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 |  | Do-It-Yourself: $75-$400 |  | Typical: $100-$300 per hour |
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Disc Jockeys are the typical choice for less expensive wedding reception entertainment. Oftentimes, a DJ not only provides the music, but also acts as a master of ceremonies. For this reason, it's important to choose someone who has a personality that suits your wedding style. The American Disc Jockey Association says DJ rates vary based on experience, emcee ability, equipment, music knowledge and personality.
Typical costs: | - Professional DJ services range from roughly $100 to $300 per hour, depending on the location and amount of time requested and type of equipment requested. In general, the more time you book, the cheaper the price. Most expect a 50% deposit upon reservation.
- Many couples on a tight budget opt to rent a sound system and have a friend act as both DJ and MC. Equipment rental varies by type and location, but average roughly $75 - $270 for a dual or 4-tray CD player, audio mixer and two speakers. Corded microphones run about $15 - $20 each; wireless or "lapel" microphones are about $40 each.
- Some companies offer "jukebox" systems, with pre-loaded music lists to choose from. Rental costs range from $325 - $400 per day.
- One of the newest trends is the "iPlay" type of sound system, which allows you to amplify pre-loaded music from an iPod. These systems, which can be rented for about $175 per day, are best for smaller, more intimate weddings, since the speakers are only between 10 and 12-inches and may not provide enough volume for a large reception.
Related articles: Wedding Music Band, Live Ceremony Music, Dance Floor, Wedding Reception Venue, Wedding Dress, Public Address System
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What should be included: | - Typical wedding DJ packages should include planning consultation, music list customization, multiple tray CD players, a minimum of one audio mixer and one microphone, at least 4 hours of music, plus set-up and tear-down time.
Additional costs: | - Some DJs impose a higher per-hour charge (either 1-1/2 times or double their normal rate) for any performances that run overtime, and may require cash-only payments in those situations.
- For DJs that are hired to play recorded music during the wedding ceremony, additional per-hour costs may apply if they are asked to attend the rehearsal.
- Meals at longer events, meaning 4 hours or more, are often requested but not required. Be sure to check with your DJ ahead of time and include him/her in your caterer's head count if necessary. Some caterers will provide box meals for vendors like DJs.
Discounts: | - Since most DJs are hired for weddings, proms, family celebrations and other events that typically take place on weekends, many offer discounts for weekday events.
- A few DJs also offer discounts for referrals and repeat customers, usually between 5-10%.
Shopping for a wedding dj: | - The American Disc Jockey Association[1] and Brides Magazine[2] provide searchable databases of DJs by location.
- The American Disc Jockey Association suggests asking about insurance and proof of liability, the specific type of equipment to be used at your wedding, details on backup equipment, required set-up and tear-down time.
- Party Pop[3] has a state-by-state list of companies that rent audio equipment.
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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
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| Posted by: Linda Grayson in Port St Lucie, FL. | Posted: February 14th, 2017 03:02PM |
| Number of Hours: 8 | DJ: Evan Nine Entertainment |
All I can say is WOW. When I hired Evan Nine Entertainment, I had no idea I was going to get so much extra for my money. His company handled The DJ/MC, Photography, Uplighting, and Wedding Officiant. His professionalism was really remarkable and he assured me that everything would run smooth the day of my wedding. Not only was he my DJ/MC, he was also my event co-ordinator and created a time line for me that was absolutely perfect. His choice in music kept my guests on the dance floor all night long, and his uplights were way more than I expected especially when he brought my room to life by making them go to the beat of the music. My Photographer went way above the call of duty and we received over 700 pictures within 2 weeks of the wedding. The Wedding Officiants vows were so heart felt, that it had everyone in tears. In closing I would highly recommend this company as this was the best bang for my buck. Priced like a Economical car, but given the Rolls Royce Treatment. Thank you |
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| Posted by: Mancave in San jose, CA. | Posted: August 12th, 2016 01:08PM |
| Number of Hours: 4 | DJ: Dj ric Wilbourn |
He's absolutely the best he said it's his hobby not a job and it was just that he craft a music list with music for everyone keep people dancing. Light's everwhere mc the whole event perfectly. |
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| Posted by: Genna E. Vista CA in Carlsbad, CA. | Posted: July 1st, 2016 01:07PM |
| Number of Hours: 6 | DJ: Big Johnny Smalls |
OMG Can I say he is the best DJ hands down set the entire sound systems/lights everything for band/speakers and himself. Had the walls shaking and the resort staff dancing and singing too! I was referred by a friend so he gave a discount. Other than Wedding dress best spent money ever! |
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| Posted by: Mr. Curtis in Las vegas, NV. | Posted: June 26th, 2016 02:06PM |
