The music entertainment you select for your wedding or party is responsible for 80% of the events' success, and the memories you will have for the rest of your life"
Martha Stewart
Wedding DJ prices vary widely, and so do their talents. DJ prices can range from $350 to over $3500 depending on entertainment, lighting, and talent. The US average for a wedding DJ is around $1245 for a 4-5 hour reception. According to knot.com, the 2016 national average cost of a wedding was $35,329. So as a percentage of the rest of your wedding budget, your entertainment costs are extremely low in comparison. Though the cost of entertainment is fairly inexpensive, your wedding DJ can make or break your event.
"Entertainment is 5% of your Wedding Budget, but TWICE as many guests will remember your entertainment, more than anything else!
Modern Bride Magazine
On average, DJ entertainment is only about 5% of your overall budget, however, more than 50% of your guests will remember your entertainment over anything else at your wedding. Think back to the last wedding you attended. Do you recall what you had for lunch/dinner, what color the napkins were, or what the floral arraignment was? Most people can only remember how much fun they did or didn't have.
Modern Bride Magazine conducted a post-wedding budget survey, and the results are pretty shocking.
72% of brides said they would have spent more time choosing their reception entertainment.
Nearly 100% said they would have spent more of their budget on the entertainment.
Prior to the wedding, most brides said their highest priority was their wedding dress/attire followed by the reception location and caterer. Reception entertainment was among the least of their priorities. Within one week after their reception, 78% of brides said they would have made entertainment the highest priority.
81%of guests say the thing they remember most about a wedding is the entertainment (band/DJ).
65% of all couples that chose a band to entertain them at their wedding reception, said, if they had to do it over again, they would have chosen a DJ instead.
The best price is not always the best deal. Remember as the survey and graphs indicate above nearly, 100% of all brides said they would have spent more on their entertainment and would have made it their number 1 priority during the planning process.
Although it may appear that you are only paying a DJ for 4-5 hours, a professional will spend 10-20 hours on your event. Consultations, music playlists and editing, timeline preparation, setup and tear down, advice, and travel, all play a huge part in the success of your event.
If you are like most couples just starting your planning and are shocked by how much everything costs be sure to read Why DJs Cost So Much to get a better idea of what goes into pricing the service.
