How much does a wedding DJ cost?

Time is one of the variables that affect price of the entertainment the most. A typical wedding in the US has a cocktail hour and a reception that lasts between 3-6 hours. You can choose to have a DJ playing for the cocktail hour and the reception, just the reception, or just the dancing portion of the reception. You can always play background music if you choose not to have a live DJ during the cocktail hour and the dinner. Keeping these options in mind, you will be looking to hire a DJ anywhere from 2 to 7 hours.

The three most common ways DJs will price their services are:

1. Hourly Rate: Where you pay only for the time you require. For example: $100 per hour booked
2. First Hour Fee + Hourly Fee: This approach is very common amongst wedding DJs since a good part of the work happens before the wedding, which includes preparing the music, learning the schedule, and names of the wedding party. A short gig with an hourly rate is not desirable for the DJ, so they prefer to charge a higher price for the first hour and a lower one for as many hours after that. For example: $300 first hour and $50 per hour after that.
3. Flat Fee: Offering the service as a package , usually including equipment. For example: $1000 for 4 hours inclusive of DJ sound equipment. 

I personally recommend hiring a DJ per hour. Aside from the flexibility it gives you with regards to time, it also allows you to choose the equipment and lighting that is right for your wedding size and space.

As I mentioned earlier, many DJs might include equipment in a premade package. However, buying one of these packages can be a big mistake! No two weddings are alike and having a one size fits all approach to the sound and lighting equipment is a bad idea.

When choosing the amount of lighting for your wedding, you want to keep 3 main variables in mind:

1. How many guests in attendence: A small wedding with 50 guests or less would warrant simple sound equipment between $200 to $500 while one with 300 guests will need twice or three times as much sound so the music can cut through the chatter.
2. Type of space: The total size of the space for the reception is also an important factor. A 2000 sqft ballroom will require a fraction of the sound compared to a huge open-air event outside. The same goes for lighting, while 20 uplights should be enough for a banquet hall, a big space could require as many as 100. Another thing to consider is having the DJ playing in two different areas, cocktail hour and reception for example. Since you do not want technicians connecting cables in the middle of your wedding, you will be looking to rent two separate setups for those different areas.
3. Desired Atmosphere: Do you want a chill elegant event with some ambience lighting or a full-on party with visual effects? Synchronized lights and laser beams? You may want to discuss which kind of entertainment are you looking to offer your guests with your significant other.