Category Archives: DJ

disc jockeys chicago

4 Tips for Choosing the Best Wedding Disc Jockeys, Chicago

The guest list is finalized. The venue is set. Decorations are picked out and invitations sent.

There are many important moving parts to planning your Chicago wedding, and it can be stressful. But one aspect you should make sure not to skimp on? Entertainment and music for your wedding reception.

Hiring the right disk jockey will help set the tone of your reception as a night to never forget. But where do you start? We’ve got the breakdown for how to find the best local disc jockeys in Chicago.

1. Look For Experience

When searching for your perfect wedding disc jockey, make sure you look for one with experience. It might sound nice to hire your next-door neighbor’s teen who’s into DJ-ing. But you’re not going to get the high-quality entertainment your wedding deserves.

Research each DJ companies’ testimonials from previous clients to get a feel for how many happy customers they have. Look for a wedding entertainment company with a professional website displaying pictures and videos of their work.

2. Listen To Their Music

Before hiring a disc jockey, make sure to find promotional videos or audio samples to listen to for yourself. If you like what you hear, make sure to ask if they’ll take requests or honor a list of songs you don’t want to be played. Ask them if they have a list available of the best songs for weddings that they commonly play as well.

A disc jockey that plays underground clubs will play very different music than one who specializes in nostalgic hits, so do your research. You’ll want to find a DJ that vibes with your music taste and plays the kind of music you love on your big day.

3. Ask What’s Included With The Pricetag

Musical entertainment is one of the more expensive wedding features factored into a wedding budget. So with your investment, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting value for the price you pay.

Some disc jockeys charge by the hour, while others only provide a limited amount of services. Your best bet is to find a company that offers an all-inclusive package. Look for a company that offers a professional sound system, setup and breakdown, emcee services, and entertainment consultation along with your quality DJ. 

4. See What Else They Offer

Weddings need the coordination of many different vendors to make the full experience. Between entertainment, videography/photography, lighting, and decor, there’s a lot to keep track of. 

Look for a DJ company with more to offer! The best will offer extra services like a fun photo booth, audio/video equipment, or unique lighting. Working with the same company on all the extras helps simplify the process while saving you money.

Best Disc Jockeys In Chicago

The research and planning can be tiring, but it’ll all be worth it once you make it to your big day! So make sure you have nothing to worry about but dancing the night away by hiring a great DJ company that takes care of everything.

Out of all the disc jockeys in Chicago, we’ll give you a night to remember! Contact us at An Enchanted Evening for your personal consultation today. 

wedding djs prices

Wedding DJs Prices: The Average Costs, Explained

According to the CEO of The Knot, the wedding industry is anticipating a huge boom over the next few years. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced a lot of couples to put their wedding plans on hold. Mask mandates and social distancing, although they kept many safe, also took the magic out of a newlywed’s potential big day.

Now that the world is starting to open back up again, couples are prepared to have the wedding of their dreams. Turns out that one way to guarantee a successful wedding is picking the right music. Keep reading to learn about DJs as well as how to assess wedding DJs prices.

What is a DJ?

The term DJ stands for disc jockey, which is someone that introduces and plays recorded music.

A DJ normally plays a bigger role in a wedding than other musical guests, like a band. DJs interact with the crowd, may introduce the wedding toasts, and keeps the energy high during the reception portion of the evening. Unfortunately, because there are so many things to pay for in a wedding, some couples are hesitant to pay a lot for a DJ.

That’s why it is critical to know the cost of a wedding DJ.

What Factors Into the Cost of a Wedding DJ?

Six primary factors should be considered when paying for a wedding DJ. The first is the type of event that is being held. DJs may be hired for multiple events, but the wedding disc jockey price is traditionally higher because wedding DJs are equipped to handle the stress of such a large and impactful day.

A wedding-specific DJ will also have more experience alternating the music to fit the mood as the wedding celebration progresses. For example, they will know when to play softer more romantic music, versus lively party jams.

Otherwise, DJ pricing varies according to the number of guests, the length of the event, as well as how interactive the DJ needs to be.

Prices will also change if multiple DJs are needed, which is most common in large-scale events. Some DJs will charge for bringing their equipment and sound systems if the equipment is not supplied. They may also charge extra if there are things they need to control in addition to music, like light features.

So, when it comes to the question of how much does a wedding DJ cost, the simple answer is that it depends.

Comparing Wedding DJs Prices

Sometimes the best way to find the most reasonable DJ is to perform a wide location search. Especially in more populated areas like Chicago, it is expected that there are multiple disc jockeys to choose from. Start with a general search, like “best wedding DJ Chicago” to see how many results show up.

