How to Be Your Own dj

If your venue is not wired for a sound system, it is probably going to be comparative financially, and waaaaay less work/stress to just hire a DJ. Otherwise you were going to have to find somewhere to rent all the equipment, pay for your rentals, set it all up yourself, make your own entire playlist, have somebody in charge of it (which means that person now does not get to enjoy the wedding reception), and then you are going to have to pack everything back up at the end of the reception and return it to the rental company. There’s probably going to be an additional fee for insurance, in case you damage any of the equipment. And what happens if you have technical difficulties, who is going to know how to troubleshoot and fix the equipment?

I also wanted to add, DJs do not simply play music. They gauge the crowd and change up the playlist according to what your guests are responding to and what is getting them out on the dance floor. They also make announcements for you (ie, announcing you when you arrive at your reception, letting guests know when it is time to eat, when the bar is open, when you will be doing your first dance or cutting the cake, etc.) They help to set the tone of your evening and keep things running smoothly.

We’ve separately attended a few weddings where the couple provided a DIY playlist instead of hiring a dj and they all flopped when the couples expected guests to dance. Only one was background music for a religious reception that didn’t allow dancing. The couples brought in their own sound systems with speakers and picked music they liked that was not danceable. It was great for background noise while chatting but they chose a method that was made it impossible to switch it to something different that the crowd responded to. The brides were not happy that no one danced.


In our families/circles, there is no mc when the dj is working so beyond the couple getting up to do first dance, there were no MC announcements and no one was confused by the natural flow of events, so no need for a microphone rental. But unlike a DIY playlist, the dj plays appropriate music that the crowd responds to because they have experience that a regular party host or guest doesn’t.
Your time and stress are money and you will save money by hiring a good dj. Browse Instagram in your area for recommendations.

I am pro playlist. I have been to weddings with playlists where everyone danced (I was even the one to control the playlist and it was really easy and didn't prevent me from enjoying the wedding) and I have been to weddings with DJs where no one danced at all. In my experience it depends more on your crowd and the venue space. That said, I agree with Cece that if the reception area doesn't have a sound system for you to use already, it might be more hassle than it's worth. Definitely look at pricing for rentals but also consider the amount of work you'll have to do to set everything up. Might be easier and less stressful to just get a DJ.