Choosing the DJ for your DFW wedding can be one of the most important decisions you'll make regarding the success of your wedding reception. A common misconception is that the DJ is just there to play music. However, the DJ does so much more that can greatly impact your Dallas wedding reception. See the bottom of the page for a lot of information about what your Dallas DJ should do!

Comparison of Prices

You will find a wide range of prices of DJs in the Dallas area. This key is designed to give you an idea of what you'll get for your money.

- $600-$1000: Believe it or not, there are DJs in the DFW area who charge $600 for a 4 hour wedding. More than likely this is a DJ company who sends out many DJs every weekend. Often times these are DJs who have very little experience and are usually classified as "cheesy" DJs. These DJs are making $20 an hour to DJ your wedding, with the company keeping the rest. You may get lucky hiring a DJ in this price range, but is it worth taking a chance for your wedding?

- $1000-$2000: This is the sweet spot for finding a talented, professional DJ in the DFW area. These DJs are usually single-system companies, meaning they only have 1 DJ. These DJs have professional sound equipment, insurance and have years of experience and training.

- $2000+: These are the equivalent of luxury cars of DJs. These DJs do things that the other DJs don't do like love story (5-10 minute custom written introduction about the bride & groom), full custom intros for the entire bridal party (usually 3-4 sentences about each person in the bridal party), and custom produced songs (includes audio clips from the bride & groom or parents), among other custom elements. Typically the biggest difference between the $1000-$2000 DJs and $2000+ DJs is the amount of customized elements the DJ produces for the wedding.

How to choose

Now that you have an idea of what a DJ should cost, how do you choose which level to go with? There is a lot of risk involved with the $600-$1000 DJ because you just don't know what you'll get. As previously mentioned, your DJ will be standing up in front of your guests with a microphone--do you want to take a chance with someone who may not represent you well?

So, that leaves the next 2 tiers of DJs to choose from. Obviously there's a big price difference between a $1000 DJ & a $2000 DJ. At that point it's up to you to determine how much you want to spend and what level of customization you want. The $1000-$2000 will customize your event in terms of working with you on what you would like to happen at your reception (introductions, cake cutting, etc.). So they are a good choice if you want a reception that is customized, but doesn't include all kinds of custom produced elements.

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Summary

Tier 1 ($600-$1000): Less experienced, often times you don't know who you'll get from a company with many DJs, typically classified as cheesy. Buyer beware!

Tier 2 ($1000-$2000): Very experienced, quite a bit of training, professional equipment, has insurance, will represent you well, a great choice for your Dallas wedding.

Tier 3 ($2000+): Many of the same traits as the tier 2 DJ, but this level will also include a lot of custom elements.

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What should your Dallas wedding DJ do?

Work with you to determine what special events you want at your reception
       - Every wedding is different. Some want grand introductions, others don't. Some want a garter/bouquet, others      don't. Your DJ should discuss all options with you and help create a timeline of events to make your wedding unique.

Coordinate with all vendors
       - There is a lot going on behind the scenes at a wedding that the DJ is responsible for. It is important the DJ coordinates well with the other vendors to ensure everything runs smoothly. Imagine if the DJ started to announce your first dance if he didn't first let the photographer know? You would possibly miss some pictures of the first moments of your first dance.

Play the music you requested, as well as not play the music on your do not play list
       - Some DJs think they are the expert and will completely ignore your request list. It is important you talk to your DJ quite a bit about your request list to be sure they will respect it and play from it. Along the same lines, you will also want to make sure your DJ will not play anything that you've specifically asked not be played.

Do everything necessary to be prepared for your wedding
        - While your wedding many only be 4 hours, your DJ should spend many hours preparing for your wedding. This includes meeting with you, going over all the information for the wedding numerous times, going over your request list to become familiar with it and to be sure he has all that music in his library, practicing the introductions (if needed), and contacting the other vendors to go over the details of the wedding, among many other things.

Be professional
       - This is a HUGE part of what you should look for in a DJ. This is the person who will be representing you at your wedding and they should conduct themselves in a professional manner. For example, you don't want to hire someone who will be drinking at your wedding. Some DJs will drink throughout your entire reception. Do you drink at your job? Probably not. So your DJ shouldn't be drinking at your wedding.

 

Dallas Lighting Prices

Ok, so now you know how much you need to budget for your Dallas wedding disc jockey, but how about lighting? Check out the Dallas wedding lighting prices page for more information.