Why can't I get a quote?

The most asked commonly asked question by brides to their DJ, band or entertainers. I believe this question is asked most because many brides do not know what questions to ask, prior to booking an entertainer. How many times have you booked a DJ for an event? Most young brides never have booked an entertainer.

We, entertainers, offer a variety of services to meet each clients unique needs. What are those needs? Some of the needs include the number of guest, location, length of event, size of venue, style of music, lighting, setup, design, microphones, table lighting, and much more. As you can see, depending on your needs, this is a difficult question to answer. It would be like calling a car dealer and saying, "I need a car, how much are yours?" Well the cost would depend on a lot of your preferences. If you want a used cheap car, it would not be expensive. If you wanted a high class car, it will cost you significantly more.

Image Source: http://wedding-day-bliss.com/2013/02/15/outdoor-wedding-5-ikea-lanters/

"So why can't you just tell me the cost?"

Again, it depends on what you are looking for with services. In Maine, the average cost starts at $800 for about 5-6 hours. The more hours you add to an event, the cheaper your cost. The less hours, the more you'll pay per hour. Then there are all the options and services you might be expecting when paying, let's say $800. Good DJ's will not give you a price over the phone or in an email without all the details because of this expectation. If you were to pay $800 and expect a full uplighting package and you found out on your wedding day that this only covers the music, you'd be very disappointed and frustarated with your DJ. Good DJ's have learned this lesson the hard way and will not just book on one flat fee.

How can I plan my budget if DJ's won't tell me the cost?

Good question. Below is a table of basic average cost for the State of Maine. These cost projections are only estimates. We will not honor prices posted online.

	Bronze Package	Silver Package	Gold Package	Diamond Package
Style & Look	Shabby Sheik Very Clean & Simple	Clean Look Some Dance Lighting	Adding Uplighting and Monograms	Maximum “WOW” factor
Hours Included:	4	5	6	6
Sound:	Minimal	Adds speakers and subs (125+ people)	4 Speakers up to 2 subs, very loud.	Maximum  Sound with remote speakers and sound processing
Lighting:	NONE	Dance Lights	Uplighting Dance Lighting Moving Heads Monogram Cake Table Pinspot	Uplighting Dance Lighting Moving Heads Monogram Cake Table Pinspot Individual Table Pin Spotting Gobo Breakup Projections.
Package is best for:	Simple and short events.  Family Reunions BBQ Shabby Sheik Budget Wedding	Simple Weddings up to 125 guest. Some “Wow” Factor Low Budget Weddings Small Parties Reunions	Traditional Weddings up to 175 guest. Lot’s of “Wow” Factor All Out Parties Class Reunions Sweet “16” Bat Mitzvah	Totally Astonish your guest. Maximum “Wow” Factor. This is like stepping into a movie. This package provides those amazing photo opts.
Cost:	$600-$700	$800-$1500	$2000-$3000	$3000+

What you'll want to think about prior to contacting your DJ is, "What type of wedding are you looking for? Simple or extremely elegant." Your DJ will help you in figuring the cost. Just remeber, the more the DJ does, the more you can save. DJ's are best at lighting and sound, don't trust a venue.

As you can see, the cost of DJ's is not cheap. Here is a break down of the most basic system:

Basic DJ Equipment Cost

4 Speakers $1,000 each = $4,000

Subwoofer = $750

Microphone Wireless = $450

Mixer = $800

Mixer Case = $200

Power Conditioner = $200

EQ or Maximizer = $300

Tripods = $75 each $400

Table = $50

Table Cover = $25

Cables (stereo) = $300

Total for the most basic system: $7,450

What’s not included: Music = $$$$$, Insurance, Advertising $$$ and more. As you can see even with the most basic system, you're looking at a $10,000 investment! When you rent any tool or equipment, you usually pay 10% of the cost of the product. We have yeat to factor the cost of labor. Yes, we DJ's still need to get paid; it's why we're DJing in the first place.

Hopefully this makes more sense as to why cost begin around $800. If you wanted an uplighting package with monograms and custom programmed lighting, your DJ will most likely be bringing $30,000+ of gear. The cost of $2,000 for the equipment, labor and advertising doesn't seem too bad, does it? When you talk to your DJ, think about what you want and what you need; cost is based on equipment and labor. 

Think about!

Last night I went to a wonderful wedding as a guest. I attended this event with my girl friend who knew a few people. It was interesting sitting on the other side of the table. I get the opportunity to observe weddings a couple times a year, which can be great to give a new perspective.

This wedding was beautiful. Decorated and embellished with the best of traditions. From lace to live musicians, this crowd was into the celebration. Held on at old farm with tents and barn conversions, I had to tip my hat to the creative mind of the bride.

The Wedding went well, but I noticed the format seemed awkward. Guest seemed confused about where to go, what to do and when to do it. Needless-to-say, this was resolved with support of the Grooms men. Despite the the awkward transitions, people still enjoyed themselves, the conversation and food and drink.

Part of the awkward nature of the arrangement was the dance floor. This floor was located in the back end of this beautiful old barn. I get it, it was the ambiance. But, the DJ was setup in a stall; I assume to give room for more guest to dance. I approached him to introduce myself and I noticed a few issues. The speakers where not placed above guest head room. What occurs here is, when guest stand in front of the speakers, the music dies on the dance floor. The DJ turns up the music and blast the guest standing in front of the speakers. The table had a linen draped over it, and it did not extend to the floor. This DJ (who was using vinyl, not needed) had cables strewed about and a cheap plastic white milk create on top of the table. He used a laptop (good for music selection and fast searching), but it had no case and the wires dropped about the table. Little was too simplistic; my observation correct noting later that it was difficult to see guest. It's difficult to go to a wedding an not take notes on how others perform.

