Event DJs get paid when the invoice looks like a booking contract, not a freelance timesheet. Clients expect a package price, add-ons (uplighting, ceremony audio, extra hour), the event date, and a deposit that holds the calendar.
This template opens as a wedding package: five hours covering ceremony and reception, premium sound plus uplighting, and a wireless mic. Swap the description for corporate, club, or school events.
Always print the event date, venue, and hours of coverage. If overtime is $150–$250 per hour, say so on the invoice before the night runs long. Music-request process and timeline meeting belong in the notes so the client knows what is included.
Deposits are non-negotiable in this industry. 25–50% to hold the date, balance 7–14 days before the event — not the night of, when you are loading in.
Typical wedding package. Change hours and add-ons per booking.
| Line item | Qty | Rate | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wedding DJ package (5 hrs, ceremony + reception) | 1 | $1,850 | $1,850 |
| Premium sound + uplighting (8 fixtures) | 1 | $485 | $485 |
| Wireless mic for speeches | 1 | $95 | $95 |
Package pricing beats hourly for weddings. Hourly invites the client to cut you to three hours. Corporate and school dances can stay hourly if the run-of-show is unclear.
Cancellations: deposit is earned once the date is held. Put that in the terms. If you offer a date change instead of a refund, write the window (for example “one complimentary date change 90+ days out”).
Send a deposit invoice now and a balance invoice later, or one invoice that shows “less deposit received.” Both work. Do not rely on a Venmo with no paper trail.
7–14 days before the event is standard. Collecting at the reception is how DJs get stiffed.
State the overtime rate on the original invoice. After the event, send a short additional invoice for the extra hour — do not silently inflate the original.
Depends on your state. Some tax entertainment, some do not. If you charge tax, show it as its own line.
Yes. Switch the document type to Quote, add a 14–30 day validity, then convert to an invoice when they pay the deposit.
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