![]() What should you look for when hiring a wedding DJ? Quick Answer: Choosing the right wedding DJ goes beyond just music selection—it’s about professionalism, experience, and event management skills. Key factors to consider include their ability to read the crowd, seamless transitions between songs, high-quality sound equipment, and clear communication throughout the planning process. Look for DJs who offer detailed contracts, have strong client reviews, and can adapt to unexpected changes. A great DJ will not only keep the party going but also ensure smooth coordination with other vendors to make your wedding day stress-free and unforgettable. How much should you spend when hiring a wedding DJ? How can you make sure he is the right one? Hiring salesmen vs. hiring DJs. How to avoid paying thousands of dollars yet getting the value of a Craigslist DJ? What are the average San Diego wedding DJ rates? Are you looking for a professional salesman or a professional DJ? First of all, it’s very important to understand the difference between the two. Most wedding disc jockey companies get a lot of business because they are strong in sales. The people who run these companies tell their clients, very professionally, exactly what they want to hear, and the clients often choose and book their wedding DJ even before meeting him. These big event DJ companies usually charge their clients thousands of dollars and pay their DJs about 10 percent of what they make, which is between $100 and $300 per event. The client often ends up paying too much for a low-budget party DJ, poor equipment, and bad customer service. The equipment some of these affordable wedding dj companies use is often very old and unreliable. Oftentimes, companies will show off their gigantic speakers and amplifiers in order to impress their client. However, modern technology no longer requires large surface area. Two modern speakers can now do the job of four outdated ones. In the meantime, they would take up far less space and look a lot nicer. Therefore, while some people believe that the bigger the speakers and amplifiers are, the better the sound would be, they often end up with a cheap and plastic sound that cuts the ears. Furthermore, many of those so called wedding DJs don’t even know how to beat match music, or simply adjust the sound and microphone levels and frequencies, not to mention other possible surprises, such as unsuitable attire, wrongs playlist, songs with profanity, poor announcements, etc. You would often be impressed with their nice office and professional booking approach, but in the end you might end up paying a lot of money and getting the equivalent of a Craigslist DJ. Even if you still decide to go with a big disc jockey company, make sure you review the contact and, before you sign it, meet the person who will be playing at your wedding, not just the owner of the company or the sales person. If the business is smaller, it doesn't mean it’s worse, and my advice would be to focus on those wedding DJs who come from a musical background – live musicians, singers, artists, DJs, music producers, sound engineers, music journalists, etc. They are the ones who are in the business because of music and they are more likely to deliver an excellent service. According to current studies, people spend only about eight percent of their wedding budget on entertainment, while the importance of their wedding’s success depends 70 percent on entertainment. Almost all the brides regret not spending more time and money on their wedding reception entertainment, while almost all the guests consider entertainment to be the most memorable part of a wedding. All of this means that going for big name DJ companies or simply trying to find the cheapest party DJ is not a great idea and can often lead to disappointment and frustration. In the meantime, I would not recommend to judge by the price. Sometimes you can find more value for $800 than for $1500, and you should remember that the one who talks best is not necessarily the one who works best. When it comes to hiring a wedding disc jockey, I would suggest that you do it in advance (as early as possible, preferably a few months before your event) and start looking in the middle price category, which is between $700 and $1000 for four hours of service. Look for professionalism, dedication, honesty, trust, talent, respect, and punctuality. Try to check their music mixes, pictures, videos, testimonials, and make sure they are honest, listen to you carefully and answer all of your questions. It’s a common practice for most San Diego wedding DJs to charge approximately 50% of the total price when the contract is signed. This reserves the date of your wedding and makes them turn down other offers. More questions? Arrange a free, no-obligation, in-person consultation with San Diego Wedding DJ Charlie Comments are closed.
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