How soon Should I Book My Wedding DJ?

Planning a wedding is a LOT of work – and you can’t tackle everything at once. So how far in advance do you need to lock down a Chicago DJ or live jazz or string music?

The best answer is another question: How important is wedding music to you? Musicians and DJs can only be in one place at a time – if your first choice is already booked on your wedding date, they can’t play for you. So if you care a lot, book early to ensure you get your top choice. If you don’t care a lot – work on the part of the wedding you do care a lot about first.

Average wedding music booking times

Wedding DJ The average couple booking a wedding DJ with us signs a contract 7 months in advance. Plan to make your decision 8 months or more before your wedding for the best shot at getting your first choice.

Earliest and Latest It’s not unusual for couples to book music with us a year in advance to ensure their first choice of performer. Some have booked with us as early as 2 years before their wedding date.

The latest a couple has booked with us is about 2 weeks before the wedding date – but that was an emergency situation!

3 Reasons to Book Early Just like in school, working ahead is smart! Here’s why:

1. More selection. Your favorite DJs and jazz or string ensembles are more likely to be free on your wedding date if you ask early.

2. Better price. Professional musician and DJ rates either stay the same or go up – they don’t go down. And while your caterer might reserve the right to increase your bill if the cost of food goes up, entertainers seldom do. Locking in a rate early can actually save you money overall.

3. Better Quality DJs will be available more in advance!