| Number of Hours: 7 | DJ: Black Zoe |
DJ Black Zoe from black zoe entertainment was an incredible dj. He was very professional, fun, great, outgoing personality. He played fun party music the dance floor was never empty. I did a lot of searching for local dj's prior to choosing DJ Black Zoe he had the best reviews and the price for his services was very reasonable compared to the other djs in town. I definitely recommend him for any event. |
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| Posted by: Cyndee in Austin, TX. | Posted: October 13th, 2015 02:10PM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: DJ Jimmy Baggz |
A good friend of mine referred this DJ. He was awesome! I knew the music for the wedding was going to be an important aspect and this guy did an AMAZING job! Very professional and he met all of our needs from country, Top 40, and old school Hip Hop. He kept us on the dance floor the whole night. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a good DJ. |
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| Posted by: Snooky in Orlando, FL. | Posted: August 26th, 2015 09:08PM |
| Number of Hours: 4 | DJ: Cornball |
Our DJ was fantastic. He did all of the great DJ type songs everyone likes like the Cupid shuffle, electric slide, macarana, he even did a special request for us, the hokey pokey! It was truly the highlight of our wedding. He must have spent years developing his craft, as he had a great sound, much better than most DJ's I have seen, probably had a degree in playing cd's or something. Great equipment too, mostly RadioShack which is some of the best. He even handed out blow up guitars, and sunglasses at no extra charge. Everyone said it was the classiest event they had ever been to! My only complaint is that he tended to talk over everything, but I guess that is normal. |
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| Posted by: a user in Haverhill, MA. | Posted: October 20th, 2014 04:10PM |
| Number of Hours: 6 | DJ: GD Productions |
What an awesome job at this wedding. The DJ MC'd the whole event. They listened and took notes on everything the bride and groom wanted and made it happen. They worked well with the bride and groom changing plans at the last minute and even picked out the processional music as well as the first dance because the bride and groom aren't great with music. The DJ also picked out and bought the music for a scarf dance put on by the daughter of the bride. Great new DJ !!! It would have been $800.00 if it wasn't the wedding gift. Go GD Productions ! |
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| Posted by: Dana Guerreo in St Augustine, FL. | Posted: July 23rd, 2014 04:07AM |
| Number of Hours: 6 | DJ: Joey DeSena |
I had looked for a DJ so long, many of them wanted $800 or more, there were a few for $300 but they seemed so unprofessional and we were on a tight budget. Then a friend told us about DJ Joey Special Day Entertainment and that was the best move we ever made. He was very professional and a great entertainer. My friends and family said he was an awesome DJ. Everyone had a great time and made our reception so much fun. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a wedding DJ. |
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| Posted by: Nath Healy in Perth, WA. | Posted: June 10th, 2014 12:06AM |
| Number of Hours: 7 | DJ: Dylan |
An amazing DJ, Dylan helped us out from choosing songs to planning the format of the night to make sure it all flowed. Once the dancing begun the party really started! Dylan's song selection and mixing was as good as any nightclub DJ I have danced to. |
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| Posted by: David and Venessa in Somerset, NJ. | Posted: May 10th, 2014 11:05AM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: DJ George (862) 215-0065 |
We hired dj George from GandD productions. Very professional from the get go. He was available to us anytime we would call him. Very ez to talk to in terms to our planning. He played a variety of tunes that kept the place jumping. He also had konpa and zouk music which my family appreciated because we r Haitian descent. The sound was incredible. I would recommend the dj to all my friends. We also had up lighting, gobo (our names in lights customizing the room for us) |
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| Posted by: KellyS2013 in Cleveland, OH. | Posted: May 8th, 2013 10:05AM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: Just Dreaming Entertainment |
A friend of ours referred us to Just Dreaming Entertainment when we were looking for a Cleveland Wedding DJ. From the begining Jeff from Just Dreaming Entertainment was very professional, freindly and knowledgeable. Not only that, he even gave us a discount since our friend had referred us, and let us know about how we could save even more by referring others! (If you tell him that I referred you, then you can save too!) At our meetings he guided us through the timeline, music selections, and all of the details of the day, so we knew we were in good hands! Just Dreaming even did the lighting and made the entire reception hall look AMAZING! We had a blast dancing the entire night, they played the songs we wanted mixed with requests from our guests that fit perfectly. We even decided to go longer than expected since the party was so great due to the great job Jeff and Just Dreaming Entertainment did! By far one of the best choices (and at a great value!) we made for our wedding was going with Just Dreaming Entertainment! I would highly reccomend them to anyone looking for a Wedding DJ in the Cleveland area! (don't forget to tell him I referred you to get your discount!) |
