How far in advance should you book wedding entertainment?Coming soonThis guide explains how far ahead to book wedding entertainment, what the season does to availability, and how to check your date if you are starting late.
How-to guide
Questions to ask a wedding DJ before you book.
The short answerAsk a wedding DJ four kinds of questions before you book: who the DJ and MC is, how your music is handled, how the night runs and how booking works. Elite, Exclusive and Artist DJs are chosen by name, and on Premium we match you with the right DJ from our big pool of Premium DJs. 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.
4.9(379)
4.9(218)
5.0(305)
5.0(156)
Photo: Greenhouse Two Rivers, 2024, Jenna Lynn Photography · Michaela and Riley at Greenhouse Two Rivers
The questions
What questions should you ask a wedding DJ before you book?
Ask a wedding DJ these 16 questions before you book, in four groups: who the DJ and MC is, how your music is handled, how the night itself runs and how booking works. A clear answer is specific, and Elevate Entertainment’s own answer follows each question.
What should you ask about who your wedding DJ is?
Ask how the DJ was trained, how much experience is behind them, what they do on the microphone and where you can read their reviews.
- How were you trained, and who checked your work before your first wedding?What a clear answer covers: A named training program, and a check before the DJ ran a night on their own.Elevate’s answer: Every Elevate DJ trains in Elevate U and is Elevate-Certified™ before running a night for clients.
- How much experience is behind the DJ we would book?What a clear answer covers: What changes from a newer DJ to a senior one, in skill and in nights run.Elevate’s answer: Every tier is Elevate-Certified in the same 12 disciplines of DJing and MCing. The higher the tier, the stronger the DJ in all 12 and the more experience behind them: Premium DJs deliver a great night, and Artist DJs are the best we have in every one of the 12.
- What will you do on the microphone?What a clear answer covers: Who makes the announcements and keeps the timeline moving, and whether that is the person playing the music.Elevate’s answer: One Elevate-Certified™ DJ runs the music and the microphone, so your night has a rhythm and a coordinator on the mic who makes everything flow effortlessly.
- Where can we read reviews from couples you have played for?What a clear answer covers: Reviews on more than one platform, and where you can read them.Elevate’s answer: Our reviews are on Google, Facebook, The Knot and WeddingWire, and you can read them by platform on our reviews page.
What does Elevate-Certified™ mean for my wedding DJ?
Elevate-Certified™ means your DJ passed Elevate’s own training. DJs train in Elevate U on the 12 core disciplines of DJing and MCing, for weddings and corporate events. The program runs four months, and experienced DJs move through it faster. Nobody skips it. Every DJ then passes evaluations and successfully DJs a first event, and then becomes Elevate-Certified™ and starts DJing for clients.
- 4 monthsin Elevate U
- 12 disciplinesof DJing and MCing
- Evaluationsand a first event, done well
- Certifiedthen booked for clients
What should you ask a wedding DJ about your music?
Ask how your must-play and do-not-play lists reach the DJ, how guests ask for songs, how the DJ reads the room and who runs the ceremony sound.
- Can we give you a must-play list and a do-not-play list?What a clear answer covers: How the lists reach the DJ, and that they are settled before the night.Elevate’s answer: Yes. Your must plays and never plays are locked in and loaded before the night, from a 150,000-song library.
- How do guests ask for songs on the night?What a clear answer covers: How a request reaches the DJ, and whether guests can still ask in person.Elevate’s answer: Guests send requests from their phones through JukeJuke™, free of charge and included in all of our bookings. Anyone who would rather walk up to the booth and ask still can.
- Will you read the room, or play from a set list?What a clear answer covers: How the DJ weighs the songs you planned against what the dance floor is doing.Elevate’s answer: Your DJ reads the room and keeps it full, and still curates what plays and when.
- Can you run the sound for our ceremony too?What a clear answer covers: Whether the ceremony gets its own system and microphones, so the back row hears the vows.Elevate’s answer: Yes, as an add-on called sound production, set up and taken down by the same team, with mics on the officiant and on you.
What should you ask a wedding DJ about the night itself?
Ask when the DJ arrives and how long they play, what equipment they bring, what lighting comes with them and who steps in if the DJ cannot make it.
- When will you arrive, and how long will you play?What a clear answer covers: An arrival time well before your guests walk in, and the number of hours you are booking.Elevate’s answer: Every Elevate DJ booking includes five hours with your DJ, and your DJ arrives two hours before the event to set up.
- What equipment will you bring, and what happens if a piece fails?What a clear answer covers: What plays the music and carries the microphones, and what backup comes with it.Elevate’s answer: The same state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment at every level, with full system backups on every DJ booking. DJ microphones are always wireless.
- Does dance floor lighting come with the DJ?What a clear answer covers: Which lighting comes with the DJ, and which lighting you would add.Elevate’s answer: Yes. Dance floor lighting comes with the DJ, and event lighting in your colors around the room is an add-on.
