The Best and the Worst Wedding DJ Upgrades — How to Elevate Your Experience Wisely

I'm a Calgary wedding DJ with 14+ years of experience. When it comes to upgrades, extras, and special effects, I'd like to share what I've learned: what's worth it, and what's a waste of money.

Some upgrades really do elevate your experience. Others just drain your budget, clutter the room, or make your photos worse.

Here’s my honest breakdown of the best and worst DJ-related upgrades — so you can focus on what truly enhances your day, and save your money for what matters.

So much fun at this Sirocco Golf Club wedding. When the couple, the guests, and the DJ all bring the vibes, it's a guarantee that the night will be awesome – with or without upgrades. Photo: Worn Leather Media.

Section 1 – Highly Recommended

These upgrades genuinely enhance how your wedding feels — sound, lighting, and vibe. They’re not essential, but they can really take the mood to the next level.

🎵 Bass Boost Subwoofer

Nothing transforms a dance floor faster than great sound. A clean, full low-end makes guests feel the music — not just hear it. It’s the difference between “this is fun” and “this is electric.” Especially worth it for larger rooms, bigger guest counts, or anywhere you want the music to hit with warmth and depth. If you're audiophiles / big dancers, it's the best thing you could add to your package. Think of it like this: would you rather watch a movie at your house, or at a movie theatre? At the theatre, you can feel that bass in your bones, and that's why the experience is so immersive and compelling.

💡 Elegant Wireless Uplighting

Lighting sets the entire mood of a space — and uplighting is the classiest way to do it. Warm amber during dinner, soft color changes during dancing — it adds life, depth, and beautiful photo backdrops while not taking up any valuable space. This greatly depends on the venue's existing decor: if it has beautiful white walls like Archway Manor or Flores & Pine, the uplighting looks amazing. At Fortuna's Row or Orchard, with their distinct ambiance, uplighting could clash.

🎷 Live Musician

DJ + live musician (like sax, violin, or guitar) is the perfect blend of energy and elegance. Live elements make moments feel unique — a sax weaving through your favorite tracks or a violin serenade during cocktails adds a layer of emotion that recorded music can’t.

📸 Premium Photo Booth

A fun, elegant addition that guests actually use. Photo booths give you extra memories and keep guests entertained during cocktail hour or between dance breaks. Our open-air setup with pro lighting and instant sharing feels modern and high-end. As a guest and a DJ of so many weddings, I always love to see a photo booth at the function.

We're so happy to be offering our very own premium photo booth services!

🎥 Videography (Bonus: Not a DJ Upgrade, But a Smart Add-On)

Videography isn’t usually considered a “DJ upgrade,” but we aren't your standard DJ company. We have a deep appreciation for film, so much so that we now offer professional videography as an upgrade or standalone service. Cinematic highlight films and full-day edits capture all the energy we help create — from the dance floor to the vows. When your DJ and videographer work together seamlessly, your footage can look way better.

Honoruable Mentions

Cryo-Blaster: Shooting a jet of CO₂ into the air for entrances or peak dance-floor moments when the beat drops — it’s super fun, super extra, and honestly, it’s epic. That said, it’s definitely not for everyone. If your crowd loves energy and surprises, this one hits hard. We offer the cryo-blasters as an upgrade, and can show you and your appointed blasters (best man, bridesmaid?) how to operate them. They're actually super easy to use. The canister is big and heavy, but that's why you hire a super strong wedding DJ to take care of all that for you : D Custom Monogram: A clean, subtle way to personalize your space — initials, date, or logo projected onto a wall or dance floor.

We’ll work with you to finalize the design, our supplier will create the custom GOBO template, and our team will handle setup on the day of your wedding. Lightup LED Dance Floor: These can be pretty fun if you like the look. They’re rather expensive, and can be tricky to maintain. They rent for $2000-$4000 in Calgary. If you'd like one at your wedding, we can certainly organize that for you.

Section 2 – Overrated or Outdated

In my humble (expert) opinion, feel free to disagree.

Cheap Disco Lights or Laser Effects

Usually, less is more. Tacky rainbow beams, polka dot patterns, strobe lights and lasers don’t belong at weddings — they clash with décor, overwhelm the photographer’s camera, and make guests feel like they’re at a high-school dance. Good lighting should feel intentional and flattering, not chaotic. But if you actually want to make your wedding feel like a rave, that's a different story entirely, and we can certainly help you do that.

Cold Sparks

They look impressive in videos — but they can be finnicky, and can set off alarms. They’re considered pyrotechnics by the City of Calgary, and are often banned by indoor venues. The “spark moment” lasts about five seconds. I would spend that money elsewhere personally. That said, you can certainly book cold sparks with us if you really love them. We work with a dedicated, licensed team of experts who handle pyrotechnics.

Fog or Haze Machines

If you love this "floating on a cloud" look, that's totally cool. It's not objectively bad, I just personally have never been a fan. The machines are high maintenance, expensive, and require careful supervision, or else it could be dangerous. Our uplighting is low maintenance, high impact, and lasts all day, not just a few moments.

Section 3 – The Smart Upgrade Strategy

You don’t need every upgrade — just the ones that match your venue and vibe.

• Smaller or bright venues: focus on sound quality (subwoofer) & live musicians, since lighting has less impact in daylight.

• Venues with clean walls (blank canvas): uplighting will shine.

• Cocktail-focused weddings: a live musician can elevate the social flow beautifully.

• Larger guest counts: subwoofer is a must, photo booth adds interaction and a source of memories.

Pricing Overview our DJ Upgrades

If you’re wondering what these cost, here’s a quick reference based on our current 2025 pricing:

• Bass Boost Subwoofer: starts from $300

• Elegant Wireless Uplighting: starts from $500

• Live Musician Add-On: starts from $300

• Premium Photo Booth: starts from $1,200

• Cinematic Videography: starts from $1,600

➡️ For full details and current seasonal rates, visit our Packages & Upgrades page.