Wedding Entertainment Costs in Australia: What Should You Budget?

A sensible starting budget for wedding entertainment in Australia is around $2,000 to $3,500, covering music plus one interactive extra such as a photo booth or audio guestbook. That range is built from the national averages below; a DJ-only wedding can come in well under it, and a live band with ceremony musicians and roving acts can sit well above.

This guide pulls together published Australian figures for each type of entertainment, with links to every source, then shows what actually moves the price. Where we could not find a reliable published number, we explain the cost drivers instead of guessing.

The big picture: what Australians spend

The Easy Weddings 11th Annual Australian Wedding Industry Report, as reported by Forbes Australia, puts the average Australian wedding at $38,252 in 2026, with Victoria averaging $39,502. Within that, the report lists:

• Music: $2,142 on average
• Photo booths: $1,038 on average
• Videography: $3,125 on average

Music works out to a little under 6% of the national average total. If you want the full picture across venue, catering and every other category, read our breakdown of the average wedding cost in Australia.

Averages hide a wide spread, so the sections below give typical starting prices by type.

Wedding entertainment budget table

Entertainment	Published Australian figure	Source	Ghost Booth Events
Music overall (DJ or band)	$2,142 average	Easy Weddings 2026 via Forbes Australia	Not offered
Wedding music overall	$1,500 to $2,500 typical spend	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
DJ	From $700	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
DJ (marketplace listings)	$160 to $1,950+, average $650	Gig Heaven	Not offered
Live band	From $2,000	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
Wedding bands, duos to full bands (marketplace listings)	$320 to $4,850+, average $1,450	Gig Heaven	Not offered
Solo musician / duo	From $500 / from $800	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
String quartet	From $1,200	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
Ceremony-only musician	$300 to $700	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
Roving magician (wedding)	$500 to $1,000	Bark Australia	Not offered
Non-music entertainment (magicians, dancers)	Around $1,500 extra on average	Bridebook Australia	Not offered
Photo booth	$1,038 average	Easy Weddings 2026 via Forbes Australia	From $850 + GST; most packages $850 to $1,500 + GST
Audio guestbook	No reliable published average found	See cost drivers below	From $350
Retro video guest book	No reliable published average found	See cost drivers below	From $350
MC	No reliable published average found	See cost drivers below	Not offered

A note on the two DJ and band rows: Bridebook’s figures are typical starting prices for wedding bookings, while Gig Heaven’s are averages across performer listings on its marketplace, including shorter and smaller bookings. Read them as a floor and a cross-check, not a quote.

Music: DJ, band or both

DJ

A DJ is usually the most cost-effective way to fill a dance floor. Bridebook Australia puts DJ costs from $700, and listings on Gig Heaven run from about $160 for an evening-only booking to $1,950+ for full-day coverage with extra equipment. Many DJs also handle MC duties and speech microphones, which can save a separate booking. Ask exactly what is included.

Live band

A band costs more because you are paying several musicians, plus their equipment and travel. Bridebook puts bands from $2,000. Band size is the biggest single factor, so a duo and a six-piece party band are not comparable quotes.

Ceremony music

Ceremony music is short, which keeps it cheaper. Bridebook says a musician for the ceremony alone typically costs $300 to $700, with harpists and bagpipers toward the higher end, and string quartets from $1,200.

Roving and interactive entertainment

Roving magicians and other acts

Roving acts fill cocktail hour and the gaps between courses. Bark Australia lists wedding magicians at $500 to $1,000 and Melbourne magicians generally at $450 to $2,300+, and notes rates can rise by up to 20% in the December to March peak. Gig Heaven lists strolling magicians at $210 to $2,050+, averaging $700. Bridebook estimates non-music entertainment such as magicians or dancers adds around $1,500 on average.

Photo booth

The Easy Weddings 2026 report puts the average photo booth spend at $1,038. Ghost Booth Events photo booth hire starts from $850 + GST for weddings and private events, and most Melbourne packages sit between $850 and $1,500 + GST depending on hours, attended versus remote service and add-ons. Every package includes setup, unlimited sessions and prints, a custom print design, a choice of backdrop and an online gallery within 24 hours. For a full price breakdown, see our Melbourne photo booth pricing guide.