Despite how others feel the setup should look, one would agree that on a ceremonial celebration, everyone should be dressed appropriately. Well, I felt our DJ let us down in that department too. He was a bit young, maybe mid-twenties. He wore khaki cargo pants and a sort-of white shirt (I think it was white at one time) but I couldn't tell through the wrinkles. He did have a tie on earlier in the night, but it didn't match the wedding party. (Something I insist on to give flow and continuity.) I acknowledge him, shook his hand and went about mingling with guest.

After the dinner, the bride and groom cut the cake and moved over to the dance floor for the first dance. This is where everything fell apart. The DJ announced the dances. Despite the music being too loud, because the speakers were too low, he had a pleasant voice when he left out the "Yups", "Sups", and "Yo Yo's". I was elated to find another great Hip Hop Wanna Be DJ as the entertainment. Let me remind you, this was a more of a traditional family. I kept my comments or judgements to myself, although I could see my girlfriend could read my mind. You never know the connections between event staff and the party. So, it behoves one to refrain. I thought, maybe he's a cousin, someones brother or a close friend just trying to help this wonderful couple save money. (i.e...Don't Do It) Thinking it was a lack of experience, I stayed the course unil...

This would be fine, if he cleaned up the wires?

This is where I need to pause and say, unless you're a Hip Hop artist and you want your wedding with that format, it's generally not appropriate for ALL of your guest. Yes, the DJ proceeded to scratch over the "Slow Dance" songs of the Bride & Groom, Father & Daughter and even the Mother & Son. Now let me say, I get the scratching. Done purposefully and appropriately, it can liven up a dance floor. Kids in high school dances appreciate it. At a wedding reception, I had a difficult time adjusting. I chuckled after a guest turned around and asked me, "Is he really scratching?" I had to sorrowfully admit, "Yes, he is." I decided to wait a bit longer for the dance floor to open.

Now the bridal party invited everyone to the dance floor. I figured this would be a great time to get a waltz, trot or even a disco dance in with the girl friend. As you step in sequence to music for waltz (3 count beats) or foxtrot (4 count), I learned that it's difficult to focus when there is random scratches over the music. Enough was enough. We said our good byes and left. It was an hour drive home and my girlfriend and I had a long conversation. She expressed how wonderful the decorations and ceremony was, but she did notice the poor sound, lack of flow (execution) and of course the DJ who should have assumed the responsibility for the event execution.

Here's my point of this post. Brides, Grooms and Parents of, please DO NOT think about the aspects of your special day in terms of "How can I cut more cost?" Obviously, cost are a determining factor of your event. But, how do you want guest to leave your event? What do you want them to remember? I'll obviously write a letter to this couple thanking them for opportunity to witness their nuptial. But, I will always remember this DJ. I won't recall much about the food; it was acceptable, but bland. The bland food will not overpower the memory of the young kid trying to figure our how to be a wedding DJ at this poor brides wedding.

Read my post on COST. This post explains pre and post survey's of brides expenses. Time and time again, surveys have concluded that Brides and Grooms wish they had spent more money on the entertainment, rather than flowers, attire or food. Strangely enough, many repeat these mistakes.

Think about it. Do you really want to trust a cousin who DJ'd in his college dorm room, at a bar or night club, to DJ your special day? Understanding guest needs, genre, generational differences and blending these elements into a seamless night so that you can be pampered is not easy. It takes experience, equipment and most of all, attention to detail by your DJ/EmCee. Don't fall into the trap of trying to save a couple hundred dollars and leave you guest talking for years about how the awful entertainment. Let them talk about how amazing you were because the DJ took all the extra steps to ensure you were the focus of the day.

Why Hire A DJ?

When ceremonies first played music, most of the music was played by family or town musicians. Then musicians were contracted. With the invention of recorded music, radio stations needed employees with personality and musical knowledge to play songs that would attract listeners. In the case of a ceremony, function or dance, you want to be sure what is being play will get dancers on the floor. When people dance, they comment on how great of time the event was.

Although we're labeled DJ's (Disc Jockey's), our jobs have morphed into something well beyond that of a musician. Today, DJ's must understand the planning process, electrical loads, music, timing, a multitude of genre, lighting and microphone skills. Gone are the days of a DJ for hire who only plays music and never says a word.  

M.R.K.E had designed it service to include much more than a "DJ." We will assist in design, planning, implementation, programming, song selection and more. We're a beginning to end service that will work our best to make your event spectacular. We provide music that is timed and integrated into seamless transitions that will keep guess dancing throughout the night. 

Why not hire a band? 


We will work with you and your band at a reduced cost. Many DJ's will give you the positives of DJ service and not the drawbacks. Obviously, a DJ is not a full live band, but they are still musicians. We play a different instrument that is not easily controlled. At M.R.K.E., we'll can appreciate the ambiance of a live band. Schedule a consult now and see if we can accommodate the times when you band will not play. Yes, your band will take breaks, make mistakes and even have a limited set list. Unfortunately for us, we do not take breaks or forget cords. 

The Advantages of a DJ:

With a DJ, you get unlimited song selection, lighting, planning, collaboration, programming and interaction. We can plan classical from the Mid-sixteenth Century to today's pop hits. Our specialty is Top 40, upbeat dance music. We can accommodate a wide variety of request and mix those songs in at appropriate times.

One of the strongest points of a DJ is the ability to collaborate with other vendors. DJ's can be extremely flexible to changes. They can assist and accommodate other vendors with the implementation of your event plans. A good DJ will let the videographer and photographer know exactly what time each event is happening and where it's going to take place. As the night goes on, it will be your DJ who will ensure events follow your timeline.