How Much Does DJ Equipment Cost?
Speakers, lights and microphones come in all shapes and sizes. This is a breakdown of the equipment cost used by a professional wedding DJ.
1) Speakers
What is music without a speaker to play it? Speakers come in many varieties and types: such as “full range”, “PA”, “subwoofer”, “bass” and more. Brands we like include Bose, Electro-Voice (EV), QSC Audio and JBL.
Full Range Speakers
Play full range of music, including some bass/lows. Sizes refer to the size of the woofer and range from 8 inches to 15 inches.
Classic look and even coverage, everyone throughout the room will hear your MC and announcements
Required for microphones
PA System / Speakers
Stands for “Public Address”, a sound system designed to be used in conjunction with microphones
Basically the same as full range speakers
Subwoofers
Subwoofers typically only cover 2 to 3 octaves of musical notes. When used with a low-pass filter, these types of speakers give the listener deep bass notes and low thuds and frequencies.
Sizes range from as small as 4 inches up to massive 21 inch pro models. Most popular sizes are 12 inches and 18 inches.
Require more electricity and power to operate, not as effective and loud when used outdoors. Acoustics in a room can play a huge part in regards to the sub’s frequency response.
Bottom Line: Professional speakers for mobile DJing are an absolute must, but subwoofers generally are not necessary - especially at weddings where noise complaints could mean fines or extra fees. While “professional” speakers are for sale at Costco, you absolutely get what you pay for in respect to looks and sound quality. Premium speakers like the QSC K12.2 cost $1000 each and also require stands that will set you back for another $150.
2) Lights
Lighting provides the ambiance and mood for the wedding’s setting. In olden times candles were prevalent, but now LED lights are the industry standard.
Dance Floor Lighting
Wash lights and derby-style lights are most popular for mobile DJ’s. Also known as “par” lights, wash lights colorize the dancefloor and let you dance in the lime light.
Lasers, strobes, and disco balls were popular at your parent’s weddings but have since become cheugy and out of date.
Require stands to project downward onto the crowd.
Uplighting
All the rage for modern weddings and rustic alike. Range from small single LED capsules to more powerful fixtures weighing 10lbs or more.
Available to rent, but included standard with some mobile DJ’s packages. Roughly 6 lights are required to decorate one small area, wall or landmark.
Elegant, understated yet impactful
Bottom Line: Lighting is alot more expensive than DJ equipment. Options range from cheap, generic multipacks on Amazon to professional touring quality for the biggest bands and artists. LED technology is always advancing, and higher quality lighting is easily recognized by guests and family. Dance floor lights suitable for weddings start at $100 each, and uplights are similarly priced. Wireless uplights are always the best option and certainly much more modern, however the cheapest options are $300/each - not very cheap when 24 lights are the recommend amount!
3) Microphones
Microphones capture sound and turn audio frequencies into electrical frequencies so that they can be amplified and played over loudspeakers. Whether it is during the wedding ceremony, toast hour or reception, holding the microphone gives the speaker the center stage. Also known as “mics”, the two most respected brands are Shure & Sennheiser.
Wired or wireless? Both kinds are capable of stellar sound quality, but wired microphones will always hold the edge.
Lavalier vs. handheld? “Lav” mics clip onto suit lapels and other articles of clothing to free up one’s hands, such as during a wedding ceremony. Handheld mics are best if multiple people are speaking or the microphone needs to be passed around, like during a reception dinner’s toast hour.
Bottom Line: Beware of any off-brand microphone or options geared for karaoke. Wireless microphones with range strong enough, and reliable enough, for wedding ceremonies cost $500 to $2000 - per microphone. Wired microphones, such as the Shure SM58, cost significantly less but use long cables that are trip hazards and will also be in photos. Don’t forget the mic stands!
4) DJ Decks, Turntables & Mixers
Blending songs and musical melodies is accomplished by using specialized DJ equipment suit for the task. The DJ decks play the music (off a record, CD, or even USB thumbdrive) and the mixer is responsible for the volume and sound of each song. While an iPod or Spotify playlist will suffice for background music, DJ equipment really gets the party started when the lights dim down. The best brand of DJ gear, hands down, is Pioneer.
DJ controllers are the most popular pieces of equipment used by mobile DJ’s. They combine the DJ decks and mixer into one compact package, but must be used with a laptop.
Not all songs are available on vinyl and real vinyl record turntables are typically only used for the most premium or themed weddings.
Quality is of utmost importance, a DJ malfunction at the wrong time could leave guests literally screaming!
Bottom Line: DJ equipment is only half the equation, you still need a DJ to read the crowd and mix in your favorite hits. Whether basic or super advanced, all DJ gear can play songs and blend tunes. DJ controllers can be found for less than $200 new, but professional equipment starts at $800 + you need a good laptop.
What does all this mean?
Your average DJ has thousands of dollars invested in his equipment to rock your wedding. Factor in wireless uplighting and the figure is almost $10,000. Here is a detailed list of everything needed for a modern wedding DJ’s performance:
Two full range speakers suitable for crowds up to 250 people. Price: $1999
Sturdy speakers stands to safely hold speakers at ear level. Price: $299
Four dance floor wash lights, a T-bar to hold them & sync cables. Price: $549
12 wireless uplights, battery powered to colorize reception area. Price: $3799
Two wireless microphones, 1 “lav” for officiant and 1 handheld. Price: $918
Professional-grade DJ controller and laptop + stand. Price: $2068
Tablecloths, cables, extension cords, cases and other misc. Price: $229
