Dj - The PASH Wedding Forums and Message Boards

Indigo · #1 02-16-2006, 02:29 PM

How much should I expect to pay for a DJ at the reception? I called one guy and he charged 1,200.00 for 5 hours. I am sure he deserves this much but I cannot afford this at all!! I can afford more like 3-400 dollars. Should I buy a boom box and a microphone?

cru5h · #2 02-16-2006, 02:33 PM

Do you have an iPod? A lot of people are using theirs, plus the attachments that make it audible outside of the iPod itself, at their weddings. They're choosing and downloading their own music and just letting it go. They choose a techy-loving friend or relative (or teenager) to tend to it, make sure all's well and that's that. iPods run like $200-300 and the attachments can get up to 200. Just something to consider. It's an "investment"

I'm going to come back and post something I had copied a long time ago just to tie it in with this post, it might be helpful for others who decide to Pod at their receptions. Don't think I'm forcing it on you or anything

ETA: nevermind, I must have posted it somewhere else. It basically told how many songs to download for 4 hours of music or something like that.

fallbride · #3 02-16-2006, 02:45 PM

I booked my DJ...he was $400.00 for 5 hours.

Steph · #4 02-16-2006, 03:24 PM

Do you have any friends that know DJ's or a friend that used a DJ and the DJ consider giving you a discount b/c of your friends referral?

Steph · #5 02-16-2006, 03:24 PM

I would also ask if the base price is just for music. Some DJ's have higher prices because it includes things such as smoke from smoke machines, party favors etc.

Indigo · #6 02-16-2006, 03:25 PM

I wondered about an ipod. Do they have speakers and stuff to go with them? Are they loud? I have no idea where to go to find out about the add ons - any site suggestions. I am an i pod virgin.

My sister said she paid about that much for her DJ also. What the heck - who does this guy think he is anyway

Marge129 · #7 02-16-2006, 03:26 PM

My DJ was about $400 for 4-5 hours... I don't remember exactly. It was too long ago!

cru5h · #8 02-16-2006, 03:27 PM

Try checking with Circuit City or something where they have customer service people wandering about, preferably a male nerd who probably knows everything there is to know about an iPod and might volunteer his best friend to MC for you LOL. But yeah, go somewhere you can look at, and ask questions about, if you're into finding out more.

Have you downloaded music before?

ladedah · #9 02-16-2006, 03:31 PM

When I started pricing DJ's I thought they were ridiculously outrageous...basically I was just in shock because I wasn't expecting it...I also wanted more of a "known chain" (I guess you would call it) rather than someone who just does this for their weekend fun type of thing (but they can be cheaper...

Basically we have two major ones that service our area..America's DJ and Complete Music..both of thier prices were essentially the same..I think it was $850 for 5 hours...so I started negotiating and pitting them against each other...I ended up getting Complete Music for $450 for 6 hours (plus I'm getting married smack dab in the middle of prom season..so it's not like they would have been starving if I hadn't hired them)...thank god for competitors

My point is....negotiate for whatever you can...i have saved thousands of dollars on just about everything from doing that..

wembley · #10 02-16-2006, 04:36 PM

It's amazing how much price can differ from location to location and when you want them. I have a friend that was looking for dj's so we were comparing prices. She's getting married before the big "wedding season" starts and in a small town. She was getting quotes for half the price of what they were telling me. You have to be able to bargain with them!

We are doing our own music, not from an ipod but just burned cds. The reception site has a sound system that we can rent for the whole night for only $100. That is way cheaper than any dj would be. Then we can find songs we like and put together a bunch of different cds. We'll put a couple people in charge of tending the music and hopefully it will all work out.

ljeagle · #11 02-16-2006, 05:52 PM

I would call a local bar and see if they had a dj that does out side events. Around here they would only be about $300 to $400 for the night.

whiddle · #12 02-16-2006, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marge129

My DJ was about $400 for 4-5 hours... I don't remember exactly. It was too long ago!

My quotes were the same.

1200 is just astronomical!

Steph · #13 02-16-2006, 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wembley

It's amazing how much price can differ from location to location and when you want them.

No joke!!! If you live in the NYC area you might as well start playing the lottery now in hopes of winning to afford a wedding. I know an average Long Island wedding costs about $60,000.00. That is just nuts!!! If I ever get married I will be Vegas bound!

Indigo · #14 02-16-2006, 10:13 PM

I talked to a few other DJ's in the area and found the cheapest to be 900.00. No way. Anyway, I was telling my dad the delimia in hopes that he would know a place to rent some equipment. He said that he has all the stuff we would need. Receiver, speakers, amp and microphone. Whew!! Looks like I will just start burning some CD's.

SuzyBride · #15 02-17-2006, 12:54 AM

That's great! Those prices were outrageous! Our DJ was $395 for 4 hours, plus a $100 deposit.

wembley · #16 02-17-2006, 02:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cru5h

ETA: nevermind, I must have posted it somewhere else. It basically told how many songs to download for 4 hours of music or something like that.

Do you remember where that was posted or what the information was? I was trying to find it before and was not successful.

ljeagle · #17 02-17-2006, 02:58 AM

That great that your father can help out. I don't think I would want to pay someone that kind of money to put a CD in a player and hit play.

cru5h · #18 02-17-2006, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wembley

Do you remember where that was posted or what the information was? I was trying to find it before and was not successful.

Honestly, I really thought i'd posted it here. Let me see if Google has a cache of it.

Complicated Woman · #19 02-17-2006, 02:41 PM

We're doing the iPod thing. Instead of spending 700 bucks on a DJ, we're spending $300 on a Bose speaker dock that we can keep and use afterward and making playlists from the music we have. It's good to keep in mind, though, that if you don't have a good music selection already to play at the reception, that will cost $$, too. Just something to factor in to the budget.

Complicated Woman · #20 02-17-2006, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cru5h

Honestly, I really thought i'd posted it here. Let me see if Google has a cache of it.

Didn't you post it on the old Bliss site? Is that gone now?

Cirig · #21 02-17-2006, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steph

No joke!!! If you live in the NYC area you might as well start playing the lottery now in hopes of winning to afford a wedding. I know an average Long Island wedding costs about $60,000.00. That is just nuts!!! If I ever get married I will be Vegas bound!

These were my reactions when I found out.

cru5h · #22 02-17-2006, 02:52 PM

Yeah, everything's gone

I could have sworn I posted it here. The information came from a magazine. I remember that much.

Steven Galvez · #23 02-20-2006, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cru5h

Yeah, everything's gone

I could have sworn I posted it here. The information came from a magazine. I remember that much.

The old Bliss forums are still around as well as all the old threads and posts (they're here). You will have to select "Show All Topics" to view the old posts, though. But it's all still there, we haven't deleted them yet.

cru5h · #24 02-20-2006, 02:27 AM

OK here it is... nothing to write home about

Taken from Brides magazine (only $2.99 this month, by the way)...not word-for-word or anything. Just trying to help anyone who's considering their iPod.

This will also come in handy for those doing DJs who ask for a playlist. Now you know about how many to use.

They suggest you have someone you know, who's tech-savvy and would LIKE to do this, man the iPod. (pressing play before everyone's there and pausing if need be)

They suggest working on playlists a few months in advance, getting music from iTunes (or wherever you DL music from) and borrowing friends' CDs.

Create separate playlists for the cocktail hour (15-20 medium-tempo tunes), dinner (35 mellow songs), post-dinner (45-50 fast-dance favorites and some slow songs).

Back up playlists on CD and bring a CD player with you just in case.

Common sense:
Charge your iPod before the wedding.
Make sure it's plugged in.
Do a run through well before the wedding.