Things that make the price go up that are common at weddings:
- alcohol
- open bar
- children
- the couple doesn't expect things like "you need a sound system"
- They're non-dancers and they either don't wanna dance or jump in the middle, don't know any of the etiquette, etc.
- difficult dance floor (non-wood, small, edges that drop off, people spilling drinks on it, etc)
- other expectations that they didn't mention that come up later
- needing to be there extra early and potentially leave later
- they expect you to hire the band and/or sound person / provide sound / do pre-recorded music
- they have special requests
- they aren't exactly sure when the dancing will be, and, honestly, dancing almost never starts exactly when they say it will
Honestly, even $250 + travel $ isn't worth is unless it's a "I show up, I do my thing, I leave" at a dry wedding where everything's ontime. (Or it's someone I know, in which case, I likely am doing it as the gift to the couple.)
And I say this really enjoying non-wedding events where it's all newer dancers. There's just SO many variables at a wedding (or similar event) that make it difficult.
Don't undersell yourself. A DJ is charging 3x that for less work.
In dance
Julian Blechner
he/him
Western Mass, USA.