15 minutes and said "I don't care what you do or wear, just surprise me!" I would charge my regular rate.

Then again, I don't just do this for weddings. I charge a LOT for corporate events (often significantly higher than my wedding rate) because they can be somewhat random, and because corporate clients often require in-person go-see's and twice as much hand-holding as any nervous bride.

And it's not just weddings and corporate events. Last year, a tanning salon wanted me to jump out of a giant coffin carried by 4 shirtless men and dance for 30 minutes. (I believe they wanted me to give a "mini lesson" after the show, too). They said it would require a few rehearsals. I quoted about $500 ..l;,

More prep = higher price. Whether it's a wedding, corporate event, or coffin-popping wonder gig. .w.:..l;,

weddings are great because they are already spending money on nice flowers, catering, music etc.

I think if someone marketed themselves properly in Hawaii they could BANK on weddings..since we have so many here

It's not just weddings, as Satin said, it's corporate events too.
Basically- any event that has "more players" and more "things" to coordinate means more possibility for wait around time.
The higher fee has automatic "built in" extra wait around time because it is more likely there will be *something* effecting the time line.
I want to be sure to have that extra flexibility for her special day to lessen the stress on *her* (and me).
I really DON'T want to tap my watch and have to say "Yea, I know it's your wedding and all, but it'll be an extra $50 if I don't dance within 20 minutes" or something. It's MUCH more peaceful for all if I can smile and wait (within reason) and say with a smile, "no problem. It's all taken care of. I'm right here and ready when you need me to dance. Just let me know."

For all of your good wedding luck, I've had the bad. The clients have all been wonderful, but almost every wedding I've danced at has run late or has moved the performance time at the last minute.

After the first wedding gig where that happened (which made me late for my second gig), I started adding in an extra fee because of it to pretty much say to the client "I'm yours for the night and I won't book another gig within two hours of your wedding performance."

I don't call this a "wedding" package, I refer to it as the all inclusive or flat rate package because it applies to any event wedding, corporate or private party that doesn't want to deal with possible late charges.

I guess my thing is that I'm all for charging more for more "stuff" - props, time, rehearsal, etc - but the bride in me cringes when any vendor charges more as soon as they hear the word "wedding". In my experience, wedding does not necessarily mean "more" of anything, and most times it is quite the opposite.

It is clearly stated in my contracts that I cannot guarantee I will be able to perform if the show is XX minutes later than originally planned, due to possible multiple bookings in one night, and if I do late charges begin accruing by the minute. Brides, as well as all my clients, agree to this when they sign my contract. I guess if a bride had a problem with the timing, they could ask that I stick around longer, or not book any other events that night, and then I would increase my fee accordingly.

But again, in my experience (maybe I've just been very lucky, but I've been dancing professionally for 7 years!), weddings are the most organized of all events, with strict timelines that either the planners or the maitre'd's stick too within reason. Maybe it's a regional thing?

Originally Posted by crystalllized

For all of your good wedding luck, I've had the bad. The clients have all been wonderful, but almost every wedding I've danced at has run late or has moved the performance time at the last minute.

After the first wedding gig where that happened (which made me late for my second gig), I started adding in an extra fee because of it to pretty much say to the client "I'm yours for the night and I won't book another gig within two hours of your wedding performance."

I don't call this a "wedding" package, I refer to it as the all inclusive or flat rate package because it applies to any event wedding, corporate or private party that doesn't want to deal with possible late charges.

I like this option - offering an "all inclusive" package that allows for a time cushion. That way, if a bride wants flexibility in timing, she can pay for it. Otherwise, she knows she has to stick to a schedule or pay you more. And low-maintenance brides who are sick of being hosed by the wedding industry would appreciate that!

Originally Posted by jesennia

weddings are great because they are already spending money on nice flowers, catering, music etc.

I think if someone marketed themselves properly in Hawaii they could BANK on weddings..since we have so many here

See, that's exactly why I think it's unfair to charge more! Vendors assume that, because you are spending all this money with other vendors, you have unlimited amounts of it and they can charge you more. When in reality, you are getting a second mortgage on your home to pay for it all and would really, really appreciate someone charging you their ACTUAL price, instead of a "wedding markup"!

I'm sort of in the middle on this ...

On the one hand, I don't like it when there is a markup just because there is "wedding" in the type of service. A show is a show, period. And, true, some of the weddings I've seen are among the most tightly-organized events around, and the easiest to deal with. I know there is a sound system and a staff member who will "stage manage" the various elements of the evening, there will be a decent place to change, and so on.

