Our Pricing Philosophy

Booking a wedding vendor shouldn't be a complicated ordeal.  Some vendors have advanced formulas for calculating your "savings" based on the day of the week, the estimated alignment of the moon, the high tide... you get the point.  The bottom line is - they have this formula so they can charge more for "premium" wedding weekends and then make it look cheaper to get married on a Thursday morning or Monday afternoon in the middle of Winter.

When I set my prices, I looked at the prices of other disc jockeys that were referred by my industry peers, the same venues and wedding planners that also refer business to me.  Now, I won't brag or put down these fellow entertainers, because honestly if I am unavailable for an event, I may recommend some of them to ensure you didn't get stuck with sub-par wedding entertainment, but I think some of the pricing games are just unnecessary.  I took average year-round prices from my competition and made that my regular, everyday price - did I do that because I don't think I'm as good as my competition?  No, I think I am just as good, if not better!  But I also feel that this price point offers the best possible value for my clients.  I could charge you $2,000 for a 4-hour event and give you a $700 discount for booking on a Friday, but I've decided that $1,250 was a fair price for all of my 4-hour events.  So, needless to say, my Saturday events book 8-12 months in advance on average - get them while you can!!

I have to put in the same amount of work entertaining on a weekday that I would on a Saturday.  On average, I spend 20-25 hours of total time on each wedding.  This includes 8-10 hours on the day of your event loading equipment, traveling to your venue, setting up and cleaning up equipment, getting dressed in our formalwear, performing at your ceremony and/or reception, and then returning home to unpack.  Besides the excellent entertainment that you see at your reception, I am hard at work during the weeks leading up to your event as well.  I spend time marketing, meeting my clients, providing great customer service, attending industry association meetings, preparing and purchasing equipment and music, and speaking with your other weddings vendors to ensure your event is perfect. 

Basic Wedding Package   $ 1,250

• 4 hours of entertainment
• initial consultation at a location convenient for you
• online wedding planner with Bride & Groom song requests, as well as Guest song requests
• the DJ you initially meet with as your guaranteed DJ/MC on the day of your wedding
• professional (one room) speaker system for up to 300 guests
• 100,000+ song CD/MP3 library with web access for instant downloads of any guest request not already on site
• professional SHURE® wireless microphones (for toasts, blessing, announcements, etc.)

* additional time, equipment, etc. is available ala carte (see below)

Basic Wedding Package w/ Ultimate Lighting   $ 1,900

• 4 hours of entertainment
• initial consultation at a location convenient for you
• online wedding planner with Bride & Groom song requests, as well as Guest song requests
• the DJ you initially meet with as your guaranteed DJ/MC on the day of your wedding
• professional (one room) speaker system for up to 300 guests
• 100,000+ song CD/MP3 library with web access for instant downloads of any guest request not already on site
• professional SHURE® wireless microphones (for toasts, blessing, announcements, etc.)
• up to 20 LED "up-lights" to highlight the walls and/or columns in a single color throughout your reception space
• (1) custom gobo and LED projector light to showcase many different designs specific to you (e.g. monogram, names, wedding date, etc.)
• various LED dancefloor lighting to add some energy onto your dance and surely let your guests know that there's a party going on

* lighting options also available as ala carte if needed (see below)

Ala Carte Items

• Additional Mini DJ System  $ 200.00/ea.
  
  If you're having a ceremony or cocktail hour in an area other than your "main room" you should consider adding a second DJ system to make sure you have music (or even just amplification and use of professional wireless microphones for your minister/readers).
  
  
• Each additional hour of entertainment  $ 150/half hr. / $ 300.00/hr.
  
  Depending on whether you need me for just your reception or your entire event (ceremony and all), I can do it! I will sit down and consult with you on specifically what you need and then price accordingly.
  
  
• LED Dance Floor Lighting Package  $ 200.00
  
  Do you want to add a little "pizzazz" to your event and REALLY let you guests know that there's a party going on?! Well adding LED dancefloor lights can really make that happen!
  
  
• LED Up-lighting Package  $ 450.00
  
  LED uplights add color and sophistication to the walls, columns, and other interesting geometrical aspects of your reception, ceremony or entrance space. Uplighting is best used in venues that lack non-dimmable lights or have light units that programmed as "all areas or none" leaving your guests in the dark or having a dance floor that is too bright. Add 12-20 units to cover the majority of your walls, or add just 6-10 fixtures to cover one "splash" wall. By using a DMX (a professional lighting protocol) connection and linking all of the units to a master wireless controller, you can have the lights fade in and out of colors during dinner and have them move to the beat of the music during dancing. If a single color option is chosen, the client will select from a palate of 7 pre-programmed colors that most closely match their décor and the lights will remain that same color all night (red, blue, green, white, purple, teal, amber/yellow). LED lights are compact and cool to the touch and all wiring used is neatly tucked or taped to prevent accidental tripping.
  
  
• Custom Gobo w/ LED Projector  $ 200.00
  
  A custom gobo will surely enhance your wedding! Having a monogram, the Bride & Grooms name, wedding date, etc. in lights can make it a special night; a great way to add a personalized touch to your wedding
  
  
• Video Photo Montage  $300.00-$500.00 Equipment Only / $200.00 Additional for Presentation Creation
  
  A photo video montage is a great way to show friends and family the "story" of you and your fiancé/fiancée. You provide 75-150 photographs or digital photo files, and we create a slide show of your photos, set to music you select. We provide the projector, screen, and/or LCD TV, and DVD player (or laptop) and you provide us with the photos at least 4 weeks in advance. We return your photos (or files) at our final details meeting or at your wedding (if you are planning from out of town). If you rather have the photo montage loop on a 40" LED TV, we can offer that equipment for the same $300 rate or to have both, the fee is $500. If you want us to prepare the PowerPoint presentation or final DVD from your photos or digital files, you pay $200 more. You'll receive the final presentation on CD or DVD on the day of your wedding in a keepsake DVD case.
  
