Kelly's School

In 2020, the average cost for a wedding DJ was between $888-$1101, but what does this mean and how can you tell you’ve made the right choice for your budget when hiring a wedding DJ? 

Planning a wedding can be an excruciating process filled with emotional ups and downs. However, if there’s a simple way to alleviate some of your pain, it’s taking care of the entertainment first. Of course, your wedding needs good food and a beautiful venue, but when all else fails, if you make your people dance their hearts out, you won’t have anything to fear. 

This blog discusses how much a wedding DJ costs, and how you can ensure that you stay inside the lines on your wedding entertainment budget. Use it to plan your wedding and take the stress out of one of the biggest events of your life. 

Wedding Dj Prices

Choosing the right DJ for your wedding comes down to what fits your budget and connecting on a personal level. You may be tempted to choose one of your friends that DJs as a hobby. However, when you’re relying on one person for both your entertainment and a master of ceremonies, you don’t want to settle for someone who entertains as a hobby, you want someone who dedicates their life to their profession. 

Date/Time/Location

One of the most crucial factors determining your wedding DJ price is the date/time/and location. If you want your wedding in one of the summer months, you will obviously need to budget more for your entertainment. 

Platinum DJs get booked for the prime months quickly, so their prices tend to increase during these months. Additionally, if you want your wedding at prime time, such as a weekend, you will wind up paying more because you’re competing with others for that time. If you want to save yourself some money, you can try to host your wedding during the down-season. 

Finally, having your wedding at a location that requires the DJ to stay overnight will increase your wedding entertainment budget. If you’re looking to save money on your DJ costs, you can try to keep your reception local, which cuts down on the travel time and gas money DJs need to account for in their budget. 

Equipment

Another contributing factor in wedding DJ prices is the DJs equipment quality. The more specific and extensive your wedding entertainment needs, the more your budget will increase. 

For example, if you have 300 wedding guests, your DJ will need a fairly large speaker system that they don’t’ normally use. Wedding DJs typically include this scaling in their pricing packages. 

If you want to save some money on your wedding budget, check your venue to see if they have a built-in speaker system. The convenience that an in-house speaker system brings to DJs will reflect on your quote. 

Special Desires

Another contributing factor to your wedding DJ is the special desires you have for your wedding ceremony. If you have a ton of requirements, including hiring a top-notch DJ entertainment company, you’ll most likely have to pay for it. 

The best wedding DJs are in high demand and short supply, and their price reflects their proficiency. If you want a DJ with extensive experience, you won’t be able to get them without showing them your financial appreciation for their service. 

However, if you have a smaller wedding with basic expectations, you won’t have to budget as much for your wedding DJ. The more experience and recommendations wedding DJs have, the harder it will be to book them. 

Other Wedding Price Factors

The date/location/time of your wedding is the most important factor in determining your wedding entertainment costs, but there are other factors to consider when interviewing wedding DJs. 

Wedding DJs Cost More in High-Income Areas 

The more money an area makes, the more expensive wedding DJs will be. There is a definitive correlation between the mean income of an area and the wedding DJ prices. For example, you’ll pay more for an average wedding DJ in Orange County at a modest venue than you would for the best DJs in Montana at a gorgeous venue. 

Bigger Isn’t Always Better

There is a tendency to correlate a DJ’s equipment with their talent. Believing this myth will likely wind up in disappointment. For many weddings, you won’t need the whole enchilada. In fact, smaller equipment wedding DJ setups make more sense in these situations. 

For example, if you have a fifty person guestlist at a quaint venue, you don’t want the DJ to blast everyone’s ears off. The best wedding DJs understand how to cater to the crowd and the venue. 

Go With Your Gut- The Personal Connection 

One of the best things you can do for yourself when choosing a DJ is to make sure you like who you’re hiring. This doesn’t mean you should hire the first person who is polite to you, it means you should vet your candidates and go with the one who checks all your boxes. 

Create a list of questions to ask the wedding DJ before you hire your DJ. Ask what type of equipment they use, how they would improve your wedding entertainment, their style, etc. 

Creating a checklist filled with your expectations will help reveal the right candidate for your wedding. Choosing the best wedding DJ shouldn’t be a popularity contest, but wedding DJs’ interpersonal skills are some of the most valuable. After all, you’re relying on their ability to throw a party to make your wedding enjoyable for your guests. Don’t leave this up to chance. 

Conclusion- How Much Is a Wedding DJ?

The answer to how much is it for a wedding DJ isn’t only a monetary figure. Your individual expectations and desires should determine the money figure, not the other way around.

When planning your wedding entertainment, make sure you create a thorough list of all your expectations. Doing so prevents you from making unintended concessions on things you’ve always dreamed about. 

Your first dance, the cake-cutting ceremony, everybody yelling “shout!” on the dance floor, these dreams are at stake when you plan your wedding and the wedding DJ service you hire should demonstrate your commitment to those expectations.