My professional fees; on average, is only $750.00. Of course, there are other factors that may dictate a slight increase, such as additional equipment, services and length of time.

But, a low price is not a good price if you don't like the quality of the entertainment. You can't hit the rewind button and restart the party. You get one chance to do it right. Entertainment makes the event. That is why you should be concerned about other factors instead of just the price.

While it is attractive to shop for a DJ by price, it is not the wisest approach, as all DJ services are not equal. Price alone should not be the definitive factor in your decision. There are many other revealing questions that can be asked other than “How much do you charge?” to determine if a prospective MC/DJ can deliver your expectations. The lowest priced DJ is rarely the best value but the higher priced DJ is not necessarily required either. There are distinguishing traits such as style, personality, skill level of the DJ, which can make a major difference. You should really “get to know” the DJ before making such a crucial decision. The DJ sets the tone of your event and holds the power to significantly influence the success or failure of your reception.

The rates that are charged by most DJ services are based on several factors, such as years of experience, business overhead, unique skills, talent and equipment. It is not a wise idea to chance ruining your plans by trying to save a few dollars on a discount DJ.

  • 39% of brides say their greatest fear is not having fun at their reception.
  • During the wedding planning brides say their highest priority is their attire, followed by the reception site and caterer. Reception entertainment is among the least of their priorities. One week after their reception, 78% of brides say they would have made the entertainment their highest priority!
  • 81% of guests say the thing they remember most about the wedding reception was the entertainment.
  • Survey's reveal that after their reception, 72% of all brides say they would have spent more time choosing their entertainment. Almost 100% say they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
  • Entertainment, on average, is 4% of cost of the entire reception.

Thomas Ruskin was quoted as saying “The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the pleasure of low price.”

Some couples have tried to cut corners by renting a sound system and hooking up their lap-top/iPod. However, when you weigh the costs of renting equipment and trying to do it yourself, you will see that you are really not saving much—if any. Here is what I mean. I am going to give you a list of items that you will need to rent and challenge you to call around and see how much it will cost you to rent these items:

  • Two subwoofers/scoops.
  • Two 15” speaker/horn speakers.
  • Two dual CD players and mixers (you need one extra of each in case one fails).
  • Four 1,200 watt power amps (two are extra in case the other two fail).
  • Two wireless microphones.
  • Crossover.
  • Power conditioner.
  • Miscellaneous cords, table and table skirt.
  • Of course, you will want all of the components neatly installed and pre-wired and professional amp racks and consoles.

Even if you could find a source to rent all of this equipment, you still have to deal with picking it up, setting it up, tearing it down and returning it. It is very doubtful that you will be able to rent the same professional equipment that I provide. This level of gear is far too expensive to rent out. I don't believe even professional sound companies would rent such equipment without having one of their staff attending the function, for a fee.

Let's say you are able to find a source to rent this equipment. What do you think the cost will be? I would venture a guess of minimally of $600.00 (on the low side and on the high side a lot more). You still need to find someone to act as your MC and coordinator. You could probably ask your “Uncle Bob” to announce the wedding party and the bride and groom, but he probably will not be able to make the announcement with the same zest, as a seasoned professional DJ/MC. You also need to find someone to locate the individual songs on your iPod/Laptop for the special events throughout the evening. Do you really want to trust this type of execution to “a friend of the family?” Of course not, you want a professional conducting all of these unique spot light moments. But remember, you wanted to cut corners.

Now that the dance floor has opened, what happens when your guests do not respond to the selection of songs that you have preselected on your iPod/Laptop? Are you going to reprogram songs quickly enough to save the party? Are you prepared to stand by the laptop or iPod and continue to “read the crowd” anticipating what next great song you will select for their dancing pleasure? Of course not, this is your wedding reception and you should not even leave this responsibility to your “most trusted attendee.”

Soon you will realize that you should have hired a professional DJ to take away all of the stress and headaches of managing your wedding reception so you can enjoy yourself.