How to Take Paid Song Requests at Weddings

Every wedding DJ gets the same requests: the song from the couple's first holiday, the uncle who wants his party anthem, the table that wants a shoutout for a birthday. Most of the time you play them for nothing, and some of them land in the middle of a set you'd planned carefully. Paid requests give guests a clear way to ask and give you a reason to say yes. Done badly, they can also feel out of place at a wedding. This guide covers how to do it well.

Agree it with the couple first

The couple are your client, and it's their day. Some will love the idea of guests paying for requests, and some won't want their guests to pay for anything. Raise it at your planning meeting, not on the night, and explain how it works:

• Guests choose to pay. Nobody is charged for simply being there, and the music you've planned with the couple doesn't change.
• You only get paid for requests you actually play. If you decline one, the guest's card isn't charged.
• The couple can set limits. You can leave out song requests and only offer shoutouts and dedications, or cap how many requests you take.

Put what you agree in your booking confirmation, so there are no surprises. If the couple say no, respect it. Paid requests will suit plenty of your other gigs.

Decide what guests can ask for

At a wedding, offer fewer things than you would at a party. Three request types cover most weddings:

• Shoutouts, read out on the mic: a birthday, an anniversary, a welcome to someone who travelled a long way.
• Dedications: a song played for a named person, with a short message.
• Song requests: worth offering on the evening dancefloor, but think twice before taking them during dinner or the first dance block.

Shoutouts suit weddings well, because they're about people rather than music, and they rarely clash with your set.

What to charge

There's no fixed rate, and the right price depends on the crowd and the venue. Treat these as starting points and adjust after a few events:

Request type	Starting point	Why
Shoutout	£5 to £10	Low effort for you, high value to the guest
Dedication	£10 to £15	A song plus a personal message
Song request	£10 to £20	Changes your set, so it should be worth it

Consider pricing a little higher than feels comfortable. It keeps the number of requests manageable, and the guests who pay are likely to be the ones who care most about the song. If you want to let keen guests move up the queue on a busy night, allow them to pay extra to prioritise a request rather than raising every price. The earnings calculator shows what different prices add up to over a year of gigs.

Where to put the QR code

Guests won't request what they can't find. Put the QR code where people already look, and say what it's for in a few words:

• On the DJ booth, on a small stand facing the dancefloor. This is the one place every guest walks past.
• On the tables, on a card next to the table plan or menu, if the couple are happy with that.
• On a screen, if the venue has one, during the evening part of the day.
• At the bar, where people wait with their phone already in their hand.

A short line under the code helps more than design: "Scan to request a song or a shoutout. You're only charged if it's played."

What to say on the mic

One announcement, early in the evening, is usually enough. Keep it light and make it clear it's optional:

"If there's a song you'd love to hear tonight, or someone you want to give a shoutout to, scan the code on the booth. You'll only be charged if I play it."

Reading out the first shoutout of the night is a good way to remind everyone it's there. Hearing a name on the mic often prompts other guests to send one.

Saying no gracefully

You'll get requests you can't play: the wrong mood, a song the couple asked you to avoid, or explicit lyrics in front of grandparents. Because the guest's card is only held, not charged, declining costs them nothing and the hold is released. That makes it easy to say no without an awkward conversation at the booth. If you can, play something close to what they asked for instead.

Agree a "do not play" list with the couple before the day, and stick to it whoever offers to pay.

Keep control of the night

• Open requests when you're ready. Many DJs keep requests closed through the meal and speeches, and open them for the evening.
• Pause when you need to. During the first dance, the cake cutting or a planned set, pause requests and resume them afterwards.
• Cap the numbers. Setting a maximum number of requests for the night stops your set being taken over.

Getting paid

With OnCuePay, a guest's card is held when they send a request and charged once you mark it as done and they confirm, or 30 minutes after you mark it done if they don't respond. Earnings go to your balance, and you withdraw them to your bank when you're ready. OnCuePay's fee is 15%, taken when you withdraw, and guests pay a small card processing fee on top of your price. The refunds policy explains the details, including what happens if a guest disputes a request.

A quick checklist

1. Agree paid requests, the request types and any "do not play" songs with the couple.
2. Set your prices and decide when requests open.
3. Print the QR code for the booth, and for the tables if the couple agree.
4. Make one short announcement once the evening starts.
5. Pause requests for key moments, and decline anything that doesn't fit.