Wedding DJ's

deeks

Hi folks,

Just wondering what kind of price I could be expecting to pay for a Wedding DJ. I know it can probably vary but I honestly have no idea what to budget for this.

We are having a band as well so you would be talking about maybe 11.00 / 11.30 - 2.00.

Thanks.

clint_silver

deeks wrote: »

Hi folks,

Just wondering what kind of price I could be expecting to pay for a Wedding DJ. I know it can probably vary but I honestly have no idea what to budget for this.

We are having a band as well so you would be talking about maybe 11.00 / 11.30 - 2.00.

Thanks.

300e is the average for post band. Ask the band if they can provide and you may get a deal with it. Ive seen them up as far as 400e for post band and as low as 200 but youd have to question what youre getting there.

Try and view beforehand too like you would the band as theres good and bad DJs everywhere. Do they take requests? are they using same gear as band, if its their own gear is it suitable for venue? any lighting? hows the mic control? hows their floor control? are they staring at the dance floor or their mates facebook while theyre DJing?

Preset No.3

DO NOT ask the band if they can provide the DJ. 9 times out of 10, it is a member of the band who is not a DJ entertainer, and will throw on some pre mixed music. They will be no consultation with the bride and groom over the music this "DJ" will play, and generally it will kill the night! Hire a professional DJ who only does this, not someone that does a bit of cake making on the side or can strumm a few chords and pretend he is a band!

There is also risks to seeing a DJ in action. UNLIKE a band who come in, play their set, a DJ is very different as he will play music that the bride and groom likes. No point seeing a DJ that is playing 80s music all night, if you are just into old school hip hop and RnB.

A professional DJ will have his own rig, get set up at the same time as the band, have his own lights, and if he is any kind of decent fella, will already be familiar with the venue.

deeks

Thanks for the responses.

Got a couple of recommendations from friends in the last few days and have now booked a dj who has come in with a good price and also appears to provide a very professional service.

clint_silver

Preset No.3 wrote: »

DO NOT ask the band if they can provide the DJ. 9 times out of 10, it is a member of the band who is not a DJ entertainer, and will throw on some pre mixed music. They will be no consultation with the bride and groom over the music this "DJ" will play, and generally it will kill the night! Hire a professional DJ who only does this, not someone that does a bit of cake making on the side or can strumm a few chords and pretend he is a band!

Where you getting your info here from. I know 4 guys who do this, ie, play in band or sound engineer and DJ. All of them speak with brides and grooms beforehand. None of them play mixes. and not only generally dont kill the night, they always make the night fantastic.

Some guys with bands are bad. some professional DJs are bad.

There is also risks to seeing a DJ in action. UNLIKE a band who come in, play their set, a DJ is very different as he will play music that the bride and groom likes. No point seeing a DJ that is playing 80s music all night, if you are just into old school hip hop and RnB.

This is just wrong and something Ive never heard in 20 years from anyone in the industry. A pro guy (whether dedicated or from a band or whether he's the hotel chef) will control the floor with the right music at the right time through professional equipment with adequate sound levels and apt lighting to create atmosphere.

how are couples supposed to know he can do any of that if they dont view?

A professional DJ will have his own rig, get set up at the same time as the band, have his own lights, and if he is any kind of decent fella, will already be familiar with the venue.

Many professional DJs dont have their own rig, they rent, or its sub standard or got 200w tops from maplins to fill a 250 people room when the band have finished 2 hours going through a 6k rig. Ive seen it! Should they have their own gear? yes, but do they? no.

Ive seen pro guys turn up with no lighting. "Not my job, thats the venues". how will couple know this beforehand if they dont view?

Ive seen guys not turn up until 10 minutes after the band. "Oh I didnt expect you to finish so soon".

Ive seen pro guys drop gear off only for a 20yr old turn up and do the DJ who couldnt find a jack insert on the back of passive speaker.

That said, there are many pro guys with great rigs, with great lighting who do turn up on time every time.

Theres good and bad of every type. If couples view, they can find out what.

Preset No.3

clint_silver wrote: »

Where you getting your info here from. I know 4 guys who do this, ie, play in band or sound engineer and DJ. All of them speak with brides and grooms beforehand. None of them play mixes. and not only generally dont kill the night, they always make the night fantastic.

