By Elisabeth Scott Daley, WED®, ABC™ – “A Passion for Performance”
LET’S ADD THIS UP TOGETHER, SHALL WE?
Pet Sitter = $100.00
Two plane tickets = $800.00
Hotel Room for two nights = $250.00
Parking/Airport Shuttles = $50.00
Rental Car = $250.00
Meals (other than reception) = $200.00
Wedding Gift = $100.00
Baby Sitter = Don’t have kids, couldn’t tell you
Incidentals = $250.00
TOTAL = $1,000.00 per person
That’s right, it costs the average couple almost two thousand dollars to be a GUEST at a wedding! Remember that when you are entertaining!!!
The Pressure’s On
Just think about receptions from the guest perspective. Friends and family have come a long way, dealt with all the hassles of travel, and spent a lot of money just to attend. While wedding guests are generally an easy crowd, they WANT and EXPECT to be entertained and have a good time. This makes it imperative that we do the job we all love so much, very well!
Not Everyone Loves “Indie” Rock
This is where we as experienced entertainers need to remind brides and grooms who choose the most eclectic music list on the planet, that the music is for everyone’s enjoyment - and that the other people attending (including their grandparents), might not like “Indie Rock.”
This doesn’t mean we encourage them to play the same tired songs that justifiably get the DJ Industry lampooned. That’s lame. It just means that we need to encourage them to choose music that will be recognizable to almost everyone in the room, and that certain songs encourage dancing and other songs encourage sitting.
Be Your Client’s Advocate
Don’t just decide, “They’re idiots, I know what works” (and ignore their requests). Remember, its highly likely that their experience with BIG PARTIES is usually limited to proms, fraternity or sorority parties, and there is only one kind of music at those events…LOUD!
Brides and Grooms are not the only ones experiencing “sticker shock”! Their friends and family are too.
The last thing anyone wants to do is to spend a lot of money to go to a wedding, and then be bored out of their minds wondering when they can leave without looking rude.
Be your client’s advocate. Lead the way. Great entertainment will send everyone home with fantastic memories to last a lifetime, no matter how much they have spent!
Author
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Liz Daley is a seasoned veteran of stage and screen and is the owner of Liz Daley Events, a boutique entertainment company in Virginia opened in 2004 that delivers dramatically different results. She got her first radio job at 16, but her passion for live entertainment moved her across the country performing from New York to Nashville as well as the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas! She works with brides and grooms to create Classic, Fun and Memorable wedding receptions. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Boston Conservatory of Music, she is a certified Wedding Entertainment Director® and the National President of the Wedding Entertainment Directors Guild® and an Accredited Wedding Planner™ with the Association of Bridal Consultants. She is currently co-hosting educational performance workshops for Wedding DJs and Masters of Ceremonies with Peter Merry, “The Fun Wedding Experts”.
