Let's think about what goes into your wedding budget. Your caterer/banquet facility will get the lion's share of it. If you are having 150 guests (an average number) and the banquet facility charges $100 pp. (typical high-end facility in New England area - including gratuity, tax, hidden fees) - that works out to $15,000 right off the top. If you have it and want to spend it - great. If you are trying to stretch your wedding dollars, then you really need to step back. Many couples get so caught up in the facility that they spend all their budget on it and don't have enough left over for quality entertainment or wedding photos.
If you took that same 150 guests and found a facility that only cost $75 pp, you now have an additional $4,000 that you can spend on your photographer and disc jockey. Why? When you walk away from your reception - if the music was a disaster - the entire event is a disaster. If you don't have quality wedding photos to cherish for years to come, it will just fade in your memory. The reality is - if the view wasn't so great at the facility and the food was just ok - people will not care as long as they had a great time. Think about that before you spend your entire wedding budget on the facility and run out of money for everything else. There needs to be a balance in your wedding budget.
In the New England Area average pricing for a quality disc jockey ranges between $1000-$1500. For a quality professional photographer, you should expect to spend at least $2,500-$4,000. Believe me, you will know the difference if you hire below this range.
Print this page