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Only wedding I've done, only wedding I will do and 2K IS not too much.
3 weeks editing and printing? 120 hours solid? Sorry I just don't believe that. Also how is it a 10-hour day? Why would you want the photographer there after the main event?
(you will spot me at my kids' weddings, I will be the grumpy skinflint in the corner )
I'm also told we are one of the most expensive if not THE most expensive 5-piece band in the area (also means not the busiest..)
Std fee is £190 a man but year-wide per gig average works out lower.
So total std band cost is £1100 which includes £150 for full PA, lights and engineer.
6-12 pm inc background music, 1x45' and 1x60' and dj after.
Often we get booked through an agency which adds a commission so the client pays around £1.2K - £1.3K total.
Our main problem has been silly requests like set up at 2pm in, say, at Lindisfarne (not much around) but don't start before 9pm and also stay hidden as the bride doesn't want the band walking around for 7hrs and mingling with the guests.
These are common and sadly we haven't yet done enough work to filter them out.
The problem these cause is dead time which for the pros means they can't do day-time local gigs or teaching.
That's money lost for the ones that are truly busy.
And as much as I'm up for respecting and serving the customer or honouring the agency deal, they only buy the 6hrs of that day which is what's necessary to provide a good performance service. But again, we are a bit to blame for how we handle these deals
The agency now plans to take us nation-wide so fees could more than double (hotels, fuel/ tickets £ difference over 60mls, performance, additional time to cover for losses).
That will be understandably too high for the couple to pay but I don't see how else we'd make it work.
One for the agency to sort out I guess.
On another topic, contrary to most function musos I know, I don't believe the customer has to feed me while I'm at the venue.
Though I do get annoyed when I do a gig like the Lindisfane example above on an empty stomach which is why I prepare at home..
Also despite being a "weddings pro" I've decided against hiring a band for my wedding; DJ is just fine.
The photographer quoted between £1K - £2K. £2K is the "golden" package...
Whereas I see the effort in man-hrs, after £1.5K I fail to see the additional value in the offering..
I'm sure though people think like this about my band which is why we ain't the busiest and I know little about photography..
Last week I did the easiest wedding ever, turn up at 5:30 with combo amps, venues got it's own PA. Plug in and start playing at 6, break at 6 :45 then on from 7:15 to 8. At 8:30 we were packed up and I was in another pub up the road counting the money which worked out at £100 an hour each
This Saturday we have to setup at lunchtime in a tiny venue, then leave the venue and come back at 8 to play, then tear down around 1am and get home by 2am ish I expect. Then on Sunday we have a Fireman's ball at The Marriott which will be pretty much the same deal I expect.
All in all though it is a nice way to earn a living
The reason top wedding bands charge a lot, and people pay it, is because people want the night to be perfect. Weddings are a stressful event for a band, its not like rocking up at the pub and playing what you want and if people like it its a bonus. You've gotta get the balance of getting everything the client wants, as well as keeping everyone on the Dancefloor and entertained. you're out the house for 10-12 hours minimum most of the time, sometimes more. In that fee you get all out gear (probably looking at £20k all in including PA and instruments). You're also getting the reliability.
We've had people message us saying their bands pulled out 2 weeks before so they need a replacement, and when we've sent over a price, they've said 'oh thats too much, we were only paying the other band £500' and thats usually the answer. Obviously having done it for 5 or so years, the stress goes down as you know how to plan everything and you get used to the long days.
A crap wedding band can ruin the night, just like a great one can make it. The whole day leads up to the big party at the end.
The feedback questions the clients get sent include 'Did you feel the band were value for money?' and we always get a yes 10/10 because we make sure were live up to the price tag, perform well, entertain the crowd and do everything we need to.
I just got married in Ireland last week and paid 1800 euro for the band .
That includes their fee for 2 and a half hours of music , with full P.A and lights , attendance fee as they travelled 2&1/2 hours to and from the gig , they learned the 1st dance note perfect , and 1 other (they will accommodate 5 special request songs) .
They were all dressed the part , looked and more importantly sounded fantastic and were totally professional throughout (having been in functions bands for years myself I am very critical and I could not fault the band ) .
I actually gave them a tip and still thought they were great value , every guest commented on how good they were and the hotel manager took their details as he wanted them back himself !
you get what you pay for !
€2k is about right for a good band and the boom is back. I bet the same band was €1500 a few years ago.
It is a longer than normal day for a band to be honest and they have to behave themselves (and play Wagon Wheel twice being in Ireland Like!)
And a friend of mine is a top wedding photographer - he charges from £3.5K to £6k depending on what people want and has charged £10K.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!
A good photographer will have more than one meeting with the couple before the day, one or more trips to the venue in advance, a frantic and stressful (and long) day and then considerable volumes of work after the event.
I reckon on average, the total time investment per wedding for me was c. 50 hours per wedding. So 20EUR an hour before expenses and tax.
No thanks.
Sounds like perfectly normal prices to me.
As for the band... we just did someone's wedding for free the other week. Otherwise we would have charged about 500 quid max. 2 grand sounds a bit ridiculous to me...
@Trotter
Have you seen that 'list' that did the rounds a few years ago? Think it was from 2014, but it gives an idea.
https://priceonomics.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-book-your-favorite-band/
A wedding is not a corporate event so prices charged should reflect that.
Travel of 50Km+ changes the dynamic, the charge ought to reflect this. In our area there are several decent bands all within 15Km yet they charge as if they have to drive down from Belfast. They have their own PA - looks like an attempt to make a lot of money for a half days playing. As @Maynehead said, €500 is decent payment for what is two one hour slots.
But the band costs pale into insignificance in comparison to photography charges. A friend of mine is heavily into photography and is a member of the local photography club. He asked a friend and fellow member of that club to take the photographs at his daughters wedding. He was charged full professional rates for the day. Friendship over or as good as. What is wrong with helping out a friend on the day, knowing the favour will be returned sometime in the future? By all means pay something for travel, camera batteries, SD cards etc. But.....
Such ridiculous charges were normal in boom time Ireland. The practice became known as ' rip off Ireland'. Saddens me to think this happens all over the place.
Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Would you honestly work 30+ hours free labour for a mate? Maybe I'm a stingy git but that's a big expectation.