Wedding DJ Prices
I have long believed that a price without knowing what you are getting for it has no value. I am what you get when you hire me, so until we can sit down and get to know each other a price does you no good.
Comparison of Prices
You will find a wide range of prices for DJs in Melbourne. This key is designed to give you an idea of what you'll get for your money.
$300-$550: 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. 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?
$600-$950: Professional DJ. 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.
- $1000+: These are the equivalent of luxury cars of DJs. These DJs do things that the other DJs don't do like 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.
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 $300-$550 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.. At this point it's up to you to determine how much you want to spend and what level of customisation you want. The $1000+ DJ 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 customised.
Summary
Tier 1 ($300-$550): limited or no mic or MC skills, no planning, no direction, very little experience, may not give any announcements, no professional training little understanding of wedding etiquette or protocol..
Tier 2 ($600-$950): Less than10 year’s experience as a wedding DJ, some professional training, over 200 weddings performed. Some planning,decent mic & MC skills
Tier 3 ($1000+): Many years of experience, professional training, very good MC & mic skills, 2 or 3 planning sessions, direction, work as your day of Co-coordinator, Unique ideas, able to read the crowd, program music well, know music well and play the right kind of music to please everybody, very good pro-audio equipment. Always dressed appropriately, Understands wedding etiquette & protocol. High standards.
A DJ will charge what they feel their worth, if they could get more they would charge more.
