When it comes to weddings, quinceaneras, and events, we get a lot of planning-related questions about a variety of things. There are numerous details that go into planning any event, especially weddings.
One frequently asked question that we’ve heard is “when should I book a wedding DJ?” The easy answer is whenever you’re ready and have the budget to do so! 🙂 Let’s get more into detail about when is the best time to book a wedding DJ. Here are some helpful tips!
When to Hire a Wedding DJ
First, before answering the question, when to book a wedding DJ, let’s start by discussing knowing when to hire a DJ! Many DIY couples and other clients feel that they can easily put on a Spotify list and not need a wedding DJ or DJ for their party/event. Can you simply do this? Sure! The biggest concern is to figure out what your wedding or event vision is, and how does your music fit into the overall vision.
If you’re envisioning a backyard BBQ, with everyone hanging out and simply talking, this works. If guests dancing all night isn’t your goal, you may be able to get away with not hiring a wedding DJ! Check out our article “How to DJ Your Own Wedding,” to learn exactly how you can do this and save! Yes, strangely enough, we wrote an article on how to not hire us! 🙂 Our goal with this blog is to help as many people as possible!
Size of the Wedding
So if you’re on the fence about whether or not you actually need a DJ for your event, here’s more info. First, how many guests will you have at the wedding/event? If it’s less than 50 people, you may not really need a DJ, honestly. We’ve done plenty of events with 50 people or less, but most of the time, small weddings are very low-key. Sure, they may dance, but we’ve noticed with smaller weddings and events, that dancing usually isn’t the focus.
Do You Love to Dance?Â
Next, determine, do you and your significant other actually like dancing? Do your family and friends like dancing? Most people like dancing, but not everyone. We’ve done events where the couple didn’t like dancing and many of their friends didn’t, either. They still hired us, but mostly wanted us for fun background music.
So if you’re not sure you truly enjoy dancing, maybe you may not need a DJ. If you know your family and friends love to dance, then you should certainly consider hiring a DJ!
What is Your Wedding DJ Budget?
The next thing to consider is your budget. Do you have the budget to hire a wedding DJ? The cost to hire a wedding DJ varies depending on where you are. For Austin and central TX weddings, the average prices start at around $1,000 for a professional wedding DJ. We’ve got a great article discussing the prices of wedding DJs. Read our “What is the Average Wedding DJ Cost” article for more info.
When to Book a Wedding DJ
If you’ve decided that yes, you indeed need a wedding DJ, then it’s time to book one! We recommend starting your research early! Once you’re engaged, found a venue, and catering, entertainment should be next on the list! Our team usually gets booked 6-12 months in advance.
We actually do not take events any more than 12 months in advance. AÂ lot of DJ companies do, but we are very busy and don’t want to fill our calendar that far in advance, to give everyone a chance to contact us and book! (We only book about 1% of the client inquiries we receive). So we generally recommend booking 9-12 months in advance, if possible.
We hope this article has helped you decide on when to book a wedding DJ! As always, contact us if you have any questions. Feel free to leave us a comment!
-Austin’s Best DJs & Photo Booths
