Wedding Djs Cost How Much?
After scouring the internet; looking on Wedding Wire; browsing TheKnot; whispering "DJs near me" to your phone; and asking your friends on Facebook; you may still be confused on why there are such a wide variety of wedding DJs cost. "Back in the day," wedding DJs needed to invest a TON of money not only in their equipment, but their library of music. Today, Walmart sells DJ equipment and most tech-savvy DJs can rip songs off of YouTube at no charge. There are, however, true professional wedding DJs that still purchase music through legal music pools, iTunes and Amazon Music. They stake their reputation on your event because they do this full-time to feed their families and of-course because they love it! These wedding DJs are lucky to do so because they are skilled artists and there is a demand for their service. A true wedding DJ professional has also honed their art and act as much more than a hobbyist or someone whom DJs for weddings on "the side." So with that being said, let’s take a look at some of the price ranges for a DJ for your wedding.
$400 or below - The Practicing Wedding DJ
If someone is willing to act as a DJ for your wedding for under $200, tread carefully! Chances are they won’t have your wedding music ready to play; including your first dance song and other important songs. There is also a high probability this wedding DJ is “practicing” by acting as your wedding DJ. Take this into account; most local bars pay their DJs $200 to $400 for four hours of random music.
$400 to $700 - The Rookie
Admittedly, my first wedding DJ experience I was paid $495. I was upfront with the couple and told them I was a club/bar DJ and looking to pursue a wedding DJ business. They were 100% happy! I even received a nice review on Yelp! However, looking back on the wedding DJ experience, I can definitely see I was a rookie wedding DJ and didn’t have the skills I do today. That being said, you may be able to find a diamond in the rough, or you may be completely happy with your DJ, but what if this DJ have 10 or 15 years of weddings under their belt?
$700 to $1000 - The Part-Timers
Most part-time Wedding DJs will charge between $700 to $1000. They are semi-seasoned professionals and have many weddings under their belt. While they are a little less expensive, they do this “part-time” and it’s very difficult to get ahold of them and they aren’t the most responsive to emails, phone calls or texts.
$1000 to $1300 - Full-Time Pros
Seasoned professionals charge between $1000 and $1300. These are DJs that work full-time in the industry, have attended educational expos to hone their MC skills, and work their hardest to make sure their client is proven they’ve chosen the best wedding DJ. They provide the most value per dollar.
$1300 and up - Add-ons/Celebrities/Owners
Upgraded wedding DJ setups or DJs for weddings that call for additional setups are included in this bracket. There are a few “celebrity DJs" that may even charge more than this for their traditional setup.
As with any opinion, please take this with a “grain of salt.” At the end of the day, it’s supply and demand that dictates wedding DJ cost. If a DJ has great reviews and has a long history of satisfying clients, they will cost more than a wedding DJ just starting out. Some wedding DJs have $200 speakers, some have $1000 speakers. There are many variables that will affect the price at the end of the day!
See you on the dancefloor!Ryan Meeks
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Additional Resources:
Check out our blog and see what a wedding dj really does!
Knot averages for weddings in 2016
Value Penguin’s Breakdown per person at the state level
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