Then again, it's someone's wedding! It's a really important event! I try to leave extra time so in case there are delays or snafus of any sort I can sort them out and still be on time and prepared no matter what. I like to get there early and introduce myself to the DJ and/or MC and give him my CD, scope out the space, test the floor discreetly in my blendable-with-the-crowd street clothes, and be dressed and warmed up early in case of ... who knows!

Yes, cushion time, yes a little extra prep. Sometimes a little extra planning. I also think this depends upon the area; Wedding styles may vary region to region, and how much the bride micromanages things may vary from culture to culture, so one way of doing things may not be reasonable for all of us.

Yes, I too hate the wedding markup, and I refuse to double my prices, simply on principal. Just the same as I refuse to bring a gift for every child when I do birthday party workshops - because I don't want to contribute to our hyper-consumerist culture or the mounds of plastic crap already in the world. ,m::

And yet, I do charge just a little more for a wedding (or at least, the top of my usual price range) because of the expected extra wait time. If I'm dancing at Uncle Jo's party, I don't feel so bad saying "I'm sorry, I can wait an extra 15 minutes but no longer, because I have another gig straight after." I just couldn't do that at a wedding...you can't throw a mini-tantrum at being kept waiting, and throw yourself on the dance floor in the middle of the father-of-the-bride's speech.

I love the suggestion of a 'wedding package' where extra wait-time is included and you don't book another gig back-to-back. Just at a reasonable extra fee, not at exhorbitant one!

i definitely charge more for corporate events, because of the extra hassle and prep time.

i can imagine dancing at huge lavish 100nds of people weddings in the us is more like a corporate event... i think coordinating with your colleagues on prices is best here.

same here, weddings generally dont get a higher price, but they get "the" highest price. they dont get the bellygram option offered to them.

most weddings i've done have been out of my area and i charged higher because of that. i'm not sure what i'd do if it was around the corner and a short gig request.

Originally Posted by crystalllized

I don't call this a "wedding" package, I refer to it as the all inclusive or flat rate package because it applies to any event wedding, corporate or private party that doesn't want to deal with possible late charges.

is there a wedding mark up for other services in the usa too? i've never really heard of it here.

i'm planning mine and the flowers, the dessert caterer, the band, the rental party-tents... they are all fixed prices i got from these people's website (who do alll kinds of parties and events, not just weddings). no difference between the wedding and the non wedding price there.

ooh, except photographers, the prices there are INSANE and MUCH higher than when you hire them for something else. i had to look for a LONG time before i found one that agreed on us not buying the full deal package (i aint doing an evening party, and no opening dance, and i dont want pictures of the bride getting ready in the morning in my crappy in renovation house, i ONLY want pics of the service and some family shots before and after!). i could only find full day package deals (12 hour days) for insane prices, and had to look for a long time to find (a professional) one that agreed to come for a few hours only, like they do for other, shorter events. found plenty of crap amateurs wanting to do that, but i got lucky and found a good pro that actually listened and came up with a package price catered to my not full day wedding.

ok, back on topic

We charge more for weddings because they are are NOT like a vanilla-dance-gig where the customer gives us the general requirements over the phone and Ruric proceeds to decide on the specific costumes, the music, the dancers who will accompany her, the timing, etc. For many of our wedding gigs, the customer wants to meet first, see the proposed costume(s), chose the music, select the props, see full-body pictures of any accompanying dancers and specify the acceptable costuming for them. (This is one reason our costume room is so organized: to impress folks who insist on SEEING the costumes!) Then they want to change the specs and renegotiate. This may be because most of our wedding gigs are for middle eastern families, I don't know. (Conservative Christian Louisville tends to hire different entertainment for their weddings).

Believe me, if weddings were the same amount of work as a normal party we would be happy to charge the same amount, rather than risk losing gigs because we are perceived as overpriced for weddings. We USED to charge the same amount. We learned better.

Galas (corporate or personal), ditto, because it often involves a personal meeting to seal the deal AND a trip to the proposed venue to check out the layout and make sure there really IS room for 1 - 3 - 6 - 9 dancers to dance and that there really IS a dressing room. And you can count on all that changing anyway when the dj / set designer / band shows up on the day-of and makes themselves comfortable with their equipment / instruments/ wires / multiple drumsets / two pianos / strobe lights / girlfriends / second-cousins-twice-removed-who-want-to-dance-too. At that point, a rework of the plan is essential because there is no way you are going to get those extra pianos off the stage without a gun, no matter HOW 'unfair' it seems.

We KISS it by not charging extra for props or for costume changes or for 'reasonable' performance time slippage. We charge extra for mileage and for lugging a sound system.

That's our story and I'm sticking to it.

