Club DJs Vs. Wedding DJs: A Comparison

Dear reader, here’s the thing: clubbing is fun!

A night out in your hood with your favorite peeps and some hot dance jams is of course goals for good time!

Follow that up with some of that oft-imitated, never duplicated street tacos - and you’ve got yourself an evening.

Yet, many think that the prowess that a club DJ shows In Da Club is easily translated to a tasteful wedding ceremony. Spoiler alert: it’s not. A good Chicago wedding DJ will ensure that the night has those dance-y, fun vibes - but will also ensure a lot of behind-the-scenes work is done to make the event flow smoothly.

Let’s dive into a comparison between club DJs and wedding DJs - and why a professional wedding DJ company is your key to a successful, memorable nuptial event!

Now, we’re not saying that all club DJs are so business blasé that they don't have any kind of backup plan for illness, emergencies, etc.

But a solo operation working at the club doesn’t have to worry about a backup DJ. They might not have the capacity to figure out a replacement for themselves, so they rely on their club to do so if they can’t make it to a gig.

We can assume they’ll have the same kind of restrictions for a wedding. A solo operation may not have the connections and resources to pull through if they get sick or have a family emergency - valid issues to have as a human, but no backup plan will leave you extremely high and dry.

An established DJ company will have that capacity and nimbleness to easily figure out replacements for these unforeseen circumstances. They’ll get ahead of it by letting you know the contingency plan before anything happens, so you always know what’s up.

The title of this comparison needs no flourish - pricing is key to have nailed down in black and white.

A club DJ might charge too much for too little, too little for too much, or hit you with extra charges after the fact. Much of this stems from them being unaware of their proper hourly rate or what it takes to put on a great show and keep things moving.

Some companies or solo operations will charge separately for equipment for cocktails, ceremony, and reception - which gets pretty confusing and leaves too much room for gray area with the final price.

The Toast & Jam team settles a firm price beforehand and offers clear cut wedding DJ packages that cover what you’ll need for your night to go smoothly - no surprises.

We also do the work to ensure that any circumstances that might result in a higher billed rate are caught and discussed beforehand - like intricate venue layouts that require an assistant, for example.

Even during the most basic of weddings, if there’s a DJ - it’s part of their job to keep things running seamlessly, introduce the newlyweds when they come into the reception or who can gracefully cut Uncle Gary off when he’s standing up to make his third slurred speech of the night.

A club DJ might not have the wherewithal, experience, or desire to do any of this. They might, honestly, see it as cheesy or a little cliché. What’s worse is that most clients will agree - in the moment - not wanting to seem like they are also cheesy or a little cliché!

Yet, then comes the event and a parent wants to make a heartfelt speech. Is there a mic on hand? Someone to announce the parent’s speech? No - and that can be a bit of a sticky situation, because then the client will be technically asking the club DJ to go above and beyond what they agreed to.

A good wedding DJ understands that announcements and MC-ing doesn’t have to be cheesy. In fact, most reputable wedding DJ companies will ensure that the announcements and the tone of them are planned ahead of time, so there’s no surprises.

The team at Toast & Jam also will ensure that the night moves along beyond the introductions. We’ll ensure the party remains ‘formed’ and that everyone moves to where they're supposed to be, like from cocktail hour to dinner. We’ll also coordinate these movements with the wedding planner (or we will do ALL of that if you don’t have a planner) to ensure everyone’s on the same page.

Bottom line - we, or any other reputable wedding DJ company, will make it about the client’s good experience over self-promotion.

It’s so common for us at Toast & Jam to attend a swankified wedding event and rub noses with couples who tell us that they’ve decided to go against the grain and engage a club DJ for their wedding instead of a more traditional wedding DJ.

But here’s the thing, they really - in their heart of hearts - want what WE are selling. Your wedding is absolutely for you, yes. But it’s also for the folks that have come to celebrate you. Aunts, uncles, cousins, old roommates, and friends from near and far.

Maybe you don’t think you want to hear Brown Eyed Girl, but there is likely going to be a host of others that might - and, truly, there is a place for that song during the evening. A club DJ may not want to oblige. Maybe they will. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?

It’s about ensuring all of your loved ones from far and wide have a great time and enjoy a memorable evening. We want to ensure your wedding fun comes up during the family reunion for years to come, and that only happens when you’ve got a solid wedding DJ who can read the crowd and can please even the most surly and stern of ears.

Having that popular club DJ doesn’t mean you’ll have a great party.

Having everything Pinterest and Instagram worthy is a delight, but if you aren't able to knit the vibe together with the flow of the evening and an ultra-fun dance party - it can feel like a confusing, frustrating event for you and your guests.

And, ultimately, no one is going to categorically think you’re cooler just because you’ve hired a hot club DJ.

Do you want to hear your dad give an amazing speech, do you want your sorority sisters to perform a silly poem and be able to actually hear it? Looking amazing is easy, but having someone expertly move things along is where the magic is.

We’re Toast & Jam, the most poppin’ wedding DJs in Chicago, and we want to turn your wedding into a super-cool, super fun dance rager! We know music, and we love to turn it up.

Sound cool? Cool. Fill out our short little contact form here so we can get a sense of your needs, wants, and desires - and we’ll go from there!

Bonus: We exist on social media! Here’s our Facebook, and here’s our Instagram. Happy scrolling.