Wedding FAQs

You’ve got questions. We’ve got answers. Check out our Wedding FAQs.

wedding FAQsTeri & TJ at Annapolis Yacht Club in Annapolis, MD [image courtesy David Hartcorn Photography]

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What are your rates?

For Saturday events, our rates start at $2150.00 working with an associate DJ, $2400.00 working with DJ D-Mac. Friday/Sunday events on non-holiday weekends are discounted 20%. More information about rates is available here. For a more detailed quote, please get in touch with us.

Ask us about our new special budget reception-only package priced at just $1350.00 and $1600.00, respectively.

Why are DJs so expensive?

Compared to the cost of venues, caterers, photographers, planners, decor and flowers, DJs are usually the least expensive part of a wedding but they are still not cheap. Simply getting someone to press play is not actually that expensive, just ask a friend, but hiring a real DJ to do what real DJs do – as a skill set – is expensive. Consider the job requirements:

  • Extreme punctuality.
  • Excellent communication skills with guests and family.
  • Ability to improvise with the music, timeline, layout, unforeseen logistical problems and other vendors who might not be all that great at their jobs.
  • Able to lift heavy equipment.
  • Willing to work every weekend often for 13 hours a day, most of that standing.
  • Highly independent.
  • Exceptional planning skills. 
  • Detail oriented.
  • Works well under pressure.
  • Loves music – REALLY loves music but knows when to play the Macarena vs an obscure gem.
  • Has spent years learning the craft of programing and mixing music to keep diverse crowds dancing for hours.
  • Understands the technology behind audio equipment and the the science of acoustics.
  • Owns tens of thousands of dollars of music.
  • Owns tens of thousands of dollars of equipment.
  • Always has a smile no matter the situation.

This is a combination of creativity and responsibility in very short supply.

What gear do you carry to events?

While there are some variations in each DJ’s specific equipment list (mainly in choice of mixer, controller, turntables or CDJ, and laptop), we all carry professional mobile audio gear, including:

Are you insured?

Yes, as many venues require outside entertainment vendors to carry insurance, we carry a comprehensive $2,000,000 liability insurance policy that extends to D-Mac and all DJ associates.

How much experience do you have?

As founder and principal, I personally have over 15 years experience as a professional DJ, including weddings, corporate events, and club experience. I am also a current member of the American Disc Jockey Association.

Can we come and hear you play?

Weddings are private affairs so we cannot extend an invitation to potential clients, but you are very welcome to come and hear us play at any of our regular club gigs. While it is definitely not the same environment and playlist that you’d experience at a wedding or corporate event, you can still get a good sense of our DJ skills and the diversity of music we always play. Indeed, we have worked with lots of clients who have told us they knew we the right DJs for their event after coming to a club or other gig open to the public.

What areas do you cover?

We cover primarily the Metro DC area (including Washington, DC, Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the Eastern Shore). But we have also provided services in Philadelphia, PA; Chicago, IL; Buffalo, NY; New York, NY; Portland, OR; Portland, ME; Rehoboth Beach, DE; Louisville, KY; and the Outer Banks, NC.

Travel (by car) to destinations within 65 miles from our home base in Washington, DC is covered in our services. With any travel to destinations greater than 65 miles away from DC, there is an additional charge for overnight accommodations and travel expenses.

Do you travel for events?

Yes, we do! We’ve been all over the place. No destination is too far, whether that be Leesburg, Virginia, Louisville, Kentucky, or Lahaina, Hawaii. Please contact us for a custom quote for your destination event.

Where have you and your associates played?

Like the Man in Black sang: We’ve been everywhere, man.

How extensive is your music collection?

The digital collection is formidable and literally growing every day. This makes obtaining special songs for your event that are not already in our collections that much easier. We will work with you to make sure we have everything covered.

Do you DJ LGBTQ weddings?

Absolutely, yes.

We are having an traditional Indian reception; can you play Indian music?

Definitely. From traditional ragas to Bollywood to Bhangra and Indian hip-hop, we have a sizeable collection of Eastern music and can blend it seemlessly with Western sounds to keep all your guests happy and on the dancefloor.

Do you provide lighting?

Yes, from Edison bulb string lights to programmable LEDs, we provide comprehensive full service lighting solutions. Full details available here.

Can you fulfill MC duties?

Absolutely, yes. From introductions to last call, and all announcements in-between, we can guide the flow of the evening with as much enthusiasm or restraint as you require. That said, we are most definitely not mic-rocking non-DJs, encouraging you and your guests to get up and do the macarena. We’ll keep it simple and clear, and then we’ll shut up and get back to party rocking.

Do you provide karaoke?

In a formal, technical sense? No, we do not. Again, our primary focus is on the dancefloor. But we have tracked down original backing tracks for brave bridesmaids. Such as the original Motown 45 for Gladys Knight & the Pips’ “Midnight Train to Georgia.” The instrumental version is on the flip-side. The bridesmaids surrounded a couple of Elvis mics and killed it.

