Eeeek! Where to look? Trying to find the best San Diego wedding DJ in your budget range can be a daunting task. There are a million places to look. So I’ve put together this blog post to hopefully make your DJ hunt a lot more streamline.
Wedding DJs, like any other musician or artist, charge what they think they are worth. Do you want a DJ who walks the walk…or one who feels, deep down inside, they can’t justify a higher-than-average price…or, worse, that they are below average?
The first thing you really need to determine is what kind of San Diego wedding DJ are you looking for? Is a low price the priority? Is the DJs skill or experience more important to you? Do you need a DJ who specializes in something particular…such as R&B music, Mexican weddings, night club style mixing, top notch MCing skills, country line dancing?
After you determine what type of San Diego wedding DJ you need, then you’ll want to take it one step further and figure out NOT what are some average San Diego DJ prices but rather how important your dancing/entertainment/announcements are to you. Decide your DJ budget based on level of priority instead of averages. The best San Diego wedding DJ for you is most likely going to cost more than average.
THE BEST SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ ON A BUDGET
If you have budgeted less than $1,000-$1,200 for your DJ, you’re most likely to find your best match on bidding websites like Thumbtack and Gigmasters. Thumbtack reports that the average amount their visitors spend on their wedding DJs is $611…the lowest of any published average. Similarly, Gig Masters shoppers spent $724 on average on their wedding DJs. If you’re on a tight budget, you’ll be wasting your time on sites like Wedding Wire & The Knot. It currently costs $2,500/year for a San Diego wedding DJ featured listing on The Knot. DJs charging $600/wedding can not afford that.
A note about Yelp…yes, it’s free to advertise on Yelp. But Yelp is the new Yellow Pages, so everyone is going to be on Yelp. If the San Diego wedding DJ you are scoping out ONLY advertises on Yelp, this could be a red flag.
THE BEST SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ IN THE “AVERAGE” PRICE RANGE
To find a DJ between $1,000-$1,500, look on Wedding Wire & The Knot. In my experience, you’re going to weed out most of the weekend hobbyists who aren’t professional full-time DJs on these sites.
The price ranges DJs provide on sites like The Knot & Wedding Wire are meaningless. Even the most expensive DJ on the page is not going to mark themselves anything over “affordable” without self-sabotaging the listing they’ve paid thousands for!
Bridal shows & local bridal magazines can also be good sources to find the best San Diego wedding DJ in this budget range.
FINDING THE BEST OF THE BEST SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ
You want an insured, full-time, professional DJ and MC with years of experience, reliable equipment, great reviews, and a 6th sense for reading your dance floor? Check out members of groups like the San Diego DJ Association, the San Diego chapter of the American DJ Association, or the San Diego chapter of the Association of Bridal Consultants (yes, there are many DJs in the group).
The single most elite group of wedding DJs anywhere are those in the Wedding Entertainment Director’s Guild. There are less than 30 vetted members worldwide. The application process involves submitting video samples, references, essays, and more. The closest WED Guild member to San Diego is Mark Thomas in Canyon Lake. For wedding DJs of this caliber, expect to pay $2,500-$4,000.
Another great place to look is on the MarBecca Method’s website of workshop attendees. The MarBecca Method is the best and most popular wedding MC training worldwide. Find out which San Diego DJs have attended here.
Also, some of the best San Diego wedding DJs are those who have won The Knot’s “Hall of Fame” award…meaning they have earned “Best of The Knot” 4+ times. The Knot reports, “1,091 wedding professionals were inducted into The Knot Best of Weddings Hall of Fame out of more than 300,000 vendor profiles on TheKnot.com.”
How much a DJ spends to advertise typically reflects back on where they price themselves…so websites that are free to advertise on (Craigslist) or low-cost (Facebook) may draw DJs of that same budget.
FINDING NICHE SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJs
So you need someone with a specialty? Try looking in the vendor guide of a wedding blog that fits your criteria…perhaps Offbeat Bride, Latino Bride & Groom, or Rainbow Wedding Network. You should also try googling the type of DJ you need, such as “San Diego female wedding DJ” or “San Diego country wedding DJ” or “San Diego bilingual wedding DJ.” Finally, if you are still not finding the type of niche DJ you need, contact the local DJs associations (mentioned above) and ask for a referrals. Both Dennis (president of the ADJA, San Diego Chapter) and Jerry (president of the SDDJA) know just about any & every professional wedding DJ around and can give you a referral.
You should expect to pay an above average price for a DJ who specializes in something–especially if they are the only one around with that specialty.
WHAT IF YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A SAN DIEGO WEDDING DJ OVER YOUR BUDGET
This happens…a lot. My advice? Consider:
- reducing the hours of service you need…even half an hour can make a $100+ difference (a 2 hour dance party with your dream DJ will definitely be better than a 3 hour dance party with a “blah” DJ)
- cutting the photo booth out of your entertainment budget and funneling all of your entertainment money to your DJ (a year after your wedding, your guests will not remember your photo booth–they will remember your DJ)
- DIYing your Ceremony & Cocktail Hour music and just have the DJ start for Dinner/Grand Entrance (this should be a no-brainer if you’re getting married in a church because you won’t need a DJ to provide microphones for your ceremony)
- telling your dream DJ what your budget for their services is and asking if they can accommodate it (I’ve had clients do this before–no prob, let’s get rid of the venue walk-through, the dance floor lights, etc)
- cutting the live ceremony soloist…often times couples think if they hire a soloist for their ceremony that this will reduce the amount of time they need a DJ and the cost will therefore balance out–but you will need a DJ to provide a microphone for the officiant, so know you’ve just added $200-$300 to your entertainment budget
Post by DJ Track Star Staci
I'm DJ Track Star Staci, an international DJ, MC, turntablist, & producer for 14 years. My clients have included: Lamborghini, Victoria's Secret, Reebok, and many more. My performances are trusted at A-list events like Comic Con, Entrepreneur of the Year, and movie premieres. I've rocked Sr. Frogs in Cancun, music festivals, the Vegas strip, celebrity events, & 500 weddings. Check my availability, get an instant fee estimate, or listen to some of my DJ sets or my original remixes & mash-ups.