Originally Posted by artemisia_danst

is there a wedding mark up for other services in the usa too? i've never really heard of it here.

Yes, there is generally a big difference in price when you are booking anything for a wedding, as opposed to the same service for any other event.

For example, my hair stylist charges $85 to do your hair for an event, but $125 to do your hair if you are getting married. Why? She's not going to do a crappy job if it's for your Sweet 16 instead of your wedding.

Same deal with my makeup artist - I think her markup is actually double.

I bought my wedding shoes from a "wedding shoe store" for almost $300. I found them on zappos after that for $200. (My own fault for not being a smart shopper, but I got caught up in going to a "wedding shoe store"...)


It really is the like the video I posted - just mention the word "wedding" and people start seeing dollar signs.

the couple of weddings i've done were all
one or two phone calls and emails and agree

arrive-change-dance-cover up and picture time-change-
get paid-repeat ten times i dont need to sit down and eat-get stuff wrapped to take home as compromise-leave. i've never ever been asked for specific colours or prewedding meet ups (i have been often for corporate and charge accordingly for those).

but if what you describe is what most wedding are like, hell yeah, corporate prices all the way. same hassle same price;

we have very few weddings with dancers here. most i've done have been either friends/other dancers OR mixed couples (arab with belgian girl/boy). where the issue has mostly been to make damn sure beforehand they check whether or not the inlaws want a dancers. (oops, we forget to ask, maybe it should be a suprise: me: NO, ASK! and then either next day they hire or find out the inlaws dont want a "slut")

Originally Posted by maurazebra

We charge more for weddings because they are are NOT like a vanilla-dance-gig where the customer gives us the general requirements over the phone and Ruric proceeds to decide on the specific costumes, the music, the dancers who will accompany her, the timing, etc. For many of our wedding gigs, the customer wants to meet first, see the proposed costume(s), chose the music, select the props, see full-body pictures of any accompanying dancers and specify the acceptable costuming for them. (This is one reason our costume room is so organized: to impress folks who insist on SEEING the costumes!) Then they want to change the specs and renegotiate. This may be because most of our wedding gigs are for middle eastern families, I don't know. (Conservative Christian Louisville tends to hire different entertainment for their weddings).
.

I've only danced for one wedding, and after waiting to start for an HOUR while the bride & groom & friends apparently drove around for a joy ride in their stretch Hummer, I was happy that I had a.) charged more, and b.) not booked anything until much later that evening.

Originally Posted by crystalllized

After the first wedding gig where that happened (which made me late for my second gig), I started adding in an extra fee because of it to pretty much say to the client "I'm yours for the night and I won't book another gig within two hours of your wedding performance."

Yeah, this. A lot of brides express an audible sigh of relief when I tell them that I don't double book on nights when I'm doing a wedding. Who wants a belly dancer who shows up smelling like shisha from dancing at Hakim's Hookah Hut, or a dancer who's getting antsy because she has to duck out early to go dance for Uncle Bob's backyard barbecue? I like to make brides my top priority because their wedding day IS a big deal.

Plus, I get a little but nutzy about details when I'm planning a wedding. For weddings, I'm more inclined to purchase a special CD because I need the song, or match props/accessories to the bridal decor. For instance, I'm doing a wedding where the floral arrangements will have ostrich feathers and the bridesmaids will have feather fascinators in their hair. And I think it would be a special touch to buy some peacock feather fans in a color that matches my costume. My higher rate provides a buffer for "extras" like this.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Yeah, this. A lot of brides express an audible sigh of relief when I tell them that I don't double book on nights when I'm doing a wedding...

My typical wedding rate is only $25 more than my regular rate. Not enough to book me for the whole night... BUT enough to have extra buffer time nonetheless. I think it's a reasonable "happy medium."
Some events run like clockwork. Many do not. The more people involved the more there is possibility of something effecting the time line. Even the most micro-managing bride or event coordinator cannot fix baking disasters, traffic, needy bridesmaids, in-laws with meltdowns, make up artists who are reallllly sloooooow, photographs taking extra time etc.
For a me, a small amount of $ to cover a little bit of buffer time is generally all that's needed.
If they were to pay for my whole night - it's going to be $800 plus because I'd be missing other gigs. That's certainly do-able, but I don't quote it unless someone asks me to go out of town and thus really is booking my whole evening.

Originally Posted by SatinWorship19

Yeah, this. A lot of brides express an audible sigh of relief when I tell them that I don't double book on nights when I'm doing a wedding. Who wants a belly dancer who shows up smelling like shisha from dancing at Hakim's Hookah Hut, or a dancer who's getting antsy because she has to duck out early to go dance for Uncle Bob's backyard barbecue? I like to make brides my top priority because their wedding day IS a big deal.