- What happens if you cannot make it on the day?What a clear answer covers: The backup DJ, the backup equipment, and what stands behind that promise.Elevate’s answer: Your DJ booking comes with the Performance & Show-Up Guarantee: a matched backup DJ, full system backups and a 100% show-up record, and the guarantee is in your contract.
What should you ask a wedding DJ about booking?
Ask how you plan the night together, what holds your date and how you can pay, whether travel is in the quote and whether you can add time on the night.
- How do we plan the night with you?What a clear answer covers: Who you plan with, and whether a planning meeting is part of the booking.Elevate’s answer: A planning meeting with the DJ who runs your night comes with every DJ booking, and your DJ, as your MC, connects your vendors on the night.
- What holds our date, and can we pay over time?What a clear answer covers: What holds your date, and how you can pay for the rest.Elevate’s answer: A deposit holds your date. You can place it during your Entertainment Design Session. Klarna and Affirm financing are available.
- Is travel to our venue in the quote?What a clear answer covers: Whether travel is built in or billed later, and how far the DJ will go.Elevate’s answer: Yes. Travel to your venue is built into your quote and priced by distance, with no hidden fees. We serve a 3-hour drive around each of our offices, and further by request.
- Can we add time on the night if the party is still going?What a clear answer covers: Whether you can extend on the night, and how the extra time is billed.Elevate’s answer: Yes. Extra time is billed by the hour at your DJ’s tier rate, and a half hour costs half.
What is included
What should a wedding DJ say is included in the booking?
A wedding DJ should list what comes with the booking and name every add-on separately. When you book a Wedding DJ from Elevate Entertainment, every DJ booking 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.
Six things in every DJ booking
- State-of-the-art, premium-grade equipmentThe same state-of-the-art, premium-grade equipment at every level.
- Dance floor lightingIt comes with the DJ.
- A 150,000-song libraryMust plays and never plays locked in, all loaded before the night.
- A planning meetingWith the DJ who runs the night.
- Performance & Show-Up GuaranteeA matched backup DJ, full system backups and a 100% show-up record.
- 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.
Some couples skip a day-of coordinator. Your Elevate MC often fills that role, running the timeline, cueing your vendors and moving the night along.
Additionally, Elevate Entertainment serves every client, weddings and corporate events alike, with add-ons such as sound production, photo booths, event lighting, live musicians, the DJ-Band Hybrid and special effects. Here’s what our couples frequently book.
46% of our events
Sound production
Grandma can hear the vows. Mics on the officiant and on you, clean sound to the back row, and extra speakers wherever the room needs them.
Sycamore Creek Ranch, 2025 · photo Sheri Holloway Photography
Nearly 1 in 5 of our events
Lighting
The room in your colors, and your photos come back finished instead of flat.
Sycamore Creek Ranch, 2025 · photo Stem Visuals
Tap any add-on to see how it works.
DJ or band
What should you ask if you are still choosing between a wedding DJ and a band?
If you are still choosing between a wedding DJ and a band, ask each one which parts of the night they play and who is on the microphone. A wedding DJ costs less than a live band for the same night, because one Elevate-Certified™ person covers the whole night, where a band brings several players and their sound and plays in sets. Couples who want both add the DJ-Band Hybrid: up to six live musicians over the DJ’s set, band energy with DJ coverage.
Your DJ by name
Can you ask for your wedding DJ by name?
Yes, on Elite, Exclusive and Artist: you choose your DJ, and we hold your pick for your night. We show you who they are through their profile and their reviews. On Premium, we match you with the right DJ from our big pool of Premium DJs: our team assigns your DJ about four months before your event, matched to your crowd, your energy and your vision, and you meet your DJ about 30 days before the event to plan it. Your free Entertainment Design Session is with our team.
Booking
How do you book a wedding DJ once your questions are answered?
Once your questions are answered, you book a wedding DJ from Elevate Entertainment in three steps: see your price range above, design the night in one free conversation, and read the itemized number in your quote.
Elevate EntertainmentYour booking, three steps
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 rangeDesign 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 SessionGet your exact number
A real, itemized quote for exactly what you choose. Or skip ahead and build your quote online any time.
Pricing
What does a whole wedding night with Elevate Entertainment cost?
Experiences begin 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: the DJ and MC alone, or the sound production, the lighting, the live musicians and the booth with them.
$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.
In their words
What do couples say about planning with an Elevate wedding DJ?
Couples say the planning with Elevate Entertainment was simple and detailed, and one couple whose DJ got sick two days before the wedding says the DJ who stepped in called right away with all of their notes. Filter the reviews by topic, check whether we have played your venue, and read the rest on the reviews page.
Tap a question below.
