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The DJ poses arm in arm with the newlyweds at the end of the night at Olive and Oak, all three smiling

Cost guide

Do you tip your wedding DJ?

Your event
Guest count
The core
Add-ons

Tap what your night needs, then see your price range. A tip is not part of it.

$1,500 to $3,500 for the night you picked

Your night: a wedding reception with a DJ and MC for 100 to 200 guests.

This is a rough range. Build your quote for your exact price, or book an Entertainment Design Session and build it with one of our experts.

Prices start at $1,500. Most couples spend between $2,500 and $7,500. Highly produced events can run up to $25,000.

“…Spend the money, hire Elevate, do it!!”

WeddingWireJessi · WeddingWire · October 2023 · DJ Broc · excerpt
Book your Entertainment Design Session

Your running order

Side A · structured

  1. Cocktail hourA DJ playlist while the room fills.
  2. Grand entranceYour DJ brings the wedding party in on the mic.
  3. Dinner and toastsYour DJ runs the toasts on the mic as your MC, with dinner music under the talk.
  4. First dance and parent dancesYour DJ cues them on the mic and mixes them.

Side B · open floor

  1. Open floorThe DJ reads the room and keeps it full for 100 to 200 guests.
  2. Last dance and send-offYour DJ closes the night on the mic.

The short answerYou tip a wedding DJ only if you want to: with Elevate Entertainment, a tip is not part of the price and is your call. Wedding tipping guides each suggest a range for the DJ and for your other vendors, and they measure it in different ways. 4,000+ events, 20+ Elevate-Certified™ DJs, 18 awards, 9.7 NPS and 4.9★ across 1,058 verified reviews, as of August 4, 2026.

Google4.9(379) The Knot4.9(218) Facebook5.0(305) WeddingWire5.0(156)

Photo: Olive and Oak, 2026, Seth T Photography

Broc Barton
By Broc BartonArtistFounder, CEO and owner of Elevate EntertainmentPublished Updated

How much to tip

How much do you tip a wedding DJ and your other vendors?

How much you tip a wedding DJ is up to you: with Elevate Entertainment, a tip is not part of the price and is your call. If you want to tip, the ranges below are what published wedding tipping guides suggest, first for the DJ and then for your other vendors, each with its guide and the date the guide was updated.

What do wedding tipping guides suggest you tip the DJ?

Wedding tipping guides suggest the ranges below for the DJ. They measure a tip in different ways: a share of the service cost, a share of the fee or a flat amount. They are industry ranges, not Elevate prices.

Industry ranges, not Elevate prices

  • Zola, 2026 Wedding Spend SurveySuggested tip: 1% to 5% of the service cost67% of the 720 couples surveyed tipped their DJ or band, and among them this was the most common tip. The average flat tip was $200.Dates: Updated June 1, 2026. Read October 29, 2026.
  • The KnotSuggested tip: $50 to $150For the DJ, depending on the total cost of the service. Optional, but preferred, and given at the end of the reception.Dates: Updated January 26, 2026. Read October 29, 2026.
  • BridesSuggested tip: 5% to 10% of the DJ’s feeFor the DJ, as a share of the DJ’s overall fee.Dates: Updated December 30, 2025. Read October 29, 2026.

What do wedding tipping guides suggest for your other vendors?

For the rest of the vendor list, every line below is from The Knot’s tipping guide, the same page as above (updated January 26, 2026; read October 29, 2026).

Industry ranges, not Elevate prices

  • BandSuggested tip: $15 to $50Per member of the band.
  • Ceremony musiciansSuggested tip: $15 to $50Per musician.
  • Photographer and videographerSuggested tip: $50 to $200Per team member.
  • OfficiantSuggested tip: $50 to $100For the officiant.
  • Hair and makeupSuggested tip: 15% to 25%Of the hair and makeup bill.
  • CateringSuggested tip: 15% to 20%Of the food and beverage bill, if a service charge is not already in the contract.
  • Delivery and setupSuggested tip: $10 to $50Per person.
  • TransportationSuggested tip: 15% to 20%Of the transportation bill.
  • PlannerSuggested tip: 15% to 20%Of the planner’s fee.
See your price range

What is included

What is already in the price when you book an Elevate Entertainment wedding DJ?

When you book a Wedding DJ from Elevate Entertainment, the price already includes state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment, dance floor lighting, a 150,000-song library, a planning meeting, the Performance & Show-Up Guarantee and your MC, and the DJ and the Wedding MC are one Elevate-Certified™ person. Everything below comes with every DJ booking, on every tier. A tip is not part of the price.

