How Much for a wedding DJ?

How much does a wedding DJ really cost?

The short answer...it depends....the long answer thought has a few more factors to consider when thinking of what a DJ costs and why. The Average wedding DJ across the country currently charges $1,500 per Wedding Pro (Wedding Wire and The Knot).So before you hire you have to ask your self do you want cheap and tacky, average, or something more?

Amazingly you can find a wedding DJ for as low as $250 for the day ymmv and you really need to vet that DJ first. A DJ who doesn't' respect their own time won't respect yours to say the least. On average a wedding DJ will be between $150 and $400 per hour, yes I know a big variance. A few of the things that can change the pricing and why one DJ cost more than others are:

Investment in thier equipment

Every DJ has a different investment in their craft. With decent PA speakers starting at $400 each a DJ can get into weddings for around $2500 on the cheap end. Though a DJ who has this small of an investment usually doesn't have backup gear or in some cases the knowledge of what to do when things go wrong with equipment. As well this lower end equipment may not sound as clean or as loud as you may want for your big day. As well the lighting the bring may be more reminiscent of a kids party with the colored dots everywhere and strobe lights constantly flashing.

While on the more high end of equipment speakers tend to cost $2500+ each and lighting tends to match the overall experience and vibe of the couple. it gets programmed to each individual song creating a more cohesive experience overall. This can be one of the biggest differentiators between a cheap or mid-priced DJ and someone on the higher end. The little touches that customize your day for both the eyes and the ears. 

For us we don't bring cheap and tacky equipment to your wedding. It's an event that's elegant even if it's in your backyard. You've worked hard for this moment and you deserve it to not look cheap and tacky.

investment in thier craft

Ever worked with someone who knew it all and couldn't be trained? They had that ego that they were the best at everything and never did anything wrong? A LOT of DJ's are this way. They learned years ago how to do what they do and they've not take the time to learn anything else. We see this often with DJ's who say things like "I don't have to mix music at a wedding, I've been doing it without mixing for years and no ones ever complained".....yes we see this posted online more than once a day by DJ's across the world. A DJ who takes the time to learn their craft then practice and continue to build is a DJ that consistently delivers amazing results to their clients. Take us for example, we offer our team training classes from top name DJ's including festival headliners and touring celebrity DJ's. Why you might ask? Because we want our DJ's to learn from others who are doing it to help develop their style and performance. A DJ who learns from each event and gets better is worth their weight in gold. Those are the DJ's who take you from hosting your wedding to being the guest of honor, and if someone hasn't told you already YOU ARE THE GUEST OF HONOR at your wedding NOT the host!

Investment in prep time

Wait DJ's have to prepare for our wedding? They don't just show up and perform?
Nope...well the good ones at least prepare. When you see the price of a DJ and think "wow that's a lot to play some music and make announcements" ,which first of is a very small part of what a good wedding DJ does, think of the time they put in ahead of your wedding. Our newest Dj puts in around 15-20 hours for each wedding. Our most seasoned puts in 40-60 hours of time before your wedding has event started. This is time invested in finding music you love and songs you've forgotten, programming the music to the day and what fits where, and for our lead DJ matching the lighting to the music your chosen for dancing. Then add in the day of your wedding being a 10 hour day for most DJ's and you can see why pricing has increased. If you have a DJ who's only charging $600 to DJ your wedding and are putting in the minimum. amount of time, they are getting minimum wage to DJ your wedding (or less depending on the area). If the DJ thinks their time and talents are worth minimum wage, then what are they really bringing to your big day?

Investment in Communication

Here's a fun one, how's your DJ communicating with you? Are they using a personal cell phone or a business line, social media only or did they invest in a website? There's a lot of little costs in running a business that add up, and those cost get factored into the price of the package. For example in January of this year we've spent $800 just in advertising just to cut through the clutter of the inexperienced DJ's who are priced cheap. These are all things to consider when hiring a DJ, someone who's willing to invest in themselves and their business means they have a clear understanding of what energy to bring and how their performance will impact you and your guests for years to come.

So what does it all mean?

The long and short is you have to vet your DJ, ask questions learn what they are about. Get beyond just price, ask them the why and the how. These little questions will help you learn who fits your vibe and vision and who's just out to make a quick buck as a "wedding DJ".

Remember your celebration deserves more, it deserves someone who cares and is willing to take the time to make it truly yours.