Top 5 Wedding DJ Prices For 2020
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#1 DJ Joe “Dirt Cheap”
💰 $100 - $400
🔑 Wedding Size: 25 +/-
🔑 Good For: House parties. Small spaces. Your parent’s backyard.
🔑 Goodies: Party light from Spirit Halloween. Streaming internet music. Portable Bluetooth speaker.
🔑 Stress level: 4.5/5. You’ll probably end up providing most of the music – song from song. Creating the timeline. Making sure they actually arrive… and arrive on time.
This is your fiancé’s cousin. Or that guy (or girl) you used to know from High School. Maybe even your friend’s dad who used to be a DJ. This could also be the price of a good Bluetooth speaker 🤔. At the higher end you’ll find beginner DJs looking to get their start. So, if you’re ok with it, this would be the perfect time to give that friend or family member the opportunity they’ve been looking for.
#2 Accountant by day / “DJ Count” by night
💰 $500 - $850
🔑 Wedding Size: 40 - 60 +/-
🔑 Good For: Small local weddings
🔑 Goodies: Portable speakers. Music library of stuff they’re used to playing. A dance floor light that has 1 speed - FAST. Wears a tie with smiley faces or music notes.
🔑 Stress level: 4/5. Making your own timeline. Last minute changes. No backup DJ if something happens. Limited communication. Schedule your own meetings and follow-ups
Solid option if you’re on a budget and willing to do some extra heavy lifting. Here, you’re going to find most of your part-time DJs. Most will have a day job and do gigs on the weekends. You’ll probably end up having to create your own timeline, manager your own follow ups, and make a lot of “day of” requests and changes when they’re there. That said, they’ll have experience with weddings they’ve done in the past from friends, family, and referrals.
#3 “When I Grow Up, I wanna” / Full-time DJ
💰 $1,500 – $2,900
🔑 Wedding Size: 100 - 250 +/-
🔑 Good For: Barns. Gardens. Mansions. Ball Rooms. Banquets. Wineries. Destinations.
🔑 Goodies: Wedding planning. Advanced sound and lighting. All the music.
🔑 Stress level: 1/5. Initial planning meeting and follow-up will be scheduled for you.
This is where it gets fun because full time DJs LOVE to DJ; it’s their passion and career. They’ll most likely spend the months leading up to your wedding crafting playlists and perfecting the music for the night; making sure every song matches your theme and your vibe. Expect to be offered a sit-down meeting where you’ll go over the details of your wedding. These are wedding DJ familiars who know that a successful wedding takes planning. They’ll have a better idea of which songs you should choose for special dances and moments throughout the wedding. There’s also going to be more production elements available; think Disney style, live-action Beauty and the Beast first dance scene production here
#4 We didn’t come to play games | Wedding DJ Production Company
💰 $3,500 - $8,000
🔑 Wedding Size: 200– 450 +/-
🔑 Good For: Mansions. Ball Rooms. Wineries. Grand Halls. Auditoriums. Banquets. Destinations.
🔑 Goodies: Wedding planning apps and templates. Live Musicians. Co2 and cloud machines. Shooting sparker machines. Multiple Photo Booth options. Advanced lighting. Decorative services. Live performers (singers, dancers, etc.)
🔑 Stress level: 0/5. Initial planning meeting and follow-up will be scheduled for you.
Here, you are adding the skills and attention of full-time DJs, with the full power, privileges, and experience of a full-blown DJ entertainment company. Two things: 1 – These groups will have a ton of experienced DJs on staff and backups ready at a moment notice. 2 – You’re going to have a low stress level here; there will be office staff and DJs with years of experience to assist you with planning. They’ll also pro-actively reach out to your venue and other venders to ensure proper coordination between everyone. Lastly, they’re going to have a lot of “production” (think Ariana Grande concert) style toys available for your wedding like: Live musicians, singers, dancers, Co2, Cloud machines, several different types of video screens, DJ booths and Photo booths.
BONUS: #5 “We The Best” | Radio DJ / Celebrity DJ
💰 $15,000+
Although I’m sure you’d have to add another 0 at the end to get an appearance by DJ Khaled. You might be able to book New Jersey native DJ Pauly D though.
🔑 Wedding Size: Whatever size
🔑 Good For: Wow factor
🔑 Goodies: You might become IG famous for the day
🔑 Stress level: 2/5 depending on their personality. But hopefully you have someone else coordinating this celebrity appearance for you.
Written with ❤️ by Jay Murch