Frequently Asked Questions

Current prices are posted on my Wedding DJ Packages & Pricing page.

When you complete the brief form on my Wedding DJ Packages & Pricing page, I’ll respond within 48 hours (usually MUCH sooner) to let you know if I’m available for your wedding date.

As soon as you have a wedding date and venue locked-in, you should be locking-in the rest of the vendors you’ll need for your wedding day.

Dates are booked on a first-come, first-served basis, and it’s likely other couples are planning to get married on the same day you are. Why let them beat you to the punch?

Some couples have booked me as far as 18 months in advance, but most of my bookings tend to happen about 9-12 months out. And there are always some dates that never get booked at all. Even if your wedding is only 3 or 6 months out, it never hurts to contact me and see if I’m available!

Since 2011, I have DJ’ed weddings at nearly 100 venues [see the map] throughout Central New York and beyond!

Standard rates include travel up to one hour each way between my home (near Syracuse) and your venue. This covers all venues in Utica, Rome and Oswego, even if the drive is slightly over an hour. (The yellow area in the accompanying image offers an approximate idea of that radius.)

Venues significantly over an hour away may incur additional travel time charges. If this applies to your venue, I’ll let you know right up-front when you request a quote.

Absolutely! The DJ can “make or break” a wedding, so I understand you want to be confident I’m a good fit before you make any decisions. Just tell me a little bit about your wedding plans and if I have your wedding date open, we can schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

Since 2020, most of my meetings have been video calls, but I still offer in-person meetings (in Fayetteville) or “regular” phone calls if you prefer either of those options.

Just complete the request form on my Wedding DJ Packages & Pricing page! I’ll respond within 48 hours (usually much sooner) with a quote and more details on how to officially book me for your wedding date once you’ve made the decision to proceed.

Tipping is not necessary when you hire Syracuse wedding DJ Peter Naughton… or any other wedding professional who owns their own business. Sole proprietors don’t get tipped because they have full control over their own prices. Wedding DJ services aren’t even subject to sales tax, either. The price on your contract is the price you pay, not a penny more!

There are just two things that won’t cost you a dime, but they’ll make my day:
1) A positive review. If you liked my performance, share it on Google, WeddingWire, TheKnot, Zola, Yelp or any other website where you like to share your praises for businesses who made you happy.
2) Referrals. When you hear about friends, relatives or co-workers getting engaged, I’d be thrilled if you sent them my way. If they mention you and they book me, I’ll give them a deal and I’ll even send a modest token of thanks your way as well!

My music library includes thousands of songs: top hits from every decade from the 1950s to present, plus plenty of classical, international and religious selections.  If you request anything that I don’t already have, I’ll do my best to find it, buy it and addd it to my library.

Due to copyright laws, I cannot “rip” or “scrape” or otherwise make copies of songs which are only available on YouTube, Spotify or other streaming platforms.  To ensure the best quality, I don’t “live-stream” music off any mobile devices, either.  The music must be legally available for purchase and download.

You can request as many songs as you like!  But keep in mind, a primary reason for hiring a DJ is to let them “read the crowd” and select songs that will keep your guests dancing. Still, I know certain songs may hold special significance, so I ask couples to rank their requests among two lists:

“Must Play” – You may list up to 10 songs that are guaranteed to play at some point during open dance floor time.

“Nice to Have” – You can make as many additional requests as you like and I’ll play as many of these songs as I can, as long as time permits and the dance floor remains busy. I reserve the right to “drop” songs due to lack of time or dance floor activity.

If there are any songs you really love, but they aren’t “danceable,” you can request that they play during dinner or cocktail hour.

For more advice, check out my blog article, “How to Build a Great Wedding Request List.”

Absolutely! The Do Not Play (DNP) list is just as important as your must-play list.  Feel free to ban specific songs, everything by a certain artist, or even entire genres of music.

Any request for a song on your DNP list will be politely declined… even if it’s your own parents or members of your wedding party. I will only override the DNP list upon request coming directly, face-to-face, from one of the newlyweds.