The bride sings with her eyes closed as two guests dance beside her, and a woman behind the white DJ booth laughs with her arms out, at The Delaware, Independence, near Kansas City
The Delaware, 2022 · photo Angie Scott Photography

Six things in every DJ booking

  1. State-of-the-art, premium-grade equipmentThe same state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment at every level.
  2. Dance floor lightingIt comes with the DJ.
  3. A 150,000-song libraryMust plays and never plays locked in, all loaded before the night.
  4. A planning meetingWith the DJ who runs the night.
  5. Performance & Show-Up GuaranteeA matched backup DJ, full system backups and a 100% show-up record.
  6. The MCYour MC coordinates the night on the microphone, connects all of your vendors, and makes sure the whole night flows effortlessly and seamlessly for your guests. Your MC is your DJ: the same person, not an extra one.
Build your quoteExplore all of our servicesHow pricing works →

The exact number

How do you get an exact price for your Elevate Entertainment night?

You get an exact price for your Elevate Entertainment night in three steps: see your price range above, design the night in one free conversation, and read the itemized number in your quote. A photo booth or 360 booth on its own is priced by phone at (816) 477-4077 or in that conversation.

Elevate EntertainmentYour exact number, three steps

  1. See your price range

    Tap what your night needs in the estimator above. It sorts your running order and shows one rough range for the whole night; your exact price still comes from your quote.

    See your price range

  2. Design the night in one conversation

    Your free Entertainment Design Session: 60 minutes, video or phone, with the team behind 4,000+ events. You bring the vision. You leave with a complete plan.

    If you would rather build your night with a person than on a screen alone, or want more guidance on what to choose, you can do it together here.

    Book your Entertainment Design Session

  3. Get your exact number

    A real, itemized quote for exactly what you choose. Or skip ahead and build your quote online any time.

Pricing

How much does a full Elevate Entertainment night cost?

Experiences begin at $1,500

Prices start at $1,500. Most couples spend between $2,500 and $7,500. Highly produced events can run up to $25,000. Where your night lands depends on how much of it you hand to one team, and a tip is not part of the number.

$1,500Experiences beginOne experience, done right.
$2,500 to $7,500Most couples spendA DJ who is also your MC, plus live music, lighting, photo booths and effects.
$25,000Highly produced events run up toEvery part of the night from one team.
Build your quote online

Build it online, or get your exact number in your free Entertainment Design Session. Klarna and Affirm financing are available.

How much does a wedding DJ cost? →How pricing works →

Before you book

What do couples ask about tipping and the Elevate Entertainment price?

Couples ask whether they should tip their wedding DJ, whether a tip is in the Elevate Entertainment price, what the price already covers, why there is no price list and how to get an exact number.

Should you tip a wedding DJ?

Only if you want to. A tip is not part of the price and is your call.

Is a tip included in the Elevate Entertainment price?

No. A tip is not part of the price of your Elevate Entertainment night, and whether you give one is your call.

What is already included in an Elevate Entertainment DJ booking?

Every Elevate Entertainment DJ booking includes state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment, dance floor lighting, a 150,000-song library, a planning meeting with the DJ who runs the night, the Performance & Show-Up Guarantee and your DJ as your MC, on every tier.

Why is there no price list?

Because every Elevate night is custom-tailored from scratch: no two couples, no two weddings and no two sets of preferences are the same. We build your night with you, piece by piece, in your Entertainment Design Session, so you get exactly the experience you want.

How do you get an exact price for your Elevate Entertainment night?

You get an exact price in your quote: build it online, or design the night in a free Entertainment Design Session and read the itemized number. A photo booth or 360 booth on its own is priced by phone or in the session.

See your price range →

Your Event Made Perfect

How do I ask a real person about tipping my wedding DJ?

You ask a real person about tipping your wedding DJ, or anything else about the night, by booking an Entertainment Design Session in the four quick steps here. One free conversation, 60 minutes, video or phone. You leave with a complete plan and an exact price for your night, without any pressure on the call.

Complimentary · real numbers. A real person will text you within the hour.

Call or text(816) 477-4077

Step 1 of 4

Which event are we designing entertainment for?

One tap, then we check your date.

When and where is the celebration?

A rough idea is fine. Peak Saturdays go first.

Your date
Which of our locations is closest to your event?

Help us tailor your session.

Honest answers get you a sharper plan. There are no wrong ones.

Where are you in planning?
By when do you want to have found your best fit?
What do you feel is non-negotiable, if you had to pick one?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?

Tell us about the event.

Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.

What kind of event?
About how many guests?
Where is it being held?

Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.

When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?

Tell us about the celebration.

Enough to bring the right ideas, nothing more.

What’s the occasion?
Where is it being held?

Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.

When do you need this decided?
At its peak, how loud does the dance floor go?

Last step. Your details, so we can check your date.

Your designer reviews your answers before the session, so the conversation starts at your event, not at a blank page.

How we handle your details: privacy policy.

See your price range

Your quote

Where should we send your quote?

Your night: a wedding reception with a DJ and MC for 100 to 200 guests.

We run these choices through our quote builder and send your quote to you by text and by email.

Your event date
Which of our locations is closest to your event?

Optional. The city is enough if the venue is not set.

How we handle your details: privacy policy.

Or build it yourself in the quote builder →