How long for Dj?

When we booked our DJ, they gave us the price for reception only and then we asked about adding on the ceremony, which wasn't too much extra. If you like the vendor overall, ask them what the cost is for the full services you need and then decide if they are thr right DJ for you.

Im paying 1495 for 6 hours of reception coverage and another hour of ceremony at the same venue location.

Will they allow you to pay overtime the night of? Its a little more expensive hourly but if you think you can get away with 5 and end up needing 6 its better to start by paying for 5 then pay the overtime rate for the next hour as opposed to paying for 6 up front and only needing 5. (IMO)

However, it seems like your timeline requires a minimum of 6 anyway, so maybe start with 6 hours coverage including ceremony and then see if you can keep them longer the night of if needed. Also double check if this quote includes their arrival and set up time. You'll want them there at least a half hour before your ceremony.

We are paying our DJ for 1 extra hour.

We paid $1700 for ours and that included our 1 hour add on. We had him from 4pm (ceremony start time) - 10:30pm (end of reception). It also included a personalized monogram projected on either the wall or dancefloor, dancefloor lighting, uplighting, wireless mics, and a slideshow that played on a tv built into the DJ booth.

I agree with Elycia. It looks like a 6hour booking time is your sweet spot for your wedding judging by your start and end times. I always suggest asking if they will stay a little longer (which is what we did) but remember that they often will, just will an added price for the extra time. I also agree with the set up and breakdown time. Ours didn't charge you for him arriving early to set up and break everything down which was nice, but it's nice to know if you have to factor that into your booking time!!

That totally depends on what you want and your crowd responds to. The industry standard is 2 hours for dancing. With the dj playing background music the rest of the time including during the ceremony. Some crowds will dance for many hours beyond that. It’s best to ask your close family and friends because every group is different. Don’t let any vendors pressure you into anything you don’t want because they are working for you, not the other way around.


The majority of our guests love to dance. 2-3 hours (not counting ceremony/cocktail hour/dinner) will not cut it. Some of our friends who are invited come from cultures where when everyone else is heading home, their party is just getting started and will run into the next day.

You could always have a playlist playing on a phone before the DJ is ready to start so there will still be music? (Assuming your venue has a sound system).

Most vendors are negotiable and if you need a different time frame or service, most will accommodate that with no issues but they need to know up front what your specific needs and wants are. No two groups need and want the exact same thing.

That sounds about right!