Some guys with bands are bad. some professional DJs are bad.




This is just wrong and something Ive never heard in 20 years from anyone in the industry. A pro guy (whether dedicated or from a band or whether he's the hotel chef) will control the floor with the right music at the right time through professional equipment with adequate sound levels and apt lighting to create atmosphere.

how are couples supposed to know he can do any of that if they dont view?




Many professional DJs dont have their own rig, they rent, or its sub standard or got 200w tops from maplins to fill a 250 people room when the band have finished 2 hours going through a 6k rig. Ive seen it! Should they have their own gear? yes, but do they? no.

Ive seen pro guys turn up with no lighting. "Not my job, thats the venues". how will couple know this beforehand if they dont view?

Ive seen guys not turn up until 10 minutes after the band. "Oh I didnt expect you to finish so soon".

Ive seen pro guys drop gear off only for a 20yr old turn up and do the DJ who couldnt find a jack insert on the back of passive speaker.

That said, there are many pro guys with great rigs, with great lighting who do turn up on time every time.

Theres good and bad of every type. If couples view, they can find out what.

Clint,

I am only going to respond to this because I remembered that you private messaged me last year asking me to take down a post which had a similar vein.

IN MY EXPERIENCE, and IN MY OPINION, band members should stick to what they do, that is play in a band. YOU may be the exception to the rule, but one of the reasons that bands are now turning away from offering the DJ package is that it actually backfired on them because one of the band was doing the DJ end and making a balls of it!

Professional DJs who rent gear, are NOT professional DJs. Rather they are just in it for the drinking money and to get out of the house on a Saturday night. Download a couple of thousand songs off the internet, get a cheap thomann rig and all of a sudden you are a DJ.

I once again maintain, that you, as a band member should stick to what you know best, playing the bass at all those High Society gigs! Leave the real work to the professionals!

sweetie

IMO wedding djing is not rocket science but like a recipe for a cake; A + B + C + D + E usually equals a great night when A is experience, B is musical knowledge, C is audio/lighting gear, D is confidence/interaction(if required)/personality and E is the audience/crowd. Now when I started out as a wedding dj I met a great band with excellent feedback/reputation who I partner with and it works well for us. Many people who book us don't know if I'm a member of the band or separate until I speak to them.

My point is a guy in a band will most usually have most of these traits simply by the fact of his line of work and shouldn't be regarded as any different from a regular wedding dj. The problem, I think, started during the celtic tiger era when some bands exploited a gap in the market by promising a full, seamless show and then didn't deliver on the dj part due to laziness/ cockiness etc. and they still give others a bad name. As Clint says there are as many poor wedding djs as poor band djs.

clint_silver

sweetie wrote: »

IMO wedding djing is not rocket science but like a recipe for a cake; A + B + C + D + E usually equals a great night when A is experience, B is musical knowledge, C is audio/lighting gear, D is confidence/interaction(if required)/personality and E is the audience/crowd. Now when I started out as a wedding dj I met a great band with excellent feedback/reputation who I partner with and it works well for us. Many people who book us don't know if I'm a member of the band or separate until I speak to them.

My point is a guy in a band will most usually have most of these traits simply by the fact of his line of work and shouldn't be regarded as any different from a regular wedding dj. The problem, I think, started during the celtic tiger era when some bands exploited a gap in the market by promising a full, seamless show and then didn't deliver on the dj part due to laziness/ cockiness etc. and they still give others a bad name. As Clint says there are as many poor wedding djs as poor band djs.

summed up nicely. If a guy in the band can do A+B+C+D+E, then why shouldnt he as he's there already and has the gear all set up.
But just because he is there doesnt mean he can do ABCDE but also hiring a pro guy doesnt mean he can either.

Either way, you cant say dont hire the band guy as 9 times out 10 he'll be missing everything needed to give a good night as that's just not true.

the_syco

deeks wrote: »

Got a couple of recommendations from friends in the last few days and have now booked a dj who has come in with a good price and also appears to provide a very professional service.

Like the band, pop into a wedding, and see how they interact with the crowd. Seeing a band or DJ play in a small venue where people come to see them is very different from seeing a band or DJ play in a venue where the people have come to see the groom and bride.