Here it is! The Ultimate Guide to Wedding DJ Pricing in Montreal.
The intention of this guide is to shed some light on the various price ranges that exist in Montreal for a wedding DJ and MC. Furthermore, I cover what each range might offer and what some of the expectations should be in each.
The average cost of a professional wedding DJ in Montreal in 2020 is between $2000 and $2800. That gives you average, and is an average wedding reception really what you want? To get exceptional results, and above average performance, you should except to pay more.
When you are planning your wedding in Montreal and you need to hire a DJ, you can expect price ranges such as…
If your DJ charges under $1200, expect
- A DJ that will be a hobbyist: DJing is something this person does from time to time and really only for fun.
- They will have little to no experience performing at weddings.
- No planning: Do not expect the DJ to help you plan or coordinate your reception.
- No MC: You are not getting a Master of Ceremonies.
- DJ attire: Do not expect them to be wearing a suit.
- Equipment: they will most likely not have professional equipment, let alone backup equipment. The setup will likely have wires dangling and visible.
- No lighting included.
- Limited hours: Some DJ companies in Montreal limit their packages to a few hours, be aware of any limits at this price point.
- Musical knowledge may be limited. May not have legal music. Might not take song requests.
- No references: They might not have any references, videos, pictures to show you.
- Preparation time: Your DJ will have spent as little time as possible preparing for your wedding.
If your DJ charges between $1200 – $2500, expect
- A DJ with a few years experience performing at weddings.
- They might act as an MC to make basic announcements.
- Minimal planning: There may be some coordination and discussion of how you would like your reception to flow.
- Multi-Ops (companies with several DJs) often charge in this range, you will not have met your DJ in person until your wedding day.
- Because you don’t know your DJ, the reception will most likely be average, and similar to many other weddings you’ve seen or been to.
- DJ attire: Most likely will be wearing a suit, or at least a shirt and tie.
- Professional equipment: Will be using professional gear, might not have backup equipment.
- Some lighting included.
- Limited hours: Here too, be aware of any limits on time, and overtime charges.
- Musical knowledge: will have a broader sense of music over the eras, but might not include everything you’d expect.
- References: Should have a few pictures or videos to show you, may have general references for the company as a whole, not the individual DJ/MC.
- Preparation time: Your DJ will have spent a few hours preparing for your wedding.
If your DJ charges between $2500 – $3500, expect
- A DJ with at least 5 to 10 years experience performing at weddings.
- A more personalized service, you are most likely dealing with single operators now (The DJ and/or MC is the owner and the one performing at your wedding). You will be meeting with your DJ directly, usually once or twice before the wedding to organize your reception, discuss ideas.
- A DJ and an MC: You can expect a Master of Ceremonies and a DJ team once over the $2500 mark. The MC will be able to move around the room, work the crowd, interact with the guests and coordinate with your other vendors during the reception.
- DJ and MC will be dressed in suits.
- Professional equipment: Not only are they using professional gear, the setup and stage look should be flawless (no wires showing!).
- Clear sound: Above the $3000 mark, for larger rooms, expect “satellite” speakers to be installed around the room to ensure everyone will hear all the important details, and this ensures a comfortable volume during dinner allowing everyone to speak to one another without yelling.
- Lighting included.
- Hours don’t matter: Typically in this range, your price will include performance for the entire evening, no hidden overtime.
- Musical knowledge: should have a good knowledge of the oldies, the classics and today’s top hits. They should also have discussed your personal tastes and favorites.
- References: Should have many! Videos, photos, testimonials on various sites.
- Preparation time: Your DJ will have spent 5-15 hours preparing for your wedding.
If your DJ charges between $4500 – $5500+, expect
- The utmost in personalized service: You meet your DJ/MC, you get to know them. These will likely be single operators and they will be the one performing at your wedding.
- Experience: Will have over 15 years experience performing at weddings. Will have formal training as a Master of Ceremonies and public speaking.
- A DJ and MC team: Being a two person team, the MC will also be able to move around the room, work the crowd, interact with your guests.
- There will be several planning meetings together to gather these personal details and coordinate the flow of the reception and discuss ideas. Expect the MC to take control of the timing of the evening if any changes need to occur, they will manage it for you. The MC will coordinate with the other vendors throughout the night ensuring everyone is on the same page.
- Completely personalized: Your master of ceremonies will absolutely wow your guests by creating something unique, emotional and truly personalized to you and your story. Personalized introductions for speakers giving toasts and speeches, parents dances and any other special moments.
- Love Story: This is something unique to you and your fiancé, it is a story told by your MC about your relationship, how you met, experiences you’ve had together, the proposal, etc. This is a one of a kind story that will set your wedding apart from everyone else’s.
- Customized Audio Edit: During a special dance, personal voice recordings are inserted into the original song to create something so unique there won’t be a dry eye in the room.
- DJ and MC dressed in suits.
- Professional equipment and an absolutely impeccable setup, no wires showing, very clean and elegant. Backup equipment on site.
- Lighting included.
- Hours don’t matter: Price will include performance for the entire evening, no hidden overtime.
- The right amount of sound: Larger rooms require larger sound systems. This does not mean bigger or louder speakers! Especially for weddings, you want everyone to be able to hear those important moments and have the music not be overly loud during dinner. The only way this can be achieved is by having more speakers throughout the room.
- Insurance: The DJ will have the proper liability insurance. Yes, this does exist and is something all DJ’s should have.
- Musical knowledge: Should have excellent knowledge of the oldies, the classics and today’s top hits. On top of that, they will fine tune the evening to include songs that represent you and your family.
- References: Should have many! Videos, photos, testimonials on various sites, personal notes.
- Preparation time: Your DJ will have spent 20-25 hours preparing for your wedding.
- At this level, these DJs should be confident enough to offer a 100% money-back guarantee, yes you read that right!
Add-On’s
Some DJs also offer audio visual components such as TV’s and video walls, other DJs offer photobooths, while some offer singers and dancers. There are far too many things to include in this guide, so I kept it to basics of what a true wedding entertainer should be providing in terms of their service as a DJ and an MC at your wedding.
In Closing
These categories are not exact. There can also be exceptions to the rule. One thing is for certain, if you get a quote from a DJ in Montreal offering everything listed in the later categories for $1000, that should raise red flags!
The four pricing categories above represent a guideline for you to think of when you are planning your wedding in Montreal. Everyone will have different priorities and expectations. I hope this list will help you determine what is important to you when searching for wedding entertainment and clarify some of those expectations too!
Have any comments on these pricing categories? Other expectations that should be added? Leave them in the comments!
If you are looking for a wedding DJ in Montreal that can create a truly unique reception and the best wedding ever – before the party even starts – Uptown Xpress is your number one choice for an unforgettable wedding entertainment experience. Stefan Jez is one of the most popular wedding MC’s and DJ’s in Montreal, contact Stefan at 514-297-3508 or stefan@uptownxpress.com to begin your experience today!