Don't undersell yourself. A DJ is charging 3x that for less work.

Thanks to everyone who has responded for your thoughtful and detailed replies! Point of order: I seem to recall that we are asked to include name and location with our signatures. I could be misremembering, and it’s not a big deal, but location could be particularly relevant information to this discussion. I confess my mind boggled a bit at quoted fees into 4 figures, although it helped to know that those figures were (I believe) inclusive of sound, band and caller, came from folks who do this as their livelihood and who, I humbly concede, bring a level of professional experience and knowledge that similarly dwarf my own. It feels a bit like the semi-retired small-town solo lawyer helping a friend draw up a simple will, talking shop with his big-city colleagues in a partnership about what they would charge for a will with complex assets…. I’m similarly boggled at this glimpse into the wedding industry and its costs. To know that a fee of $1250-$1750 in US dollars might still be the cheapest part of an event … well, my one and only wedding (to my one and only former spouse) was put on for $1000 exclusive of jewelry in 1989 – about $2600 with inflation today. We were a frugal do-it-yourself couple with similarly inclined extended families and friends, held the wedding in my parents’ back yard with potluck, did not have a dance of any kind, and eschewed most of the other trappings that have been laminated onto present day weddings. We hadn’t been exposed much to traditional dance at the time: if we had been, it’s likely our budget would have risen substantially to include it. 🙂 I believed then and now that the best weddings are made by getting your loved ones together to do something you’d do to celebrate and introduce them if a wedding weren’t involved, and then tack on a marriage ceremony. Never once have I considered fireworks as part of a such a get-together… I digress. Not to close the discussion, but this has been fun and enlightening. Thanks again for the comments so far and any yet to come. -j Joseph Erhard-Hudson Moscow, Idaho. Sent from my phone, which has odd ideas about formatting sometimes. Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net

> On Nov 10, 2025, at 1:32 PM, Joseph Erhard-Hudson via Contra Callers<contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net> wrote: > >  > Hi all, > > A good friend I made through contra dance has asked me to call some dancing at her wedding reception

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?

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 _______________________________________________ Contra Callers mailing list -- contracallers(a)lists.sharedweight.net To unsubscribe send an email to contracallers-leave(a)lists.sharedweight.net