A Guide for Booking Wedding Music and DJ Services in Hong Kong
We have organized a lot of company parties, birthday parties and also a lot of weddings. No two weddings are alike, but many of the questions we face from couples are the same, so we wanted to write this article to guide future couples on what to consider when looking for a wedding music provider in Hong Kong. Should you hire a band or a DJ? Does the wedding venue come with audio equipment? And how much does it cost? These are all questions this article will answer.
Identifying your needs
It is important to start the journey with considerations of what you can or should look for. Your wedding venue or budget might set restrictions or you might need to rent music equipment.
Ask yourselves at least the following questions:
Do you want to have a separate afterparty?
Do you need music for dining service?
How can your wedding venue accommodate music?
Do you need to rent also music equipment or does your wedding venue have these already?
What is your budget?
Should you hire a DJ or a Band/Solo Artist for your wedding?
A great live band or solo artist can entertain guests while playing music. They can play songs everyone knows with the room bursting out in a song together or they can play touching love songs when you are dancing your first dance as a wedding couple.
Hiring a DJ ensures perhaps more versatility for your music as they can change music styles depending on the needs of the party. If you expect you or your guests to dance and have a great party, a DJ might be a better-suited option for your wedding.
In the end, it comes down to your personal preference and budget.
We have organized several parties where we have had both present. Having a DJ play beats with a solo saxophonist can be mesmerizing to watch. If your budget allows, you can consider having a string quartet playing during dinner service and having a DJ turn the wedding into a party in the late hours. Ask for ideas from potential music providers.
Explore the wedding music service providers in Hong Kong
Unless you know people who happen to work in the industry, it can be a bit daunting to contact service providers or find a DJ of your liking. Our recommendation is to go with a professional music provider rather than a solo DJ or band mainly because a professional agency would have more experience with weddings as well as a backup plan in case for example the original artist falls sick or has to cancel for some other reason.
When looking for a provider, in addition to searching online, you can try to find one at wedding expos that are organized usually a few times each year in Hong Kong. If you are using a wedding planner or have a venue that organizes weddings regularly, they would be able to recommend one for you. For example we at Tuned work with multiple wedding planners that cater to weddings of different sizes.
How much does a wedding DJ or band cost in Hong Kong?
As with most things, there is a wide range of costs when it comes to entertainment. Top-level DJs and artists charge more while less experienced ones would charge less. However, you should expect to pay between $HK 2,000 and $HK 3,000 per hour to hire a wedding DJ. This might not include equipment rental. A good ballpark figure is that hiring a DJ would cost between $HK 10,000 and $HK 15,000 for the day depending on what is included and how many hours you want the DJ to play.
For a band, this is more likely to have a wider range due to more diversity in the types of bands (like number of performers, types of musicians, amount of equipment to be rented or provided). You can expect to pay anywhere from $2000 to $6000 per hour of play + possibly fees for renting equipment.
If you have a specific budget available for the entertainment, you can talk about it with the music provider and see what that budget could get you and how it matches with what you had in mind.
The price usually factors in:
Consultation hours with the wedding couple
Wedding venue on-site check
Creation of a setlist and rehearsal
Assembly and teardown of the equipment
Choosing your wedding music provider
Music plays such an important part in making a party. A party that makes people dance and move and have a great time will be remembered by both you and your guests forever. When choosing your music provider, it is good to keep in mind a few key tips.
7 Tips for choosing a music provider for your wedding
Choose someone who has experience with weddings as well as venues and crowds that match yours
Consider the music style of the artist or DJ and ensure the provider offers a wide variety of music options to cater to different parts of the wedding
If possible, enjoy a sample performance. Ask for a video or go see them live
Review the terms & conditions and contract to understand payment schedule, cancellation, or any additional fees
If your venue does not have music equipment, check if the music provider can rent some for you
Make sure you work with someone who you like and have a good feeling about
Tailoring your experience
“We love hearing the stories behind the songs”
An exciting part of being a music provider is getting to customize the music experience for a wedding. We love hearing the stories behind the songs people want to play at their weddings. Being able to execute the couple’s requests and being a part of the wedding is truly rewarding for us artists and entertainers as well. When discussing with your music provider, consider the following 3 points:
Make a list of songs that you want to feature. There may be songs that were playing when you two met or that have a special meaning for your journey together
Agree on songs that you want to play at any special parts of the wedding such as when you enter the venue, the first dance, or any other specific requests. Make sure that the artist or DJ you have hired is up to speed on when to play these specific songs
Consider the style of music you want to play at different parts of the wedding. You don’t likely want house music during a dinner service or slow relaxing music at the late hours of the evening.
If you are unsure, you can always ask the artist for suggestions. You are, after all, working with professionals.
Ensure a smooth performance
Make sure that the artist or DJ of your choice is in close cooperation with the wedding venue before the big day. It could be that the venue has sub-par sound equipment or the venue itself might have a challenging acoustic environment. As an example, we worked with a couple whose wedding venue was a gorgeous, large space with a very tall ceiling, which meant that additional speakers were needed so that the guests could enjoy the music in the whole venue.
“Make sure that the artist or DJ of your choice is in close cooperation with the wedding venue before the big day”
At Tuned, we always organize a pre-wedding, in-person check of the venue to ensure that the music equipment is up to par and that there are no conflicts with the audio or visuals on the wedding day.
Final preparations before the wedding day
If you are working with a professional agency or an experienced DJ, there should not be too much to worry about before the wedding. You have plenty on your plate so not having to worry about the music or entertainment for your guests is key. There are still a few things that you should consider on the days leading up to the big day:
Consider the weather and implications it may have on your venue
Make sure your artist of choice has a backup plan in case of an illness or other issues that may arise
Be sure to communicate any changes in schedule to your music provider
In the end, the music is there to put you and your guests at ease and to make the day a memorable one. Remember to enjoy the day to the fullest and have a wedding that both you and your guests will remember.
Hire Tuned Hong Kong as your wedding music provider
We offer a full range of services from equipment rental to artist hiring to music consultation. Contact us for details and let us know what you would like your dream wedding to sound like.