Hire a DJ or use your phone for your wedding reception?

"A study showed that over 70% of brides wished they spent more on the entertainment portion of their wedding."

Why You Should Hire a DJ for Your Wedding Instead of Using a Rented Speaker and Spotify

As a professional DJ company, we occasionally encounter couples on a tight budget who consider skipping the DJ and opting for a pre-made playlist on a mobile MP3 player instead. We get it—we’re biased toward hiring a DJ. But hear us out! There are some important factors you may not have considered.

Much of this decision depends on the details of your wedding, such as the number of guests, the length of the reception, and whether you want dancing or just background music.

Let’s take a typical wedding scenario: a late afternoon ceremony, followed by a cocktail hour, dinner, and then dancing. Imagine you have about 80 to 100 guests, and all of these events are happening in the same room.

The Sound System Dilemma

To play music, you need a PA system. A Bluetooth speaker from Best Buy or your cousin's 1992 stereo just won’t cut it for a large gathering. Renting a PA system is an option, but it will cost you around $200. If you pick it up the day before, the price doubles to $400 due to a second-day rental fee. Plus, you’ll need to pick up and return the equipment, adding extra hassle to your already packed schedule.

Even if the venue has a PA system, it might not be designed for dancing. Many banquet hall PA systems were installed decades ago and are only meant for speeches or soft background music—not for getting a crowd moving on the dance floor. And if your wedding is outdoors? You’re definitely renting equipment.

Managing the Music (or Lack Thereof)

Let’s assume you’re determined to handle the music yourself. The ceremony ends, and guests arrive for cocktail hour, but there’s no music because you, your new spouse, and the wedding party are off taking photos. Unless you’ve arranged for someone to hit play and adjust the volume as needed, your guests are left in awkward silence.

If you make it through cocktail hour, introductions, dinner, and speeches without a hitch, now comes the dancing. Here’s the challenge: even professional DJs don’t plan a 3-4 hour dance playlist in advance, song by song, in a perfect order. There are too many variables! The mood of the crowd shifts, song requests come in, and transitions need to be seamless.

Without a DJ, someone (probably you) will need to run over to the MP3 player every few minutes to queue the next song. This creates frequent pauses and awkward silence, clearing the dance floor. Eventually, guests catch on and take over, picking songs at random. After a few drinks, some won’t even wait for the current song to finish before skipping to the next one. Soon, you’ve got multiple people fighting over the playlist, and you’re stuck playing referee instead of enjoying your own wedding.

The Professional DJ Difference

By the end of the night, you’ve spent time and money on a DIY solution that produced, at best, mediocre results. Or, you could hire a professional DJ who will:

• Act as an MC to guide the evening smoothly

• Ensure the right music is played at the right time

• Use a high-quality sound system

• Take song requests and read the crowd to keep the dance floor packed

• Manage the event timeline and handle unexpected issues (e.g., equipment malfunctions)

• Control the music volume and transitions for a seamless experience

• Handle setup and teardown, so you don’t have to

This allows you to fully enjoy one of the most special days of your life without unnecessary stress.

Is This the Worst-Case Scenario?

Maybe. But situations like this happen more often than you’d think. Could it happen at your wedding? Absolutely.

As a professional DJ, I wouldn’t even DJ my own wedding. There are simply too many other things to focus on. It’s like a dentist trying to work on their own teeth—it just doesn’t work!

When you invest in a professional DJ, you’re not just paying for music—you’re ensuring a smooth, fun, and stress-free wedding day. And that is worth every penny.

Hire a DJ or use your phone for your wedding reception?

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Starlight DJ Services is a mobile DJ and Entertainment company based in Dorchester, Ontario and services all of South Western Ontario.

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