When I first started thinking about wedding, it occurred to me that everything costs $1000. And that’s ridiculous. Now, as I’m deeper into the planning, I’m finding that everything costs $2000.
It angers me, as a musician, and makes me realize that I’m certainly not charging enough. I understand that photographers have many years of studying and perfecting their art, and that they are getting paid for more than just the six hours they are shooting photos. It’s also for consultations, and assistants, and spending time touching up the photos later. And they all ask for $2000, it seems.
My band also charges $2000 for a wedding, however, and that’s for a 4-piece band plus a sound technician. And no, it’s not for just the hours of music you actually hear. It’s also for hours of load-in and soundcheck. It’s also for the rehearsals, learning the new songs you requested for your Father-Daughter Dance, and that Natalie Merchant song your sorority dances to at every wedding. It’s also for the twenty-five-plus years of practice and study we’ve had on our instruments, and for dealing with the Maid of Honor when she yells, “You need to play Billie Jean NOW!!!” Like I said, we are clearly not charging enough.
Or, as David said, “I should have been a photographer.”
I got a good piece of advice this morning: just go to Hawaii and elope. That is sounding like a better idea every minute.
