The paramount guideline in planning a wedding is showing your friends and loved-ones a great time. You want them to spend the whole event smiling, and have them leave with memories of a great wedding. You also don't want to enter your marriage in heavy debt. So how do you strike a balance between quality vendors that will show your guests a fantastic time, and overpriced vendors who don't necessarily excel at what they do? Let's discuss.
Before we start, it should be noted that any prices I quote are in Canadian Dollars
First, let's establish a base line of sorts.
I've done a tremendous amount of research into how much a strong wedding DJ will cost you. This was not an easy research project, as most companies do not put their costs up front on their websites or other forms of advertising. You typically have to contact DJ companies directly and request a quote.
What I discovered through my research is that you can typically expect to pay between 0 and 00 for your DJ on your wedding day. I did manage to find a DJ company advertising a wedding package for 5, but the hours were limited and it did not include many of the features you should be looking for when choosing your vendor. Contrary to the 5 wedding package was a 00 package from another vendor that certainly did cover everything you would need for a successful evening. The only problem with the 00 package was that I could not differentiate between their 00 package and an 0 package from other vendors. For the price difference, I would expect either more features or a well known name. For example, many people opt to pay more and acquire a Ferrari rather than a Hyundai, but it's because they know the prestige that comes with owning a Ferrari and the reputation of the famous Italian sports cars. So before you leap to the conclusion that more expensive must be better or going for a cheaper option is a good idea, question what you would get from the company that justifies the price, high or low.
Next, let's discuss how to save money
More important that saving the last dime is ensuring that your music is right for your wedding, and that things run smoothly between you and your DJ. The good news is that you don't necessarily have to compromise one for the other, but you of course shouldn't expect to get a world famous DJ with a top of the line sound and light system for the lowest price. With that in mind, consider the following points:
- Song Selection Shouldn't Add to the Cost- Does the DJ company you're considering boast about a music collection of 25,000, 50,000 or even 100,000 songs? Ignore it. He or she will only play a few hundred on the night of your wedding, so having a B-Sides collection from Dexy's Midnight Runnners is not going to factor. Instead, look for a list of their most commonly played songs. If it seems like their most played songs are the type of music you'd be looking for, that's all you'll need. Besides, this is the day and age of iTunes, so your DJ should be able to get whatever music you want if you let him/her know your preferences before the wedding day.
- Lights Shouldn't Add to the Cost- Many DJ companies offer you the chance to upgrade your wedding package to include fancy dancing lights. It's a personal decision, but give careful consideration to what the effect of the lights will be on the ambiance of your wedding. You've likely spent hours agonizing over colors and decor, now think of what flashing red, blue, green and yellow lights will do to that decor.
- Great Sound Equipment Should Factor into the Cost- My educational background is in music production, so I can tell you from a place of education and experience that a newer, high quality sound system is important. Modern producers, specifically in hip hop and dance music (and have you looked at the dominance of these genres on the Billboard charts recently?!) push the sonic envelopes with their recordings. Songs are overall louder, and the bass hits much deeper than it ever has before. Your DJ will need a sound setup that can handle it. I know a lot about audio gear, but I don't expect every reader of this article to, so here is what to look for:
- brand names like JBL, Mackie, Crown, Shure, Peavey, Pioneer, Numark, Yorkville or QSC
- system Wattages of 2,000 to 6,000 Watts
- the word "digital"
- subwoofer(s) included in the package
- no gear older than 5 years
- any more than two speakers and two subwoofers for a wedding of 250 people or less is overkill
You may need to inquire to find out a lot of the information above, but it is important.
- 1-on-1 Meetings with Your DJ Should Factor into the Cost- This, above all, should be the major consideration in whether or not a DJ company is worthy of your business. As you know, I enjoy car metaphors, so here's another one; Meeting your DJ is like test driving a car. It's true that you won't get to know every last nuance of it, but you can get a good feel for what you'll be getting for spending your hard earned money. When you meet your DJ, he/she may blow your mind and put you at ease knowing that you've made the right choice of DJs. It's also possible that you and your DJ could have very different expectations for the evening (yours is the only one that counts!) and you can decide to find a different company before committing.
- Time Will Factor into the Cost- On average, you'll need about 7 hours of music for your reception. This will cover dinner and cocktail music from 5:00 through dancing music til midnight. Most DJ companies will allow you to add time if needed, but they should only be charging you between and for each extra hour.
- Ceremony Music Will Factor into the Cost- Music for your ceremony is not typically included in a wedding DJ company's "basic" package. If you've opted for a DJ to cover your music versus say a string quartet, you can figure on adding 0 to 0 to the total.
- You Should Be Weary of Trying and Save Money by Doing the Music Yourself- You can do the music for your wedding on your own, but please take careful consideration of the following:
- never use a home stereo, regardless of the power of the system
- rent your audio gear from a local music store, it'll likely cost 0 or less
- don't forget to rent or purchase all of the necessary cabling
- wherever your music is stored, bring a backup (iPods can lost and laptops can crash)
- you'll need someone reliable to "run" the music for the night. They will have to tend the volume and song choices
- be careful to choose songs that all of your guests will enjoy, from grandparents to teenagers
- consult with a DJ or DJ company to discuss song selection, most will be happy to help out
- no one will be dancing if there is a pause before every song, so do some research and find a program or settings within your current music software that will eliminate the pauses and keep things flowing
In conclusion
There are many ways to save money on a wedding DJ, and many things to consider before deciding on your wedding DJ. Use the guidlines I've written above, and check out my other articles to help you ensure that your wedding (or at least your wedding entertainment) is perfect!