I am always happy to consider guest requests.  But that doesn’t mean I will definitely play every request.  After all, that’s why you’re hiring a professional DJ, instead of renting a jukebox.

A jukebox will play whatever it’s told to, with zero regard for how well one song flows into another, or whether people are actually dancing.

A professional DJ should be good at “gatekeeping” the requests — some will work better than others. One guest might make an excellent suggestion to follow the song that’s currently playing. Another request might work out better later into the evening. If a request seems like it might empty the dance floor, I’ll politely decline. And sometimes, requests are declined because it’s just so close to the end of the reception that there’s simply no room to accommodate any more requests.

Yes, as a former radio personality, I’m right at home behind the mic, ready to make the various “crowd control” announcements to help your reception flow smoothly. I’ll make sure guests know what’s happening, when they need to take seats, I’ll introduce your first dance, toasts, and so forth.

Once the dance floor opens, I know it’s time to stop talking and let the music take over. Occasional announcements may be made when there’s a need, but I’m not the type of DJ who jumps on the mic after every single song just to hear his own voice. I know that people don’t attend weddings to hear the DJ’s “witty remarks” all night — everyone’s there to celebrate, to party, to dance! And one of the best ways to keep the dance floor packed is to keep the music flowing!

Peter Naughton Productions officially launched in 2010, with my first weddings taking place during the 2011 wedding season. Before opening my wedding DJ business, I earned a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and worked full-time in radio and TV in Utica and Syracuse for several years.

I actually did my first wedding in 2005, for some personal friends. I really enjoyed it, and that was one of my main inspirations to eventually launch this business.

Sure thing… I’ve gathered all the reviews clients have posted on various sites in one place, on my Reviews page!

Yes! When you book Peter Naughton, you get Peter Naughton. You’ll be working directly and exclusively with me, from the initial response when you inquire about my services, all the way through packing up all my gear at the end of your reception. That includes assistance along the way with planning and making sure I have every last key song and timeline detail down pat, so you can enjoy a stress-free and fun wedding!

Let me know what guests are wearing, and I’ll match their level of formality: tuxedo, regular suit or business casual.

However, at venues without climate control, I reserve the right to dress “business casual” if I feel it’s too hot/humid to comfortably work in formal wear.

No problem!  I’ve done plenty of outdoor events.  Just one big thing to consider: overhead protection for my equipment is required for all outdoor performances, rain or shine.  If there will be a tent, gazebo, porch or any other shelter provided by you or the venue, that’s awesome!  If not, there is no extra charge for me to bring my own canopy tent… I just need to know in advance. I usually don’t bring it unless I need it, and I’ll also arrive a little earlier to include the tent in my set-up time.
If you’re planning an outdoor wedding, check my Peter’s Pointers blog post, “6 Must-Haves for Outdoor Weddings.”

No signs or banners are displayed on my setup at weddings or other private events. And no, I don’t have my name plastered all over my tablecloth, either. However, I usually have a small quantity of business cards available for guests to take off the table if they’d like.

Generally, I arrive 1½ to 2½ hours prior to the contracted start time to load-in and setup for an event. At certain venues, I arrive even earlier.  It depends on a variety of factors.  Let’s discuss the specifics of your event, and I can tell you exactly how early I’ll need to arrive.

Yes, I own all of my equipment, and it is never loaned or rented out to anyone else.  In fact, I bring extras of almost everything — so in the very unlikely event of an equipment problem, I can swap it out with little or no noticeable impact.

Yes, I have business liability coverage and proof of coverage is available upon request.

Even if you hire someone else, please make sure they are insured! Hiring an uninsured DJ can put you at serious risk. See my blog post: “Why You Should Never Hire an Uninsured DJ.“

If you’re considering me for Wedding DJ services, fill out the brief form on my Wedding DJ page, and include your question there. I’ll respond within 48 hours (usually MUCH sooner) with availability, pricing and answers to your questions! Or we can schedule a free, no-obligation video call, phone call or in-person meeting to discuss your questions in real-time.

If you have questions about voiceover services or something else non-wedding-related, check my contact page.