  

The Fine Print

Prices are subject to change without notice. Prices listed on this page will be honored on the day of booking but do not constitute a legal offer unless accompanied by a written contract. 50% retainer (deposit) is required at time booking to secure your event date. Client has one week from meeting with me to decide if I'm right for them. Unless a contract is signed, your date cannot be held for more time without a deposit payment. Travel Fee is $1.50/mile for the total round-trip mileage for events more than 60 miles from 21057 zip code. No charge for events less than 60 miles from the Google Maps 21057 zip code. Credit cards gladly accepted, but subject to a non-refundable 3% fee to offset our actual processing costs. Final balance due 14 days prior to your contracted event date.

Frequent Pricing & Booking Questions

Q.  Why do some other disc jockeys charge less?  

A.  Most of the "budget" or "discount" deejays in town operate on quantity, not quality.  You may see their incredible, "too good to be true" prices plastered on the top of web searches and in cheesy cable TV ads.  Their owners may charge clients $500, keep about $300-$350 for their business, then give your DJ $150-$200 for a 4-hour event.  In this scenario, you will ultimately get what you paid for... the DJ is not making enough money to purchase new music or equipment, or repair the equipment he has. While he may download your specific wedding songs, he may have to resort to illegally obtained music.  The $150 he gets for his events probably won't support a van or large SUV payment, so he may have to ensure all of his equipment fits in his car (which is fine if you only have 80-100 guests, but that's not enough equipment for larger events).  Finally, because he is only making $150 per wedding, he has to deejay at two weddings per day, so he may be a little late getting across the Bay Bridge or making it through the Harbor Tunnel.  Did we mention that you don't get to meet your DJ until a few weeks before your wedding?!?  That's because the "discount" companies don't know who might be working for them at any given time...Would you want to work for a company that was paying you $150 for 8-10 hours of your day, plus the time associated with planning an event?  

Don't spend thousands of dollars on your wedding only to save 3% or less of your total wedding expenses by choosing a sub-par DJ.  Your disc jockey is responsible for all of the entertainment at your event and after the meal and cake are eaten up, if your guests are not having a good time, many of them may leave your reception early.  I only accept one event per day, and in some cases, one event per weekend.  This ensures that we are on time, well rested, and fully prepared for your event.  It also allows us to spend time with family, friends, and our DJ associates - however, if you should need to move the time of your wedding... no problem!  Because we didn't book two weddings on the same day as your wedding, we can be flexible with short notice time changes if they arise. 

Q.  Why do some other disc jockeys have all-inclusive pricing?

A.  We're not sure.  I prefer to charge you for exactly what you need, not what you'll never use.  The average wedding with an on-site ceremony is 5 hours total.  If this describes your event, you would most likely need a second DJ system for your ceremony (either so you can amplify your minister's voice plus any guests reading poems or religious passages with high-quality wireless microphones, or to provide ceremony music - or both), and the 5 hours includes an extra hour on top of our basic rate.  With me you'd pay $1,500 for this total service, at our competition you'd pay $350 - $450 more with their "all-inclusive package".  Even if you added a sixth hour of entertainment and a third DJ system, you'd still pay less with me.


Q.  Do you match prices or offer price discounts?

A.  Sorry, but we do not match prices or offer coupons (with the exception of a related contest held at a wedding show with a limited number of winners).  There is no way to quantitatively measure our price to a competitor's price, it's not like checking the price of a LED TV at Best Buy and then looking up the price of the same model at Target.  We believe we offer the best value of any DJ company in town.  In addition to a minimum of 12 years of DJ experience, I also bring with me the experience of hundreds of successful weddings.  A "rookie" DJ who has less than 2 years of experience would be lucky to have entertained at more than 20-25 weddings in his/her short career because of the time required to learn the industry and build up enough experience to book weddings on a regular basis. 

Q.  "XYZ" DJ Company says you can't be a "real" DJ Company without a storefront, why don't you have one?

A.  It's great that other companies have physical "stores" to meet you and convince/pressure you to book their services, however this raises their overhead costs and ultimately, the rent or mortgage they pay to maintain the storefront is passed onto the consumer.   Does this make them more professional?  Not in our opinion.  It opens them up for more financial liability - which could backfire in a bad economy, forcing possible bankruptcy or staff layoffs.  Because these large companies employ such a vast number of subcontractors, they also need a storefront to hold company-wide meetings and house all of the equipment they rent or lend to their crew.  Crime is also a factor, as you are basically announcing that you have a studio filled with expensive equipment, but at night the place will be empty. We have always thought the storefront concept was a bit inconvenient, especially since our clients are booking us from all over the region.  Should we spend more of your wedding budget so we could have physical locations in Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington D.C., Ocean City, Alexandria, and York PA?  Our team of 3 wedding professionals is more than willing to meet you at locations convenient to you that provide a "neutral", no-pressure atmosphere.  Great service takes a little more effort than the assembly-line mentality of a storefront, but that is what we deliver.  If you still need a personal demo of our skills after talking to past clients and obtaining references from the area's top vendors, we'd be glad to provide this service as well.