Should You Hire A Wedding DJ

1. DJ VS Band

Is it better to have a DJ or a band? The biggest difference of course is that some people prefer live music. The downside is that the band will need to take breaks during your wedding where no music will be played. The DJ is there to play music the whole time, but they are also there to help with communication and coordinating events. Moreover, the DJ's job is to entertain all your guests. Unlike bands, they have the ability to change song styles really quickly, or even switch in the middle of a song. Read our full comparison in our guide on live band vs DJ for weddings to help you decide what is right for your event.

Here in Portland a professional DJ goes between $700 to $2,000 for a 5-hour wedding. A band might cost anywhere from $1,500 to $6,000, so this question is really going to come down to your budget and how much money you want to allocate towards entertainment.

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2. Style of DJ

It is really good to get an idea of what the DJ style is and what type of music they like to play. The style of DJ that you want is going to depend on a lot of different factors. It is more than just a person's style of music. The DJ is going to be in charge of communicating with your guests along with the planner and all the vendors. Explore our music planning tools and samples from past events to get a feel for how we approach each wedding.

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3. Picking out the music you like

We usually give our clients a list where they can enter 25 songs that they want for their dance party. We also have a do-not-play list. You can upload your playlist suggestions via Spotify, though we do not play the music off Spotify directly. Use our online music planning tools to submit your requests, preferences, and any must-play or do-not-play songs.

There is a good balance between requesting songs and letting the DJ have control of your event. At DJ Cutt Entertainment we try to freshen up some of the old songs by playing remixes to give the room a little bit more energy while still playing those great sing-alongs that everybody likes.

When it comes to picking out music, we provide planning forms where you can pick out all the music for the ceremony and reception, along with the dance party. We also have a section for the do not play list so if there’s any artists, genres, or songs that you do not want played at your wedding we can be sure to take care of this as well.

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4. DJ Pricing

How much does a professional DJ cost? This really depends on where you are in the United States and what your package is. For a professional DJ, the standard price is $1,100 to $1,700 but this can go up to $3,000 depending on the demand and how professional that DJ is. We start our packages at $1,195 and build up from there. See our full pricing page for a complete breakdown of every package and add-on option.

Add-ons that can increase the price include a bigger sound system, event lighting, wedding videography, and a photo booth.

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5. Hours that are included

A standard wedding package is about 5 hours, but this really depends on the individual wedding and the timeline. Our package time starts 30 minutes before the bride walks down the aisle and ends at the last song played that evening. We do not charge for setup time, but we typically show up two to three hours beforehand. Visit our FAQ page for full details on how our packages and billing work.

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6. Can we just use an iPod DJ

You can definitely have a wedding without a DJ but you should think of a DJ as just a person that’s playing music for your wedding. Yes that is the main job that they do but there is a lot more than just that.

They’re responsible for the full entertainment experience of your guests. It’s the DJ’s job to keep your guests engaged dancing. It’s not going to be a fun wedding if all your guests leave early.

The DJ can also organize events and communicate between vendors to really make sure that everything runs smoothly. Hiring a professional DJ helps ensure you have a stress-free event. So yes, you can have an iPod at your wedding but not if you want people to get up and dance in big groups.You can definitely have a wedding without a DJ, but you should think of a DJ as far more than just the person playing music. They are responsible for the full entertainment experience of your guests. It is the DJ's job to keep your guests engaged and dancing. The DJ can also organize events and communicate between vendors to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Read more about why hiring a professional wedding DJ matters before making your final decision.

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7. Professional Equipment

As a professional entertainment company in Portland, we do events every weekend. We rely heavily on our professional equipment that is road-tested. It just takes one piece of equipment or one cord not working properly to ruin your whole day. When you break down the cost of rental equipment, you are pretty much paying 80% of the cost of having a DJ already. Many professional DJs will also come with backup equipment just in case anything goes wrong. See our full about page for details on our gear, team, and years of experience.

When you break down the cost of rental equipment you’re pretty much paying 80% of the cost of having a DJ already. Not only that, but you’re now including a person to be your master of ceremony. As a safety precaution, many professional DJs will come with backup equipment just in case anything goes wrong.

You’re relying on the value of the DJ that you hire. There are many different places to find DJs and entertainment for your wedding, depending on budget. Sure you can find cheaper DJ’s on Craigslist but if you’re looking for a professional with top of the line equipment, then your best bet is the Knot or Wedding Wire.

The term you get what you pay for could not be more true. This is not like a party where we can do it again next year. This is your one chance to celebrate with all your family and friends and you don’t want the gear to be an eyesore or malfunction at your wedding. This is where hiring a professional can come into play.

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8. Multiple Locations

As a professional company here in Portland, Oregon, we have the ability to do multiple weddings or multiple locations. Many times, a wedding will need a setup for the ceremony, a different setup for the cocktail hour, a completely new setup and sound system for the dinner area, and sometimes even for the reception as well. This is why hiring a professional company that does this every weekend and has the proper equipment to facilitate each location is essential.

This is why hiring a professional company that does this every weekend and has the proper equipment to facilitate each location with proper gear is essential. When you’re hiring a newer DJ that does this as a hobby, at best they’re going to have basic equipment. But a professional company that provides a top-end service is going to have the ability to service multiple locations.

This is one of the reasons why we have been voted one of Portland’s best entertainment companies.

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9. DJ Appearance and Details

It does not matter how big or small the wedding is, we show up in the exact same attire. Our DJs wear slacks, vests, and a tie. We take the same approach to our setup and the appearance of our DJ booth. We make sure that our table is skirted with a custom skirt that flows all the way to the ground. Lighting plays a big role in the events that we do, which is why our event lighting packages are designed to blend seamlessly into your aesthetic so you can have the dream wedding you have always envisioned.

We take the same approach to our setup and the appearance of our DJ booth. This is why we make sure that our table is skirted with a custom skirt that flows all the way to the ground. Each one of our speaker stands and lighting stands come with a custom-made skirt that hides all of the chords for a sleek, clean appearance that is not an eye sore when you get your photos back.

We also make sure that all our cords are colored black so they blend into the ground with black gaffing tape. We also have a DJ facade that covers our area when we’re doing nicer weddings in fancy hotels.

Lighting plays a big role in the events that we do so we want to make sure that the theme of your event matches the lighting that we are going to offer. We like to have everything that we bring to your wedding blend into your aesthetic so you can have the dream wedding that you’ve wanted your whole life.

10. Creating memories

The whole point of the wedding is to create memories for your family and friends. Your master of ceremony or DJ is the one person who can have a dramatic effect on how the event is carried out. A professional DJ is going to make sure that these memories are fun, loving, and last a lifetime. One thing to consider when creating memories for your wedding is a photo booth. You can also add cold spark machines or dancing on clouds to create truly spectacular moments. Contact us today to start planning your perfect wedding day.

Your master of ceremony or DJ is the one person who can have a dramatic effect on how the event is carried out. A professional DJ is going to make sure that these memories are fun loving and last a lifetime. Your guests have traveled from near and far to celebrate this time with you.

Wedding Wire suggests saving 10 to 15% of your overall budget for the entertainment. Sometimes a DJ is just part of the entertainment. One thing to consider when creating memories for your wedding is a photo booth. Here is a link to our photo booth website where you can check out some of the precious memories from previous events we’ve attended.

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