Or pick a topic
Showing all 4 reviews
★★★★★“Our DJ did a fantastic job and helped keep our wedding day running smoothly from start to finish. He was professional, organized, and easy to work with throughout the planning process. The music was exactly what we wanted and he kept the amazing music going all night. We really appreciated everything he did and would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a great wedding DJ!”
★★★★★“Elevate did a phenomenal job of making our wedding day such a success. The planning process was so simple and detailed. The dj was so involved, energetic, caring, went above and beyond the day of, and helped keep everyone on the dance floor all night. It was such a great experience and I would recommend them to everyone I know!”
★★★★★“This team was amazing from the first point of contact. First time to hire a DJ and Elevate made our experience top notch. For me, the planning of the evening was how they impressed me. Several meetings to having one to one contact with our DJ of the night. On the wedding day, our DJ, read the crowd and what kind of music was in demand. Set up and tear down was simple. Would definitely recommend Elevate Entertainment.”
★★★★★“Elevate did an amazing job with our wedding. They assigned a DJ that met with us and went over all our needs, but she got sick two days before our wedding. They assigned someone else and he called me right away and had all of our notes written down already and made a playlist. He only had two days to plan and did the most amazing job and everyone loved him. Our wedding was perfect thanks to him!”
No review on this page matches that yet. Show every review
Related guides
Which other guides help before you book a wedding DJ?
Before you book a wedding DJ, five other guides are worth a read: how to choose one, what one costs, the DJ or band question, the reception running order and our pricing.
How to choose a wedding DJThis guide turns choosing a wedding DJ into a method you can run yourself.Read the guide →
How much does a wedding DJ cost?This guide explains what moves the price of a wedding DJ and MC: the hours on site, the tier of DJ you book, the date and the drive, and what a booking covers before a single add-on. Its estimator shows a rough price range for your night.Read the guide →
DJ vs live band for your wedding: cost, sound and the hybridThis guide sets a DJ and a live band against each other on cost, sound and range, and explains the DJ-Band Hybrid, which brings both.Read the guide →
The wedding reception timeline, hour by hourThis guide lays the reception out in order, from the entrance to the last song.Read the guide →
How pricing worksThis is Elevate Entertainment’s own pricing page: what a booking includes, what moves the number up or down, and the two ways to get an exact price for your night.Read the guide →
How far in advance should you book wedding entertainment?Coming soonThis guide explains how far ahead to book wedding entertainment, what the season does to availability, and how to check your date if you are starting late.
What should a wedding DJ contract include?Coming soonThis guide walks a wedding DJ contract clause by clause: what it should cover, what a backup promise should say, and what to read twice.
Wedding DJ red flagsComing soonThis guide names the warning signs that show up before a booking goes wrong, and what to ask the moment you see one.
How to plan your wedding music: must-plays, do-not-plays, and requestsComing soonThis guide explains how to build a must-play list and a do-not-play list that your DJ can work from on the night.Before you book
What do couples ask about the questions to ask a wedding DJ?
Couples ask when to ask these questions, whether the DJ can be met before booking, whether a ceremony in another room needs its own sound, what to ask about the price, whether a bilingual DJ is possible and whether they can ask for a specific Premium DJ.
When should you ask a wedding DJ these questions?
As soon as your date and venue are set, and before you book. Peak Saturdays go first, and the DJs couples ask for by name go with them. At Elevate Entertainment, you ask them in your free Entertainment Design Session, with our team.
Can I meet my Elevate Entertainment DJ before booking?
No, not before you book. Your free Entertainment Design Session is with our team. On Elite, Exclusive and Artist, you choose your DJ, and we hold your pick for your night. We show you who they are through their profile and their reviews. On Premium, our team assigns your DJ about four months before your event, matched to your crowd, your energy and your vision, and you meet your DJ about 30 days before the event to plan it.
Does a ceremony in another room need its own sound?
Not always. Any extra time depends on the venue, and your Entertainment Design Session host decides.
What should you ask a wedding DJ about the price?
Ask what the price is built from and whether the quote is itemized.
Can you book a bilingual wedding DJ and MC?
Yes. Elevate Entertainment has bilingual DJs and MCs.
Can you ask for a specific Premium DJ?
Yes, with Premium Select. Already know the Premium DJ you want? Add Premium Select for a small fee, and we hold that DJ for your night.
Your Event Made Perfect
How do I talk to a real person about my questions for a wedding DJ?
You talk to a real person about your questions for a wedding DJ 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 number, 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.
Pick the one that fits best and we’ll take it from there.
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?
Choose your closest market, and either a date or the no-date box.
Help us tailor your session.
Honest answers get you a sharper plan. There are no wrong ones.
Where are you in planning?
Which venue?
Optional. It helps your designer prepare for that room.
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?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
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?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
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?
Tap one answer in each row and you’re nearly done.
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.
We need your name, a working email and phone, and the consent box checked.