Our open-air booth needs roughly 2 m by 2 m including the backdrop.

Audio and video guestbooks

We could not find a reliable published Australian average for audio or video guestbook hire, so here is what drives the price instead: whether the greeting is personalised, whether signage is included, how the recordings are delivered, and whether delivery and collection are bundled with other services. Ghost Booth Events audio guestbook hire starts from $350, including the phone in your chosen colour, a personalised greeting, signage and an online gallery. Our retro video guest book also starts from $350. Both are discounted when bundled with a photo booth.

MC

We did not find a reliable independent source for professional MC fees, so we have not quoted one. What drives the cost: whether the MC is a friend or a professional, whether MC duties come bundled with your DJ or celebrant, how long they are on, and how much scripting and run sheet coordination they take on. Many couples ask a confident friend; if you do, give them our wedding run sheet and wedding speech order guides.

Sample entertainment budgets

These are illustrations built from the published starting prices above. They are floors, not quotes; your real numbers depend on the factors in the next section.

Budget style	What it includes	Rough starting total
Lean	DJ (from $700) + audio guestbook (from $350)	From about $1,050
Classic	Music at the national average ($2,142) + photo booth (from $850 + GST) + audio guestbook (from $350)	From about $3,350, plus GST on the booth
Full party	Band (from $2,000) + ceremony musician ($300 to $700) + roving magician ($500 to $1,000) + photo booth (from $850 + GST) + audio guestbook (from $350)	From about $4,000 to $4,900, plus GST on the booth

A booth set up beside the dining tables so guests can drift over between courses.

What moves the price

Hours

The longer someone is on site, the more you pay. For DJs and bands, extra hours and overtime are usually billed separately, so agree the finish time before you sign. For photo booths, most Melbourne weddings book four to five hours, covering the end of cocktail hour, dinner and the post-first-dance peak. If your ceremony and reception are at the same venue, we can set up early and pause until guests arrive. Our guide on how long to hire a photo booth goes deeper.

Date and season

Saturdays and peak months cost more. Bridebook notes that summer months and weekends are pricier, and Bark says magician rates can rise by up to 20% between December and March. A Friday, Sunday or winter wedding in Melbourne is often the easiest way to stretch an entertainment budget.

Number of performers

A solo acoustic act and a six-piece band are completely different line items. Every extra musician adds a fee, equipment and travel.

Travel and venue access

Expect extra fees for venues outside a supplier’s usual area. For our photo booths, travel, parking and any venue access fees are quoted per event and itemised on your quote. Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and regional Victorian weddings are common examples where travel is a separate line.

Attended versus self-run

An attended photo booth includes a trained attendant for the full hire to run the booth and the queue, and is what we recommend for weddings over 150 guests. A remote package uses the same booth, lighting and unlimited prints, monitored remotely every 20 to 30 minutes, and suits smaller weddings. See attended vs remote photo booths for the trade-offs.

Extras and add-ons

Lighting packages, smoke or confetti machines, speech microphones, custom backdrops and extra sets all add up. Bridebook lists lighting, effects machines and microphones as common extras. Ask for an itemised quote so you can drop what you do not need.

Bundling

Booking several services from one supplier usually saves money and setup time. Our audio guestbook, retro video guest book, guestbooks and content creation are all discounted when bundled with a photo booth, and the phones travel in the same delivery as the booth.

GST

Check whether each quote includes GST. Our photo booth prices are quoted + GST. Some published ranges, such as Bark’s magician figures, are stated including GST, so compare like with like.

Where to spend and where to save

• Spend on the dance floor if your crowd dances. A great DJ or band shapes the whole night.
• Spend on keepsakes if your crowd talks. An audio guestbook at $350 can outlast every other entertainment line item, because you replay it for years.
• Save on ceremony music by booking a solo musician for 30 minutes rather than a quartet for two hours.
• Save on roving acts if you already have a photo booth, which entertains guests during the same cocktail-hour gap.

If you are comparing booth suppliers, our Melbourne photo booth pricing guide explains what to look for in a quote. When you are ready, send your date, venue and guest count through our enquiry form and we will send an itemised quote within 24 hours.

Wedding entertainment cost questions