Hints and Tips

Booking a Mobile Disco or DJ for your Wedding, special Party or Event? Great choice! A good DJ can cater for all ages and tastes and with the right preparation and planning can customise the whole evening to be just how you'd like it!

Sadly, as a largely unregulated industry with lots of "pocket money" chancers, the reputation of the mobile DJ fraternity isn't particularly good. However, if you stop for a moment and consider your entire event budget before buying a DJ's services on price alone, you'll quickly realise that even an "expensive" DJ is a sound investment (pun intended!).

DJmark Awards Scheme

Set up in 2006, the DJmark Awards scheme validates the business practices of it's members before deciding which level of award to allocate. These checks include all of the essential "must-have's" of any professional DJ - such as insurance and equipment safety checks - along with many of the less tangible aspects such as positive feedback from previous customers, range of services offered and willingness to take music requests, for example. A full breakdown of the entry criteria can be viewed at the DJmark website - Click Here to visit.

Budgeting for a DJ

Ask around and you'll receive quotes from DJs ranging from under £100 to well over £500 for typical events such as an evening wedding reception.

These amounts will also vary by day of the week (Saturday is the busiest day for DJs and therefore attracts a premium), time of the year (Wedding specialists are particularly busy in the summer months), your choice of venue (Access limitations and equipment requirements) and so on.

For their fee, different DJs will provide wildly different service levels. You might be happy for a DJ to turn up with two speakers and two lights on the night of your birthday party and play all the party favourites, with little or no crowd interaction. On the other hand, such a service offering might not be applicable to a wedding reception where you may wish to have the DJ make timed announcements, play particular styles of music and have a much more exciting range of lighting effects. You may well want to meet your DJ beforehand, or have him display your photos on his projector screen. Or have your guests submit music requests and dedications in advance. For such a level of service you must of course expect to pay more.

Price Expectations

We're often asked How much should I pay for my disco? This is a difficult question to answer because DJs offer such a wide range of services. The amount does also vary by area, however we've put the following table together to serve as a guideline for more common types of event.

The following advice is based on generalisms. There are often regional and local variations which might skew the advice below; however it is based on our in-depth knowledge of the UK Mobile Disco market as a whole.

Budget DJs

Budget DJs are often less experienced or just starting out in the business. Many budget DJs operate as part-time businesses and are less likely to carry public liability insurance or undertake regular electrical safety checks and servicing on their equipment. Budget DJs tend to operate low-cost or older equipment with limited backup. Budget DJs are more likely to operate on a cash basis without the protection of contracts and formal booking procedures.

Mid-Priced DJs

This category tends to include a mix of full-time and part-time operators, usually with significantly more experience than budget DJs, and capable of performing at a wider range of events including weddings and corporate parties. They tend to take account of industry best practices in respect of insurances and safety testing, and will most likely offer a range of payment methods backed by the protection of a contract and formal booking documentation.

Quality DJs

All DJs in this category have earned a DJmark Award which means that their business practices have been independently assessed to confirm their commitment to industry best practice.

The best choice for important formal and informal events, our Quality DJs will have a great track record in the business and an excellent customer service record. They are most likely to be full-time operators running discrete, modern and high-specification equipment with plenty of backup gear on hand to ensure that the show goes on regardless.

These prices relate to the provision of a straightforward disco with sound and light (no extras) and should be used for the purposes of budgeting ONLY.