Vote - DJ or IPOD???

DJ costs $1300 for 4 hours and includes tax and gratuity. Renting setup for ipod hookup will prob be a few hundred. We have 40 guests (too many people for regular ipod speakers)- should we bite the bullet and pay for the dj?

To me, I guess it depends on what you want. If the DJ would simply stand there and play music, then I say use the iPod. Either way, you're really picking out the music (or the general feel of it), and if the DJ isn't going to add anything then why spend the extra $$.

That being said, if you don't know exactly what music you want, or don't want to have to fuss with the iPod/timing/song order/etc. Then the DJ does add some extra value.

Just my two cents.

We got similar pricing from our resort and decided to do the DJ so we have someone to emcee the reception.

Thank you for posting this we have been contemplating the same thing. I cant justify so much money for 40 people but I also done want to worry about my ipod playing. I also like th idea of someone kind of emcee-ing the entire thing. I am sure that was no help to you but I guess we are leaning towards dj and we only have 35-40 people too.

For 40 people, if you can find someone to help emcee then I would go for the Ipod. How much would it cost to hire someone just to emcee? I couldn't justify that amount for that many guests but what is important to you?

What areas are you willing to cut cost, is this one of them?

We are asking my BIL in do the announcements and stuff and I am hunting away for music. For only 40 people I was say to try and do the same thing. That price seems very high for a smaller group.

I think it probably just depends on personal preference and budget...We are having 35-40 people, and am just paying the $250 for the iPOD setup. Probably will have FI's brother to do announcement for 1st dance, etc. Ours was a budget issue- we are adding on a white glove private cocktail hour after ceremony, a chocolate fondue setup at the reception, and a private "thank you" dinner on the beach from us the following evening for guests--- we could have knocked out one of those "add-ons" for the DJ- but decided not too.... and we don't have money to do it all!

- I say if it is worth it to you- go for it! If you'd rather put the $$ somewhere else, I think the iPOD setup will be fine for 40 guests....

we are doing the iPod. would rather pick our own music.

I'm doing the Ipod reception. We're making playlists and will have different selections for each part of the reception.

It's nice to have a DJ emcee, but I would be cautious too. Search the forum because this topic has been discussed a bunch. Somewhere I read that someone had a DJ that didn't speak English too well or if he did, no one could understand him. Something along those lines.

Personally, we are doing an Ipod. We aren't doing the "formal" announcements like a typical wedding. We only have 22 guests so I would feel silly. We will do a first dance and cake cutting but that's it. No need for announcing it.