There are many factors to consider when deciding how much to tip the DJ at your wedding. It is possible you may not want to tip them at all.
Furthermore, a wedding DJ’s upfront charge can be very expensive and they should never assume they are going to get a tip without working for it.
On that note, your wedding DJ should appreciate a tip as a GIFT that was earned.
If you wish to tip the DJ at your wedding, here are the top 10 DJ qualities to assess
Personalized Service
I believe a wedding DJ should personalize their services to the specific tastes of every client. Personalizing any service takes extra time and energy and is necessary for the DJ to deserve a great tip. On the other hand, if your wedding DJ is just “going through the motions” they should receive a tip that is lackluster as well.
Expenses
Many times in a wedding DJ’s efforts to provide the most personalized service possible, they may have to increase their financial expenses.
Most DJs try to avoid charging their clients extra small fees after their contract has been signed as it can be tacky.
However, if a DJ encounters increased financial expenditures to service a particular wedding, it’s always a nice gesture to help compensate them with a generous tip.
Timeliness
The time in which your wedding DJ starts working for a tip starts with your initial phone call, email or text to interview or book their service.
Anytime a client messages the DJ, they should get a response within an hour or two. The only time this doesn’t apply is if your message is sent while the DJ is servicing an event.
They should never be looking at their phone while working. Furthermore, the DJ at your wedding must always arrive to every meeting on time and even a little early.
Organization
Planning a wedding is a tremendous amount of work. On that note, most couples begin planning their wedding about one year before their wedding date.
It is so important that your wedding DJ is organized so they actually help reduce the couples’ stress and workload.
If he or she is disorganized, they can actually create unnecessary work for the couple. If this is the case, you should NEVER tip this type of wedding DJ.
Interaction
I often say, when a couple hires a DJ, they are hiring a person and not a computer. It would be so easy for the couple to simply hook up a playing device to a speaker and play dance music all night.
However, that is not what they are paying for when hiring a wedding DJ. In addition to being the master of ceremonies, a wedding DJ must interact with the crowd in a fun and engaging way.
Otherwise, the couple could have saved the money they spent on a DJ and used it for something else. This is a very important factor when taking into account how much to tip the DJ at your wedding.
Time Spent Planning
Every wedding requires a different amount of time planning. Some couples do not wish to spend much time planning with their DJ and other couples want to have multiple DJ meetings.
Every wedding DJ should offer at least one to two consultations with the couple either on the phone or in person. Every so often, a couple needs much more than two consultations with their DJ.
If he or she is willing to spend this extra time planning with the couple, their tip should be a reflection of their outstanding service as well.
Expectations
Client reviews are so important to read. They are one of the best resources to use in determining which wedding vendors you’d like to hire.
Furthermore, these reviews set an expectation that your wedding DJ must meet and even exceed. Reading client reviews establishes a great baseline for deciding on how much to tip the DJ at your wedding.
Wedding Etiquette
I love personalized DJ services, but it should also be noted that proper wedding structure and etiquette MUST always be respected.
With that said, it is so important that your DJ acts in a professional manner and complies with all of your wedding service requirements.
If at any time you feel like your DJ is not taking your wedding seriously, do NOT tip them.
The DJ’s Appreciation
As I mentioned earlier, I think of the tip for a wedding DJ as being a very thoughtful gift.
With any gift, it is always so nice to know it is appreciated. If you can tell your wedding DJ is really grateful for the honor of being part of your wedding day, then it’s a good chance they will be appreciative of your tip as well.
The opposite can be true for a wedding DJ that seems to take the opportunity of DJing at your wedding for granted.
Overall Experience
That’s right, we have seen it in countless client surveys. “How would you rate your overall experience?”
We should also remember the follow-up question “Would you recommend our services to a family member or friend?”
In the end, these two questions are the most important questions to ask yourself when determining how much you should tip the DJ at your wedding.
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Hello! My name is Tony Coppola and I’d like to take this time to tell you a little bit about myself and CC King Entertainment.
I began my musical journey when I was 12 years old as a singer and drummer. Ten years ago, I built a home recording studio and named it CC King Studio. Shortly after, I DJ’d my first wedding and CC King Entertainment was born!
After DJing hundreds of weddings, my business allowed me to leave my 16 year career as an occupational therapist. I ALWAYS go the extra mile to personalize my wedding services and I have the distinct honor to work with an amazing team of Michigan wedding DJs.
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“Top 10 Qualities Of A Great Wedding DJ”
“Questions To Ask Your Wedding Venue At The Final Meeting”
248-388-7974 – info@cckingent.com – DJ Livonia MI
Updated 2021