Plus, I get a little but nutzy about details when I'm planning a wedding. For weddings, I'm more inclined to purchase a special CD because I need the song, or match props/accessories to the bridal decor. For instance, I'm doing a wedding where the floral arrangements will have ostrich feathers and the bridesmaids will have feather fascinators in their hair. And I think it would be a special touch to buy some peacock feather fans in a color that matches my costume. My higher rate provides a buffer for "extras" like this.

OMG, you are every brides' dream vendor! ..g.:

I think it's really just a matter of "you get what you pay for". I don't charge extra if I'm not doing extra work, but I won't hang around endlessly just because it's a wedding and I'm not going to do anything above and beyond what I do for ever gig - unless you pay me for it.

But I am definitely adding an "all inclusive" option to my website to give brides the option of paying more for having more of me. I like that idea.

Originally Posted by danielabellydance

But I am definitely adding an "all inclusive" option to my website to give brides the option of paying more for having more of me. I like that idea.

LOL Time insurance!

I think the all-inclusive idea is an ingenious one and will be adding it to my "menu".

I like menus too- my website states "starting at $250" which is the special package for folks who don't want to think about anything. The contract I keep next to the phone has a check box list for all the extras (from a hip scarf for the bride to a zeffa plus later perfomance) so I can give an accurate quote on the phone. That also gives me things I can take off when they start trying to negotiate a price. MY right-after-college-wedding was super low budget (wedding + honey moon for under $4000) and therefore had incentive to be a non-demanding bride- I was certainly picky, but I knew what I could get for my money & didn't push it! I will lower my rates for folks in that situation (by taking off add ons, not by asking less than full price for what I do!)

& yes, even the best planned weddings take extra time, in my limited experience- There are just so many people & things to coordinate, & talk about wild cards! the photographer's battery died & the after ceremony pics took longer. They put the cake in the wrong place & there's no space for dancing until they move it. new MIL is having a 'moment' in the powder room and we can't start the show without her (Lord save me from other people's MILs!) The bride overheated in 5 layers of silk in the middle of June & feels ill. It happens, I understand, but I also charge!

I do charge more for weddings. My private party rate is $150 (same as what it is in San Diego, although some charge a bit more, and of course some, less), but for weddings I charge $250, either belly dance show or zeffa. For zeffa + belly dance show it's $300, only $50 more, because I'm already there :), and it's already higher. Extra traveling= extra $.
I found that clients are quite comfortable with this, I think maybe in San Diego they expect that it will be expensive, especially the Chaldean weddings. They pay around $75 000 for the whole wedding, so $300 isn't really much. Some try to negotiate it down, but only because they like to do that.

Here is my reasoning:
I just danced at a Somali wedding last night. I brought 2 belly dancers with me. I was hired early July. During this time I had to:
- meet with the bride's father twice, once for the contract / deposit,see the place and go over things, second for giving him zeffa music. Both times he made me wait for quite some time, and overall with driving to and from the place it too 2-3 hours.
- communicate with the dancers via several emails regarding time, music, costumes, etc. We didn't even have to meet and practice, because it wasn't a choreographed show.
- had to borrow (I actually rented :) a shamadan, because I don't have one
- had to be there early, was there late. I had to give up another party, that would also have been well paying, only because the time frame didn't quite match.

Not all weddings are like this, I often don't even meet with the client, and if I am dancing alone, everything is simpler, but I still have to consider, that a wedding is not like a party: if I am dancing at a party, and they say 9 pm, that means I show up at 8:50 pm, dance at 9:00 pm and out of there with my money by 9:30 pm the latest.
With weddings, it is to be expected that things will be delayed, however we still have to be there on tine, we might end up dancing longer, they might want to take pictures, etc.
That's why the extra money.

also, I said that in SD I think they know a dancer will be expensive at a wedding, for example:
I also did a wedding this past Thursday (3 days ago), it was Chaldean, they called the night before. It was a surprise, I think from the best man, small wedding of 150 people. I quoted $250, because I'm used to quoting that for weddings. They asked if I could give a discount because I know the guy who referred me (their excuse for getting a lower price, haha) I said ok, $225, also because it's literally 5 minutes from my house and I had nothing better to do on a Thursday night. He said ok, at the end he paid me $240 + I made a ton of tips.
So if the rate is high around here, why bring it down? :)

We offer a Wedding/Corporate package that has a few extra options like time flexibility, shamadan, music changes etc.

But it is not in any way required that weddings choose that particular package.