This is a concern of the bride and groom that is planning their wedding. In an economy where every penny counts, people are always watching more and more of what they spend and how they spend. While your wedding day may be one of the most magical days of your life, you will ultimately still have a budget of some kind. This is life in today’s world. Most people can’t understand why everything is so expensive when it comes to weddings. Especially with the average cost of a wedding being from 15k to 40k depending on which source you go by. Let me explain it here. In the end, a professional wedding vendor is worth it.
Don’t get me wrong, there is in every industry, price gougers. There are always people out there who go, “oh, I can charge more just cause I am slapping this “title” on it”. Be as it may, there is no surefire way to identify those people. So in the end, you have to feel them out, and see if you can identify it.
In the big picture though, your professional wedding vendors have something price gougers don’t. Knowledge, expertise, and they know how to deliver. I could break it down for you, just about every aspect to every vendor, but you would be here for three days with me explaining it all. I will, however, show you some aspects from the DJ world.
So you’re going to hire a DJ right? They are gonna come out, play for 5 hours, and then go home. In most cases, this is how everyone sees it. We only “work” for 5 hours. If you think that is all, then this article should help enlighten you. I wish it was only 5 hours of work to make sure someone’s day goes perfect. They may only be playing music for 5 hours. They are working a lot more than that. Some more than others. Let’s start with gear, it does not set itself up. It does not test itself. Or tear itself down. Or load in and out of the vehicle, or warehouse. Right there alone, 5 hours could easily become 8-9. That’s pretty much every DJ, regardless of whatever else they may do for your wedding. Let’s assume you went with a professional. Now they have office time. It is reported that DJ/MCs spend anywhere from 2-20 hours on prep for your big day. Sometimes more depending on what they offer. The behind the scenes stuff is some of the most important aspects of making sure your day goes smoothly. I mean, how upset would you be if your DJ didn’t have the song you want for your first dance, father/daughter dance, and/or mother/son dance? These things have to be checked, double checked and verified. In a lot of cases, DJs even do backups. There is even more time. Coordination with other vendors day of or even before, takes up more time.
Those timelines you fill out for your DJ. They don’t print them self, and unless you have a photographic memory, you still need to review it a few times to make sure you have the info in your head. Maybe not memorized, but noted. Truth is, while most weddings have similarities, no wedding is the exact same. If your DJ does many weddings, it is important that time is taken to not get them confused. That gets really awkward.
Now, let’s talk about the responsibility of the day.
This is where I will touch lightly on the other vendors. Every Vendor has one shot to get it right. That’s it. If it is not executed with perfection, some aspect of your day is fumbled. Not only does that make you an unhappy customer, but that potentially ruins your big day. Food has to be prepared properly and served timely. If not people go hungry or could get sick. Not to mention, how many people are you having at your wedding? They need utensils right? Napkins right? There is a lot of prep there. Your photographer, let me tell you, their job is only 1/3 taking pictures. You don’t actually see the time a professional photographer puts into making your photos look great and unique. Sure, a good photographer shouldn’t have to edit their pictures. When they do, it makes those pictures amazing! You hired a videographer, they have their work cut out too. They have to watch sometimes the same part of your day multiple times from multiple angles, to ensure they can make you the perfect video. Your florist? That is a whole other world of hurt. Your flowers do not arrive the way you see them. After all the planning and color selection, quantity selection and arrangement section, they have to be ordered, shipped, unpacked, then arranged, then delivered… you get the idea? I am not even going to go into venues and everything else. You should get the hint.
In the end, most people see the wedding day as only the time you actually see things. Look beyond your wedding day. Look at how all that stuff gets there, where it comes from, and what your wedding vendor has done to make sure it is perfect. How many times have you bought something for a few bucks only to have it come back as cheap and broken? The old slogan, ” you get what you pay for”, it is very true. Especially in the wedding market. Price is not the only thing that should determine whether you hire a particular vendor or not.
If you can’t afford to get married the way you want, wait a little longer, save up the money to make your day go right!
