Can I Hire a DJ For My Wedding For 2-3 Hours? 

You’re planning your breathtaking wedding, and you need a DJ for the dancefloor later on in the night. Maybe 2-3 hours tops, right? You’ve either got a live musician for earlier on, or thinking of letting Spotify take control. It’s only background music for most of the night, after all. You make some enquiries, only to find that most DJs don’t have a 2 hour package, and will want, nay insist, to be there for the whole reception at least. This may seem baffling at first, but there are many reasons for this. Let’s take a look at why:e

They will need to be setting up before guests arrive.

It’s better for you that they don’t have messy bags and cables everywhere during your reception while setting up. Bump-in can be a noisy, distracting and unsightly process. If the DJ sets up before the reception takes place, they can do a line check on the speakers, decks/ controller, microphones and test everything is working and coming in at the right levels.  They might also insist on it for safety reasons, as they don’t want guests tripping over cables, and they don’t feel like its a good representation of their business and brand to be setting up in front of guests and revealing anything less than the ‘finished product’.

It’s not really beneficial to the DJ

When you factor travel, set up and packdown, it’s usually a full day for the DJ, so they can’t take on more than 1 wedding a night anyway.  A lot of the DJ’s fee is dedicated to the time spent in the lead up. The many calls and emails in the months and weeks leading up to your wedding ensure that everything goes just as planned. Factoring this, your DJ probably won’t feel like the overall booking is much less work in the grand scheme, even if it requires 2-3 less hours on site. As a result, most DJs will still charge for a 5 hour minimum, even if you don’t need the full 5 hours.

But we have an acoustic soloist/ band playing during dinner

That’s great! They can work as a team with your DJ. Most soloists usually bring a single PA speaker as part of their package, but the DJ will supply a full PA system with at least 2 speakers that can carry sound clearly across the whole room. Your DJ usually supplies the microphone for the MC as well.  Your band / soloist will still need a break also to give their voice and fingers a rest, and to take their meal. 

You’ll likely be looking to a DJ for the key moments anyway

Bands and soloists will usually send you a list of their repertoire that you can choose from. A DJ can play literally ANYTHING, so they will likely be the ones to play your cake cutting song, first dance, and bridal party entry. Can your soloist give you a huge entry with a 10/10 energy song to really set the tone of the night?  I’ve worked with many soloists and bands in the weddings I’ve done. We work together taking the different roles as needed, as there are just different parts of the event that each of us are better suited to. 

We are just going to have a portable speaker and Spotify playlist for dinner

Again, you will miss out on a big booming entrance, and you’ll still need somebody responsible for controlling the music levels during dinner when it’s time for cake cutting, speeches etc. A portable speaker usually just doesn’t do the job unless it’s a micro wedding.  You will find the music will end up being too loud for some and too soft for others when its originating from a single point. A DJ can strategically place multiple speakers in the right spot of the room so that everyone can hear what is said during speeches, and hear themselves talk during dinner, while still having the right level ambient background music.

Have you thought about your ceremony and canapés music?

A heartfelt  ceremony requires music for the key moments such as the procession, interlude and recessional. Sometimes the celebrant can cover this, but not always, and it works out a lot better if the celebrant can focus on their job rather than having to watch the music timings as well. Don’t forget the canapés / cocktail hour – music here is very important for setting the right vibe. Your DJ will be present already for the reception- so you may as well use them!

In conclusion, the DJ is not just useful for the party at the end of the night. They supply the equipment that is used throughout the reception, and can ensure the timing is correct for all things music related for your key moments. The DJ’s setup may need to be assembled before guests arrive, for safety and testing.

Overall, it works out best for you, best for the DJ, and best for your guests when they are there from start to finish.