How much is a DJ for a wedding in Chicago?
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This article is part of a series about the costs and details about hiring a DJ:
What’s the average cost of a wedding DJ per hour?
The average cost of a wedding DJ per hour depends on the level of experience the DJ brings to the table.
A newbie DJ in Chicago will cost around $250-350 per hour
A mid-tier wedding DJ in Chicago will cost around $350-450 per hour
An experienced wedding DJ in Chicago will cost around $500+ per hour ****
That being said, if there’s a DJ you would like to work with on a per-hour basis to save money, you will likely need to contact them for a custom quote.
Why do wedding DJs charge so much?
Not surprisingly, an experienced DJ will charge higher rates than those who don’t. These higher-end rates cover time and equipment, but also a a lot of other things you may not be thinking about.
There are a lot of factors in a wedding DJ quote: Location/travel, services rendered, Peak/off peak dates, extra time, accommodations, to name just a few
In addition to DJ experience, you’re looking for someone who understands event production. The best DJs are personable and will work together with you, your event planner and vendors in order to guarantee a seamless wedding day.
Location:
It’s more expensive to book a DJ in a major city like Chicago because of higher cost-of-living (including rent, car insurance, gas prices, etc.) and more complex logistics (i.e. load-in and load-out can be more complicated in the city).
Travel fees:
There’s also travel fees that you might incur if your venue is over an hour away.
Season:
If your wedding takes place during wedding season (May through November), DJs are in high demand! Expect to pay more for Saturday bookings during those months.
Rush fees:
Wedding DJs typically get booked 8-12 months in advance. Some couples start the search even earlier to get quotes and confirm availability.
If you book a last-minute wedding DJ, they’ll most likely charge a rush fee to their rates to cover all the prep work they’ll need to do.
Back-end prep work (e.g. client calls, setup, teardown, etc.):
While wedding DJs perform for an average of 5-6 hours per event, their rates factor in behind-the-scenes work including client calls, custom playlist development and prep work for hosting your event.
On the day of the event, they will also arrive at least 2 hours early to set up and test sound equipment, check in with your wedding planner and/or the event planner provided by your venue. They typically also spend one hour breaking down equipment after your reception has concluded.
As a wedding DJ myself, my rates reflect the average of 16+ hours of end-to-end service I provide for each client.
Experience:
Wedding DJs with experience as emcees and sound production will typically charge higher rates to reflect their higher level of experience and ability to step in and perform multiple roles.
Services Booked:
If you choose to book add-on services with your wedding DJ like a photo booth, special lighting or ceremony sound the final price tag may be higher.
Equipment Quality:
A professional wedding DJ has top-tier equipment that can handle small weddings and large weddings alike. For example, my sound and lighting equipment is designed to light up wedding parties of up to 300 guests.
Liability Insurance:
A professional wedding DJ must have liability insurance to protect both the client, guests and themselves from potentially expensive and messy accidents. For example, what happens if one of your guests spills a drink on the DJ’s subwoofers? Or steps on and breaks a Lavalier mic?
These things can happen, and insurance helps protect everyone in those kinds of situations.
Is $2,000 too much for a wedding DJ?
It’s definitely not too much — but it also may not be enough! You can book a decent wedding DJ for $2000, but this is typically within the range of low- to mid-tier wedding DJs.
This means they may bring less wedding-specific experience and/or sound production skills to the table. (Typically, DJs with sound tech and emcee experience charge $3000+.)
You’ll want to ask the following of your DJ before booking:
Does their rate include all the equipment they need to perform at your wedding? Some DJs list a lower base price and charge extra for essential equipment such as full range PA with subwoofers, wireless mics and uplighting. It’s a classic bait & switch.
Can they emcee? If not, you may have to allocate some of your wedding budget for someone else to take on emceeing duties.
Have they worked with wedding coordinators before? If not, they may not have the experience to keep your schedule of events running on time.
Do they carry liability insurance? Some DJs charge less but they also don’t have liability insurance, which is a potential added financial/legal risk to be aware of.
What's included in a typical DJ package?
A typical DJ package includes:
All the equipment needed to run your party including: wireless mics, stage lights, professional grade PA system
A skilled emcee who can guide you and your guest through the night, keep the schedule on track, and transition seamlessly through any formalities and announcements.
Planning calls with you and your DJ to work out the schedule and details of your wedding.
Access to a planning portal that allows you to input song requests, make payments, and edit the schedule/details of your wedding.
Is uplighting worth the extra cost?
Absolutely! You most likely won’t be planning another wedding anytime soon, so why not go all out?
If you love bright, bold colors (like I do!) or prefer the sophistication of clean, white lighting, than uplights are for you!
Most venues don’t have a lot of options when it comes to additional lighting. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen the vibe ruined because the house lights were left on too bright, couldn’t be dimmed properly, or because there was no one to operate them.
With uplighting you can customize the brightness of the room and change colors to match your theme. So when it’s time to go from dinner to dancing, we’ll shift the vibe to match!
How much should I tip my wedding DJ?
Tipping is always optional, and any amount is greatly appreciated!
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