HOW MUCH DOES A WEDDING DJ COST IN THE PITTSBURGH AREA?
Need some help navigating the wonderful world of wedding DJ pricing in the Pittsburgh area? Good news, we’re here to help. We have a transparent pricing structure and all of our DJ rates are included in this quick, five minute read. Before we break down our pricing, we’d like to offer you a little more info about booking the right DJ for your wedding.
THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF WEDDING DJ
BEGINNER. Usually a younger DJ with very little experience who is just getting started in the business. Beginner rates for weddings in the Pittsburgh area typically range anywhere from $500-$1000.
MOONLIGHTER. A moonlighting DJ is someone who works a full time job during the week and moonlights as a DJ on the weekends to make extra income. Many of these DJs are highly experienced and many unfortunately aren’t. For the more experienced, you can expect to pay somewhere between $1,000-$2,000.
PROFESSIONAL. A DJ who has turned their passion into their full time profession and dedicates 100% of their working hours to DJing and working on the details of their upcoming events. They usually have many years of experience under their belt and they can adapt to any event and crowd. They reinvest in their business and use professional DJ equipment. Wedding rates typically start around $2,000 for professional DJs and can go as high as $4,000 in Pittsburgh depending on a few factors. We will explain how your wedding DJ price can increase or decrease in further detail below.
WEDDING COMPANIES
There are also many wedding DJ companies who employ a roster of “behind the scenes” DJs. When you reach out to them, they will essentially set up the DJ booking for you, but you might not find out who your DJ is until closer to your wedding date. If the DJ is important to you and your fiancé, this might not be the best scenario for your wedding. They may book you with an inexperienced DJ just because they are the only option available on your date.
At Plenty, you can handpick the specific DJ you’re interested in, or you can get quotes from all of our available DJs on your date and weigh your options. You can also jump on a call with any of our DJs before you make a final decision. We are fully transparent during the booking phase about our pricing and what’s included in your wedding package. More on that below as well.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
THINK ABOUT THE LAST WEDDING YOU ATTENDED. WHAT DID YOU EAT FOR DINNER? HOW WAS THE DJ?
When we ask couples these two questions, nine times out of ten they have no recollection of what they had for dinner but they definitely remember if the DJ was terrible (or great)!
Disclaimer : Food is also a very important part of your wedding but we’ll stay focused on the DJing and let the caterers do what they do.
WHAT MAKES A GREAT WEDDING DJ?
A GREAT WEDDING DJ DOES MUCH MORE THAN JUST PLAY MUSIC. With more traditional weddings, your wedding DJ is essentially in charge of the flow of your wedding and making sure everything is running smoothly. Even if you’re working with a wedding planner and a day-of coordinator, the DJ is still ultimately your clock for the day and responsible for making sure your guests are ready for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance reception at the appropriate times. We start working with you on day one to make sure we understand your expectations and the timeline of the day. An inexperienced wedding DJ can fumble your timeline to the point where you and your guests barely have any time to dance!
EQUIPMENT. The right equipment makes an astronomical difference at weddings. DJ equipment basically mirrors the DJs listed above. There’s very cheap equipment and professional grade equipment. Professional DJs use high end equipment that looks and sounds great but even more importantly, the equipment is trusted not to fail. We bring the right tools for the job because cheap equipment can affect everything from how the music sounds to not being able to hear the speeches during toasts because the microphone keeps cutting out. Even something as overlooked as cheap wires and cables can have a devastating effect at weddings. Lastly, a professional DJ always makes sure their equipment and setup is clean with no wires jotting out in every direction.
MUSIC AND MIXING. The core of DJing. The bottom line is, if a DJ doesn’t know how to mix two songs together, they shouldn’t call themselves a DJ. Unfortunately, that’s not the case these days. It has become cheaper to start DJing now so in response, DJing has exploded in popularity over the past fifteen years. Now there’s more “DJs” than ever. A great DJ should have profound knowledge about music and how to create energy with their mixes that will pack a dance floor and keep guests dancing all night. They should be able to work with you and your fiancé on the music format you desire and never stray away from it during the course of your wedding. A great DJ can read their crowd and predict what people will dance to song after song.
THE MICROPHONE. We’ve all been to a wedding or event where the DJ talked way too much on the microphone. You’ve most likely been to a party where the DJ didn’t get on the microphone at all. The microphone plays such a crucial role at weddings for everything from announcements and keeping your timeline intact to making sure the dance floor is as exciting as possible. A great DJ knows how to utilize the microphone in a way that only adds to an amazing wedding experience and should never come across corny or overbearing.
A FEW SMALL POINTS ABOUT US BEFORE WE BREAK DOWN THE INVESTMENT OF BOOKING A GREAT DJ FOR YOUR WEDDING
Plenty is DJ owned and operated. We’ve all been doing this for quite some time and we pride ourselves on the knowledge and experience from everything that has been thrown at us with gigs over the years. We also have a unique perspective because all of our DJs have worked extensively in nightlife all over Pittsburgh. Working in bars and nightclubs sharpens your skills night after night and helps you understand different crowds and how they will react to different music formats, genres and specific songs.
