How much to pay / tip our DJ?

[ImInStealthMode]

We're getting married in June and a friend of DP's has agreed to DJ for us. He's a hobbyist DJ rather than a professional, so doesn't have set rates for weddings and parties, but does do them for friends as a favour when he can - and because he enjoys DJing to a crowd sometimes rather than just at home.

We've asked how much he charges and his (very humble) response was along the lines of 'no worries, I'm happy with something to eat and some beers'.

We're of course going to feed him and will ask a member of the wedding party to make sure he always has a drink in hand on our bill, but we'd like to 'tip' him with a cash thank you as well, we just don't know how much?

Any thoughts? He'll be doing 3-4 hours for us in the evening, with breaks when we have some live music.

How about £100? That would still be extremely cheap compared to hiring someone but it would be enough for someone to be paid. I don't think the drinks and food should count towards his tip.

Thanks, £100 is around what I had in my head but wanted to make sure I wasn't being wildly tight with that. All the drinks he wants, food (and transport back to the town in lives in, with the guests and us) will be in addition to the cash.

We are getting quotes around the 700- 900 mark for a 4/5 hr DJ set so I'd say about 200?

@Yuppie20 £700 - £900 for a DJ !!! I'm actually incredibly shocked at that !!! Are you looking at famous DJs ?
As for @ImInStealthMode - I would also say around £100 for your friend to DJ.

I reckon around £100 but I’d be inclined to give something too so like a bottle of kraken rum / craft beer Hamper / champagne or whatever and the cash in the thank you card

I was going to say £100 also, put into a thank you card after the event.

I assume you'll have a list of songs you want played, so obviously make sure he has access to those. (I assume its all online now but worth checking if you have more obscure or older songs)

Also yikes at @Yuppie20's quotes!  I'd want David Guetta for a grand.

@Totalwasteofpaper That's a good idea, and better than just a handful of cash. We have some mutual friends know him better so I'll find out his preferred spirit.

@Hairyfriend Yep we have a short list for him, nothing obscure. Otherwise we're happy for him just to do his own thing (he plays a lot of funk and that's fine by us).

£100 plus a bottle of something sounds like a good plan. Rather than surprising him with it you could tell him beforehand and double check that he would be happy with it. It sounds like he would be but it would be nice to have it all sorted beforehand.

Might he have petrol or parking costs too?

@FunnyGoingsOn If he decides to drive the venue is only 10 minutes from him and the parking is free. We'd arrange a (mutual) friend to take him back for his car the next day if he's having a drink.

If he prefers to get a taxi we'll pay for that.

Good shout on mentioning it first.

Won't he need to take his 'kit' home ?
I don't know any DJs that would want to leave their stuff overnight in a venue.

I think the amount - or even if you pay him at all - depends on the relationship he has with your dh. At our wedding, we had lovely offers of all kinds of things for the day that actually was 'their wedding present to us'.

Wow Yuppie you are being diddled there!