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| Wow! |
| Amount: $1,200.00 total |
| Posted by: Sole Fish in Owensboro, KY. | Posted: February 17th, 2013 08:02AM |
| Number of Hours: 4 | DJ: DJ Wedding |
I couldn't have expected more from a DJ! Perfect song selection, amazing lights, great personality. On time, friendly. Had it all. Love what this guy did for all of us! Best DJ in Owensboro! |
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| Posted by: party rockin groom in Columbus, GA. | Posted: August 28th, 2012 02:08AM |
| Number of Hours: 10-12 | DJ: DJ HENNESSEY |
we were connected with dj hennessey out of Columbus Georgia.. never heard of him but heard he was amazing... told him what i wanted and he delivered.. superior sound syster, crazy lighting, and video.. price i thought was too low for everything he did and gave him a check for an extra 500... he made sure everything was perfect, neat and professional setup... huge speakers.. lighting and boy was he the best dj i have ever heard... he plays everything... top 40, old school hip hop, and he is an all around funny guy |
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| Posted by: Lill, Linda in Merriville, IN. | Posted: July 9th, 2012 07:07PM |
| Number of Hours: 6 | DJ: OG Smoove |
DJ "OG" Smoove met with me, my mother-in-law and fiancé 9 months before our wedding day and from the moment we met him I knew we had found the real deal. He listened to us, our ideas and how we wanted to have a classy reception AND a big dance party, and he made it all happen. From before we got to the reception until after our grand exit (which I'll never forget) he took care of us like we were royalty. We spent $12,000 on our big day, but the best decision we made by FAR was having DJ "OG" Smoove as our wedding DJ. Incredible! |
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| Posted by: Lisa Ward in Atlanta, GA. | Posted: June 3rd, 2012 02:06AM |
| Number of Hours: | DJ: DJ HENNESSEY/ www.djhennessey.net |
Our wedding was in June 2011 in Atlanta GA. A friend of ours connected us with DJ Hennessey as we had no DJ. He told us that the DJ was a good friend of his and probably the best DJ in the southeast... Boy was he right. He is from Columbus GA but he drove up to Atlanta to have a face to face meeting with us and didnt ask for a penny. Earned hime a lot of brownie points from me and my husband. He Handled everything. The sound was second to none, the light show put a lot of nightclubs to shame and the music was amazing, he even mixed music videos as he had a huge projector screen set up behind his DJ setup. He had everyone from black to white to hispanic dancing all night. we had to book him for 2 extra hours. For anyone that needs a dj i highly suggest you contact him. He is a great dj and a amazing man. |
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| Posted by: nichole6714 in Louisville, FL. | Posted: April 16th, 2012 06:04PM |
| Number of Hours: 4 | DJ: DJ Ev\\\\\\\'olution |
My other DJ backed out at the last minute and boy am I glad he did. I ended up with the best, DJ Ev'olution. (502)435-9908 www.30somethingentertainment.comrnHe First to arrive, last to leave and SIMPLY THE BEST!!! Meticulous in set-up, had all the equipment and brilliant in song selection. His prices were the most competitive. We met before the party and he was able to meet all my accommodations. Super pleased. Very professional and affordable. He does weddings, parties of all types and corporate events. |
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| Posted by: Phyllis Williams in Merrillville, IN. | Posted: March 23rd, 2012 04:03PM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: "OG" Smoove |
DJ "OG" Smoove was awesome! We were going to just run an ipod/computer songlist that our guest's could add to for our wedding, but out of curiosity, I googled DJ's in the area. The first thing I came across was an earlier Yelp review of DJ "OG" Smoove that explained our situation exactly... I looked up his website and was hooked. There was an article he wrote on why not to use an ipod and he showed us why during the wedding. After writing him for a quote and getting a quick and friendly response, we met once, emailed a bunch and he rocked it! There were even some songs he pulled out during the wedding that I mentioned in passing and I thought 'how did he know/remember?" We barely stopped dancing the whole night and our guests loved him too! Once I saw his site I said 'we don't have to look any further' and we did out of curiosity, but nothing out there compared. I don't know what we would have done without him! Thanks DJ "OG" Smoove ! |
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| Posted by: Colin and Renae in New Brunswick, NJ in New Brunswick, NJ. | Posted: March 21st, 2012 07:03AM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: DJ Mystical Michael |
DJ Mystical Michael was awesome! We were going to just run an ipod/computer songlist that our guest's could add to for our wedding, but out of curiosity, I googled DJ's in the area. The first thing I came across was an earlier Yelp review of Michael that explained our situation exactly... I looked up his website and was hooked. There was an article he wrote on why not to use an ipod and he showed us why during the wedding. After writing him for a quote and getting a quick and friendly response, we met once, emailed a bunch and he rocked it! There were even some songs he pulled out during the wedding that I mentioned in passing and I thought 'how did he know/remember?" We barely stopped dancing the whole night and our guests loved him too! Once I saw his site I said 'we don't have to look any further' and we did out of curiosity, but nothing out there compared. I don't know what we would have done without him! Thanks DJ Mystical Michael! |
