Hi all,
A good friend I made through
contra dance has asked me to call some dancing at her wedding reception.
(She is also a budding caller who I mentored for a while as she was
getting started.) As soon as I said "yes", she asked what compensation
would be meaningful to me, which strikes me as a thoughtful and
thought-provoking way to put it.
While I ponder
my answer, I'm curious to hear what other callers charge for wedding
dances. If there's a range, would you ask differently for newly-met
people vs. friends from your dance community vs. close friends
and family? What other factors would you consider?
For
myself, for very close friends I have sometimes refused payment out of
love, considering it a wedding gift to them. Others view their own
wedding as a time of outward generosity and wouldn't dream of paying
less than the customary amount, whatever the heck that is. (I am also an
occasional wedding officiant and faced the same conundrum there, but at
least have a more well-defined range of fees from the local community
to fall back on when either side considers full payment to be needed.)
I
have called enough family events that I know what to bring and what to
expect as a caller. I'd just like to focus on compensation here, unless
there's something about the work that's needed from the caller that
would influence what you ask.
Joseph
Erhard-Hudson
Moscow, Idaho