Do you have backup DJ(s) just in case?

Yes, we do. When a DJ is booked for your event, a substitute DJ is also booked. The substitute has access to the same playlist and schedule from the beginning, so in case of emergency, the sub is fully aware of the event details (documentation, playlist, and schedule), and isn’t simply coming in cold. Meaning there will always be a DJ fully prepared and ready to go if your assigned cannot perform at your wedding. We do not leave our clients high and dry.

How are you attired for weddings?

For weddings we are dressed appropriately in tailored suits and ties. For black tie events, we can dress more formally by request. Our wardrobes are as diverse and stylish as our DJ sets.

Can you furnish references?

Yes, [with their permission] I can provide the contact information of recent clients who will be glad to share the details of their experience with you.

Do you provide discounts?

Yes, we furnish a variety of discounts [please keep in mind these discounts cannot be combined]:

  • 10% discount for payment-in-full [at time of signing, when the event date is a full 4 months out]
  • 15% discount for active servicemen and servicewomen
  • 20% discount on Non-Saturday* events [Friday and Sunday]
  • 40% discount on Non-Saturday* events [Monday thru Thursday]

For events falling on or around major US holidays, full Saturday rates may apply.

    For events falling on or around major US holidays, full Saturday rates apply. Observed 2024 holidays include:

  • New Year’s Eve (Sunday, Dec. 31st, 2023)
  • New Year’s Day (Monday, Jan. 1st, 2024)
  • Memorial Day weekend (Saturday thru Monday, May 25th – 27th, 2024)
  • Fourth of July (Thursday, July 4th, 2024)
  • Labor Day weekend (Saturday thru Monday, Aug. 32st – Sept. 2nd, 2024)
  • Indigenous People’s Day (formerly Columbus Day) (Saturday thru Monday, Oct. 12th– 14th, 2024)
  • Thanksgiving weekend (Wednesday – Sunday, Nov. 27th – Dec. 1st, 2021)
  • Christmas (Wednesday – Thursday, Dec. 24th – 25th, 2024)****
  • New Year’s Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 31st, 2024)

Do you have off-season pricing for DJing weddings?

That’s a more complex question than it appears. Off-season is defined as:

  1. “a time of year when a particular activity, typically a sport, is not engaged in.”
  2. “a time of year when business in a particular sphere is slack”

Obviously, you are engaged and will be participating in the wedding activity. We give the same amount of attention and energy to a mid-winter wedding as we do to a June wedding. Weddings take place year ’round. And yes, while we are busier during what some industry folks call ‘peak season,’ we routinely book events throughout the year. That said, we’ll do our best to work with you to provide services that fit within your budget.

Do accept credit card payments?

No, we do not directly accept credit card payments. However, we can accept online Paypal and Venmo payments with funds originating from a credit card. More information about online payments is available here.

How far in advance do you usually book?

We usually are booked for weddings 7-9 months in advance. But 12-14 months is becoming the norm.

For last-minute weddings (3 months or less) during the peak months (May thru October), we will often still have the depth in our team to accommodate your event.

How do we get started with working with you?

After a no obligation initial meeting about your event in which we find out some details including date, location, start & end times and the kind of music you are looking for, I will prepare a personalized letter of agreement and send it via email as a PDF or mail a printed version (your choice).

Once it is signed and returned along with the requested 10% deposit (payment can be made by check/money order or via Paypal–see Online Payments), the date of your event is officially reserved. The date of your event can only be guaranteed after a deposit has been received.

What do you require to hold our date and our preferred DJ?

A 50% deposit holds the date and DJ. However, we understand and respect that some clients take their time with decision-making. Because of that, we do our best to treat our clients they way we ourselves want to be treated: with consideration and respect.

We’re not going to book your date and DJ out from under you while you’re reviewing our proposal. If by chance we get other interest in the same date and the same DJ before we’ve heard back from you, you’ll be the first to know.

How often may we contact you about our event after the agreement is signed?

As often as you like. We certainly appreciate a client who takes an active interest in the music at their event! Customarily, we expect the play list from the bride and groom 6 to 8 weeks prior to the event so that your DJ can properly prepare the tunes you’ll hear throughout the evening. Working from your play list, we’ll fill in the gaps and provide the audio glue, so to speak, that holds it all together.

But most clients will continue to revise their playlists with a few additions as their wedding approaches. No problem. This is your big day and we will work to make sure all your favorite tunes are included.

We understand this is a very important event and that you want responsive, timely vendors especially in the coming short weeks prior to your wedding day. Admittedly, we maintain a very busy schedule and cannot always immediately reply to an email. So please do not hesitate to call us. Often a 5 minute phone call is more effective and to the point than a long chain of emails.

But if email is your thing, (immediately after signing and receiving your deposit) we grant access to our easy-to-use event management and planning system, Basecamp.

And finally, we have a question for you:

Do you have a plan? We’ve put this list together for your consideration.

Have a question we haven’t answered here? Get in touch with us today!

2 thoughts on “Wedding FAQs”

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