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| Posted by: Theodore Robinson in Chicago, IL. | Posted: January 24th, 2012 11:01AM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: Bo of Infinity Entertainment |
Dj Bo of Infinity Entertainment was very accommodating and professional, worked with us on our budget to ensure a comfortable experience for our special day. He played a variety of hit from the old school to the new school. We highly recommend him for your Wedding too....Enjoy |
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| Posted by: Cindy Konop in Cleveland, OH. | Posted: November 17th, 2011 01:11PM |
| Number of Hours: 6 | DJ: Gary Perl |
What a great DJ. took requests and had the dance floor full all night. |
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| Posted by: Richard & Julie P. in Brandon, Other. | Posted: August 17th, 2011 09:08PM |
| Number of Hours: 7 | DJ: Dale |
A huge promotional thank you to DJ Dale Kerik from TUNES! Music Services in Brandon Manitoba. Your are a natural on the mic and your ability to create the perfect wedding night well talked about by our guests. Julie & Richard |
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| Posted by: Steve Mackenzie in Bridgewater, NJ. | Posted: June 18th, 2011 03:06PM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: Revolutions Entertainment LLC |
My wife Janice and I were orginaly considering using an IPOD at our wedding, but a friend of ours recommended us to a local DJ Company named Revolutions Entertainment LLC. Were are so glad she did!! These guys were by far the best djs we have ever heard! They truly created a magical moment for us and for our guests! We had such a great time and we danced all night long. We highly recommend them. If you can, ask for DJ Greg. He is the owner of the company and he was really great. |
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| Posted by: Jessica and Craig in Coos Bay, OR. | Posted: September 20th, 2010 01:09PM |
| Number of Hours: 4, but did 5.5 hours! | DJ: www.affordabledjoregon.com |
I thought we were going to do an iPOD reception, but my husband-to-be Craig talked me into hiring a DJ -- boy, I'm glad I did! Carl at Affordable DJ Services worked with me and my parents to create the perfect announcements and the perfect play list of exactly what I wanted. He brought all of his own equipment and cords, and even included a great light tower with tons of neat LED lights (important since we weren't sure about how much power we had available!). Anyway, everything went off perfect, and he even stayed and played music and hour and a half longer than we contract for...the party just kept going. He was professional in appearance and ettiquette. I really appreciated meeting with him ahead of time to get this event organized, and I even got to hear the system and see the lighting before the event. Highly recommended, thank you!! |
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| Posted by: Samantha Antonetti in Orlando, FL. | Posted: September 7th, 2010 06:09AM |
| Number of Hours: 4 | DJ: Casey Aston/Sports Time Entertainment |
My husband and I had barely any budget for a DJ, because we were haing financial struggles at the time. I had attended a friends wedding a couple of months before and her DJ was pretty good, but he charged $850 for 4 hours. I found Sports Time Entertainment on Craigslist, and when I saw 4 hour wedding reception DJ I thought there must be some kind of trick. So I met with DJ Casey Aston, and he was extremely professional, and there were no hidden cost so I decided to hire him. My friend said her DJ said that he would be a hack, and we would be sorry, but we decided to stay with him anyway. Boy am I glad we did. He blew my friends wedding DJ away. He kept my crowd dancing and entertained all night long, and provided way better equipment than the DJ my friend had hired. My friend said she had wanted a projector, and screen at her wedding, but she would have had to pay an extra $250, it was included in my wedding DJ package. Needless to say, when it was all said and done my everybody wanted his card, because he provided a level of entertainment for $300 that other DJ's charge charge $1200-$1550 for. Thank you Casey you were the best choice we made in our wedding planning decisions. |
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| Posted by: Rebecca Bently Morrison in Stuart, FL. | Posted: July 28th, 2010 06:07PM |
| Number of Hours: 5 | DJ: Traxx Entertainment |
Our wedding was this past May (2010) and we hired Traxx Entertainment to provide our ceremony and reception music & entertainment. Our guests are still talking about how much fun they had at our wedding! The entertainment professionals we worked with were Lynette and Wes B. They were extremely professional in appearance and ettiquette ... and they kept our crowd roaring on the dance floor all night. We had a really cool uplighting throughout our ballroom and our personalized monogram made me feel like a princess! If you're getting married in South Florida ... request only the best! |
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External Resources: | - adja.org/findadj/?f=1
- www.brides.com/local-wedding-resources
- www.partypop.com/locations?keywords=Audio+Visual+Equipment+Sound&category=3013
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