Booking a DJ for your event may bring up a lot of questions. Here at Warble Entertainment, we’ve helped hundreds of couples plan their wedding entertainment and have a fab selection of the country’s best wedding DJ’s available for hire.
In this guide we’ll cover everything you need to know about hiring a DJ for your wedding.
This includes how much you should pay for a DJ in the UK, whether you should book a wedding DJ or a live band and much more!
How Much Does a Wedding DJ Cost?
Wedding DJ’s for hire in the UK will typically charge between £200 – £600. Our data has shown that the average cost for a professional wedding DJ in the UK is £404.

DJ’s with slightly smaller set-ups should charge anything from £200 upwards for a wedding reception. The top end DJ’s with the highest-quality gear will charge £600 upwards for this, maybe a little more, and the cost can rise further if you choose to add on extras such as extra lighting, smoke machines or karaoke.
A DJ’s rate and average musician hire costs can vary and this can depend on several key factors.
Firstly, experience.
It stands to reason that the most experienced DJs are able to charge more.
If a wedding DJ has lots of positive feedback about their work then they’ll often be able to charge more for the peace of mind you get when hiring them.

Secondly, peak timing. A quality DJ will usually charge more during peak booking times as demand is far greater. Expect to pay more on Fridays and Saturdays, during the summer months and for big celebrations such as Christmas and New Year.
You can save money by having a wedding at a quieter time of year or even on a weekday. This is a great idea if you’re planning a wedding on a budget.
Next, location. If your DJ has to travel far to reach you, the cost of travel will increase. It makes sense to try and find a DJ who is based relatively close to your venue to save paying unnecessary travel expenses.
So what figures should you be looking out for? Well, one thing’s for sure – you get what you pay for.
When getting a quote, don’t be afraid to ask what is included. Any DJ should be happy to justify their costs and what you are getting for your money.
How Do You Create The Perfect DJ Playlist For a Wedding?
The key thing here is to make sure that you are happy to trust your DJ.
Give your wedding DJ a list of your all time favourite tracks, but be prepared for them to use their knowledge and expertise to keep everyone on the dance floor happy.
Your DJ will usually ask you what kind of music you like. Everyone is different, and a pro DJ will have an incredibly extensive repertoire of songs that fit the bill for your perfect party playlist. They’ll be happy to include loads of your favourite songs and use your musical taste to create a selection of songs that reflects you as a couple and also keeps your dance floor heaving all night.
The perfect DJ playlist isn’t really out there, but knowing how to read a crowd and drop and absolute banger to keep everyone glued to the dance floor comes from years experience.

When Should You Book Your Wedding DJ?
As soon as you have a date and a venue confirmed, start looking for your wedding entertainment.
The best DJ’s and wedding entertainers get booked up first, so you want to be the one at the front of the queue to have the best chance of booking the best DJ. The most in-demand DJ’s get booked up to two years in advance, so once you have your venue booked, get your skates on and book your DJ ASAP!

Should You DJ Your Own Wedding or Hire A DJ?
Curating your own playlist to save money on your wedding entertainment is an extremely high-risk strategy.
It’s important to remember that just because you love a genre of music and would be happy dancing to it all night long, doesn’t mean that your guests will too. It’s essential to include a wide-range of music to appeal to your entire crowd, assess which type of songs are attracting guests to the dance floor and whip out tried and tested crowd pleasers to ensure everyone is having fun all night long. Unless you can guarantee your playlist will achieve this, we’d strongly recommend against DJ-ing your own wedding.
On top of all that, don’t forget, IT’S YOUR WEDDING DAY! You want to be enjoying everything about what will be the best day of your life, not worrying about the pressure of having to keep the party going all night long. Leave it to the professionals if you can!

Is It Better to Have A Band or DJ at a Wedding?
The age-old debate! Both types of acts will keep your dance floor full – but which is right for you? Considering the pros of each type of act will help you decide.
DJ - Pros
- DJs are nearly always cheaper than hiring a band.
- You’ll get a whole evening of top tunes from start to finish.
- They usually fit into even the smallest of spaces.
- They can play pretty much any song and even take requests.
- They’ll bring their own lighting and sound equipment.
- They can work with even the lowest level of sound limiters.
Band - Pros
- The atmosphere! You simply can’t beat that live gig feel at your wedding reception.
- The anticipation – seeing the band set-up before they’ve even started performing builds up the excitement.
- They complement your wedding theme. From rustic barn weddings with an acoustic band to all-out rock-star parties with a killer rock and pop band, you’ll find a band who perfectly fits in with your decor.
- Most bands will learn and perform your first dance, making it unique to you.
- You’ll get two full hours of live entertainment.
- Most bands can work with sound limiters set at 90db or higher.
- They’ll bring their own high quality PA and lighting to make sure their performance looks and sounds awesome.
This is where wedding band hire can be so effective for an amazing party.
Why not have both?
If you simply can’t decide which type of act to book, why not hire a DJ with a live musician and get the best of both worlds? They combine the flexibility of a DJ with the excitement of live music. You really can’t go wrong!

Can a DJ Work with a Sound Limiter at a Wedding Venue?
Of course.
It’s as simple as turning the main volume setting down! It is, however, best to let your DJ know beforehand as they may not need to bring their entire sound rig, thus saving them time and energy and perhaps you one or two £’s as well.
However, most bands are also able to work with sound limiters, so don’t be put off hiring a band instead of a DJ for this reason. Find out more about booking live music with a sound limiter before making your decision.

Can a DJ’s Equipment Be Used for Speeches and Announcements?
This is very dependant on your DJ.
Some DJ’s will be able to set up early on in the day in order for you to utilise their equipment for wedding speeches and announcements, but this will come at an extra cost as your DJ will be working longer.
It’s worth checking what options your venue has for speeches as most do have an audio system with wireless microphones.

Do DJ’s MC Whilst Performing?
They can if you want them to! Or they can keep quiet and let the music do the talking. Just let them know!
Let’s face it – no-one wants a Love Actually, ‘Worst DJ in the world’ situation on their wedding day. And don’t worry – that won’t happen when you hire from Warble!
Sometimes it’s useful to have your DJ make important announcements like letting your guests know that it’s time to cut the cake or that it’s time for your first dance. It’s pretty much up to you how much interaction you want from your DJ, so let them know before your big day!
What Will The DJ Set-Up Look Like?
Set up is really important.
Each DJ will have a different set up and different equipment, but they’ll always look good!
Lighting works wonders and there are certain tricks DJ’s use in order to make their set up look slick. They’ll bring their own lighting so you don’t need to worry about sourcing it.
Sound quality is equally important for a wedding DJ. Tin pot-sounding speakers just don’t cut the mustard so DJ’s will always invest in high-quality equipment to ensure the music sounds incredible.
Most wedding DJ’s will include good pictures of their set-up on their profile to give you a great idea how your venue will look.

I Still Have More Questions About DJ Hire!
Always ask about anything you’re unsure about. We’re here to help!
When you book with Warble Entertainment, your agent will be able to answer any questions you might have.
If you’re not sure which DJ is right for you, talk through your requirements with us. Once you’ve given your agent all the information you can, let them worry about finding the right act for you. They are industry experts and do this on a daily basis, so you can trust them do all the hard work for you and find you the perfect act!

For more wedding entertainment ideas and help in booking spectacular entertainment for your event, visit Warble Entertainment.
As the UK’s leading wedding entertainment agency and bands for hire experts, we also have wedding musicians, wedding bands for hire, cover bands, party bands and function bands for your events.
Published by Warble Entertainment, where entertainment lives.
Comments are closed.