Most will give price estimates for their services, and will also provide more information regardiing their style and experience.

Getting Ready for the Big Day

Preparing for a wedding is stressful, and the fewer costs there are to worry about, the better. Assessing wedding DJs prices early on is the best way to find the type of DJ experience you’re looking for, and helps couples stick to a budget.

For more help choosing reliable wedding services, give us a call!

Wedding Reception Music: What’s the best option for entertainment at your wedding?

wedding reception entertainmentEvery couple has to make choices during wedding planning: about the wedding venue, food, décor, ceremony music, wedding reception music…the list could go on and on. When it comes to wedding reception music, brides and grooms have three common wedding entertainment options: a band, DJ or the do-it-yourself entertainment option. You’ve probably heard of the DIY option: a wedding reception with a mp3 player and a speaker or some other kind of equipment playing in a corner while the guests dance.

So what is the best entertainment option for your wedding reception? The answer varies from wedding to wedding, and couple to couple. We’ve done our best to lay out your options for you with the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision—and get working on it. If you choose a DJ or band, the “best of the best” calendars fill up fast so you need to start contacting companies now. If you choose to go DIY, time to get started! You don’t want to be up working on your wedding reception music the night before.

Pros of a DJ

Emcee. A DJ can make announcements for your evening and let your guests know everything from the entrance of the married couple to a warning about a car being towed in the parking lot.

Dinner background music. This depends on the DJ, but many DJ’s offer couples the opportunity to have some quiet background music during dinner, or during the ceremony if needed.

Customized play list. A good DJ meets with the couple to determine what kind of songs they want played at their wedding reception (read how to craft your perfect playlist here). Note the catch: good. A bad DJ takes a one-size-fits-all approach, and doesn’t ask for any input from the couple.

Quality equipment. A quality DJ has state-of-the-art digital equipment that delivers a quality sound during your wedding reception, as well as a great time.  

Access to “entertainment extras” (i.e. lighting, photo booth, etc.). Again, this depends on the DJ, but a lot of DJs offer “extras” as part of their wedding reception packages, such as lighting, enhanced sound options, and photo booths.

Cost. A DJ is typically cheaper than a band.

Back-up equipment if needed. A quality DJ company has back-up equipment, and personnel, to handle situations where the equipment fails or the DJ cannot attend.

Cons of a DJ

Cost. A DJ costs more than the DIY option (depending on how much you pay for the equipment and music).

Pros of a band

Emcee. A good band can make announcements and keep things moving throughout your wedding reception, including your guests.

Excellent play list. If you choose a band for your wedding reception, obviously you love their sound, giving you the perfect play list for your big night. A top wedding band can even take requests from your guests.

Quality sound equipment. A good band has excellent sound equipment that can work at almost any wedding reception, giving you and your guests a fantastic night.

Atmosphere.  Do you have a particular wedding theme you’re trying to achieve, such as a retro wedding? A band can create the unique atmosphere you want with a sound that fits you as a couple.

Cons of a band

Cost. A quality band costs far more than a DJ or the DIY option. Usually bands won’t provide background dinner music without an additional cost.

No back-up if band can’t come. Unlike a DJ, you won’t have a back-up plan if the band can’t come.

Pros of do-it-yourself

Cost. The cost of the DIY option can be the cheapest, especially if you already have many of the songs downloaded for your wedding reception playlist.

Customized play list. Obviously, if you are the one to create your own play list, the play list is full of songs you want played.

Cons of do-it-yourself wedding entertainment

Time to compile play list. Wedding planning takes a lot of time, and downloading and crafting a play list (and testing your list) is adding another ‘to do’ on your already long checklist.

No emcee (or someone has to take their time away from festivities to do so). You won’t have someone to make announcements, such as for the entrance of the couple and bridal party. The other option is that you, or one of your friends or family, makes announcements, but then you have to take time away from having fun. You also may have to rent a microphone so everyone can hear you, which adds to the cost.

No back up if equipment doesn’t work. If your Mp3 player doesn’t work on your big day, you’re the one scrambling trying to repair, and get your wedding reception music up and going.

No extras. Unless you invest serious funds in lighting, or go out of your way to find a company that rents lighting, photo booths, or whatever other “extra” you want at your wedding reception, you’re not going to get those “extras” that you get with a DJ.

If your wedding budget is a concern, don’t automatically assume that you can’t afford a wedding DJ or band. Contact local DJ’s to get quotes and find out if the cost is within your budget.  From there, you can make a decision about the right wedding entertainment that leaves you and your guests dancing the night away.