Are DJ services really necessary?

Frendors...I will have to use that. I am going to have a friend "DJ" my wedding*. I don't want the corny DJ thing. Play music (I will create the playlist), and all will be fine. I think the music is not in our top 5 most important things so we don't want to spend extra money on it.

1. Great photography (friend doing it but I am paying her her full price)

2. Ceremony location (family church)

3. Have it a time when most of our friends and family can come along with my work schedule (that is why it is one year away from now)

4. Stay on budget, we are both very money conscious and conservative (I am blessed with an amazing father that is able to pay for the wedding but I don't want to go over, hopefully will give him back some money.)

5. Have our dogs at our reception, we love them too much and they are very well behaved party animals. (So we had to find a venue in the budget that allows dogs.)

So if it isn't in your top most important things then just do it with your friend DJ and spend the money somewhere else.

*He has the set up (but is not a DJ himself) and was honored to be able to do it for me. His wife is one of my bridesmaids and friend of mine.

Hire a dj it is necessary. Think of it this way, you are already spending all of this money on the wedding wouldn't you want it to be perfect. A dj and mc will guarantee that everyone will have a good time at the party

I definitely agree that DJs do a great job, but I'm having friends do it. One of the groomsmen will be helping us put together the playlist, and then will be in charge of it during the reception (playing songs to get people up, keep people dancing, reading the room etc.)-- he offered and has done stuff like that before. A really close friend of mine will be the MC in lieu of being a bridesmaid-- she runs events for her job and it's a much more fitting role for her personality than a bridesmaid, especially since I have a large bridal party and she likes to stand out. I also trust both of them implicitly and know that they'll take feedback well and have our best interests at heart. But I wouldn't ask anyone else except these two people to do these roles-- so it depends on who you have in your wedding party.