Plenty is a boutique DJ agency and we handpick all of the DJs that we represent. We have all worked together in the industry for many years. Our pricing is a reflection of the overall DJ market in this region and our talent and experience level.
Individual DJ rates for our DJs are based on a few different factors including their current demand and the amount of work they have lined up for the year. No matter what the final cost is, you can always rest assured that when you book a Plenty DJ, you’re booking someone who is easy to work with and who has the knowledge and experience to deliver you the wedding of your dreams.
We love DJing. We love music. We love working with new clients and hearing about their wedding goals. This is what we do for a living and we’re always excited and enthusiastic about the process. If booking a great DJ is at the top of your list for your wedding, we’d be honored to work with you.
OUR #1 GOAL IS TO STREAMLINE THE PROCESS OF BOOKING AN AMAZING DJ
We don’t believe there’s a need for countless back and forth emails explaining our packages. When you reach out to us, we immediately break down the cost and everything included in one clear, concise email. We’ve also included this information below for you so you can make an informed decision. Below is a general list of our current wedding prices and what’s included.
2025-2026 WEDDING DJ PRICING TIERS
$2,250-$2,650
$2,650-$2,950
$2,950-$3,850
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE COST OF MY WEDDING DJ?
*ALL WEDDING QUOTES ABOVE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING
20-30 Minute pre-booking phone call with the DJ you’re interested in to determine if they are a good fit and if you’d like to move forward. Wanna talk to all of the DJs who are available on your date? We’re happy to setup multiple phone calls, FaceTime or Zooms for you.
All correspondence leading up to the wedding
Music prep, playlist organization and wedding timeline outline
A full day rate booking simply meaning that your DJ will not be booked for any other gigs on the day of your event. YOU are their focus.
Premium Sound for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance reception. Sound includes multiple speakers and setups if necessary for all aspects of your wedding and one to two subwoofers for the dance reception depending on the final guest count and your location.
Top of the line DJ equipment for the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance reception including multiple setups if necessary. Equipment includes turntables (vinyl) or CDJ’s, Pro DJ Controller, DJ mixer, microphones, laptops, etc.
Equipment load in, setup, breakdown and load out. Approximate DJ arrival time is two hours before the wedding begins and approximate departure time is 1.5 hours after the wedding concludes.
All DJ and MC work for up to six hours including the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance reception. Your DJ will handle all announcements and the general flow of the wedding day/night for you and your guests. We will make sure that your schedule for the day is on track and will check in with you and your fiancé throughout the wedding to ensure it is.
Dance Floor Lighting is included. You can view an example of our dance floor lighting HERE)
Travel
Taxes and Insurance. All of our pricing includes taxes and all of our DJs carry their own business insurance.
Absolutely no hidden fees.
BREAKING DOWN YOUR WEDDING DJ INVESTMENT
We’re sure you can see there’s a lot that goes into DJing a wedding but let’s break down a typical wedding by the hours and take a closer look. Here is a general timeframe of the workload to give you a better idea of exactly what you’re paying for.
1 Hour - Initial emails and phone call
1 Hour - Follow up half way to wedding to touch base about any big changes
2 Hours - Final in person meeting one month before the wedding
6 Hours - Full music prep, announcements & timeline organization and preparation
1 Hour - Organizing and packing all equipment for the day
2 Hours - Travel to venue, unpack, equipment set up
6 Hours - Standard wedding day (ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner & dancing)
2 Hours - Equipment break down, repack vehicle, travel
1 Hour - Unpack & unload
= 22 Total Hours
A FEW FACTORS THAT CAN INCREASE THE COST OF A WEDDING DJ
An extremely large amount of guests. Typically if a wedding is more than 300 guests, we will need to provide more sound. More speakers usually means additional transportation to and from your location. You can usually expect an upcharge of around $500 for this but pricing will vary depending on the wedding location and your final guest count.
Longer hours. If you anticipate needing your DJ for more that six hours, your pricing will increase. The final amount will depend on the DJ you’ve chosen and the final details of the day.
Separate locations. We price our weddings for one location. This simply means that the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and dance reception are at the same venue. For instance, if you’re getting married in a church and you need the DJ to handle the music, microphones, etc, but the rest of the wedding is at a separate location, your pricing will increase. On the contrary, if you’re having your ceremony outside on the lawn at a country club and the rest of your wedding is directly inside the club next to the lawn, your price will not increase.
A FEW FACTORS THAT CAN LOWER THE COST OF YOUR WEDDING DJ
Day of the week. Most weddings are on Fridays and Saturdays. If you’re having your wedding on a Sunday-Thursday, most DJs, including us, will offer you a discount. Our discounts vary and will depend on the DJ you choose and the details of your wedding.
Non-Traditional Weddings. Are you skipping all of the formalities and just having a party with your friends and family? We can cover that for you too and it’ll lower your overall cost. We’ve played many weddings where guests arrive, everyone grabs some beverages and parties the night away in a more laid back setting.
Only need us to play the dance reception? Maybe you’re planning a more traditional wedding but only need one of our DJs to show up and start playing after all of the formalities are over. We can definitely accommodate this setting as well. Pricing will depend on equipment and sound needs, details and timing.
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