Wedding DJs in Omaha, Lincoln, Madison & Milwaukee
Don’t book a wedding DJ.
Book a nightclub DJ that does weddings well.
What do we mean by that? Find out below, along with some other wedding industry secrets that can make or break your reception.
Schedule your 30-min call now →
Award-winning DJs | 130+ 5-star reviews | Named to The Knot’s Hall of Fame
Don’t wanna wait? Our founder shares it all in this video.
Alternative Wedding DJs is a nightclub-style wedding DJ company serving Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska and Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 130+ five-star reviews across The Knot, WeddingWire, and Zola, including Hall of Fame status on The Knot, Couples’ Choice Awards on WeddingWire, and Best of on Zola. Our DJs come from nightclubs, festivals, and hotel lounges. They mix live, read the room, and don’t hog the mic. Below: meet our DJs, hear live wedding mixes, and check your date.
10 Years in Business // 130+ 5-Star Reviews // Hall of Fame on The Knot // Couples’ Choice Awards on WeddingWire // Best of on Zola
“This was not your "hit play for the cha cha slide and sit back" type of DJ or night. They were having FUN while actually DJ'ing and mixing songs for us based off the playlist and the crowd.” Brad Welch on Google
“Finding Alternative Wedding DJs was one of those serendipitous moments and I knew it was meant to be. From the website being transparent (let’s be real, a lot of vendors hide details and waste your time, but these guys don’t), to hearing samples I knew this was going to be the best decision for my wedding.” Mia from Wedding Wire
Do any of these sound like you?
You've sat at a wedding watching guest engagement drop and an empty dance floor and swore yours would never do that
You just wanna throw a really fun party, and there's no way you're letting a cheesy DJ blow it in front of all your people
You're passionate about your do-not-play list, and care more about the music than the cold sparks
On more than one occasion, you thought, “I wish this DJ would stop being a mic hog so I can talk to my friends”
You're blending cultures or generations (grandma's Yacht Rock oldies, cousin's Reggaeton, the Bollywood set for the aunties) and you need a DJ who can move between them without clearing the floor
You once typed “non-traditional” or "not lame wedding DJ" into Google (some of our couples literally found us this way 🤯)
If you nodded yes to a few, hi. 👋
We built this whole thing for you …
What do traditional wedding DJs get wrong?
Our industry has a little secret many don’t talk about.
The Knot suggested we don’t share this next part with you for fear it would make us look negative. But you’re spending a lot on your wedding, and you’re only doing it once, so let’s spill some industry tea …
Most wedding DJs don’t know how to DJ. What do we mean?
There! We said it 😂.
They don’t know how to mix, so there’s uncomfortable fades between songs where you’re standing around waiting for the next one to start (awkward 😬)
They play the same lame stuff, falling back on corny games or crutch songs to force a floor: Cha Cha Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Chicken Dance, YMCA (cheesy 🥱)
To cover the dead air, they talk on the mic unnecessarily or use that “WELCOME LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!” sportscaster voice (cringe 😑)
What’s the alternative to a wedding DJ?
A nightclub DJ that does weddings, private, and corporate events well. That’s us.
Here’s our non-traditional and award-winning formula for how we run your event differently:
We use our nightclub-trained skills to seamlessly mix songs together (you get non-stop music & dancing 💃🏻)
Use the mic at appropriate times to help your event move along (anti-annoying & your guests get authenticity 🤗)
Read the room, skip the Chicken-Dance-and-Cotton-Eye-Joe vibes (unless you request it), weave in songs you dance to in your kitchen, and at just the right volume (you'll love the music 🥰)
Blend across genres, cultures, and generations into one seamless experience. We have bilingual DJs, country DJs, hipster DJs, and everything in between (increased guest engagement 🥳)
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Your wedding should be a movie soundtrack of who you are. It should sound like the two of you. Your first apartment playlist, the song from your first dance in a kitchen, the stuff your friends lose it to. Not a template the DJ recycles every Saturday.
We found a method that works, and we’ll share our secret with ya:
We incorporate a playlist that you make, which covers what you love and what you know your friends and family will love.
We blend it with songs we know work at most weddings, so the dance floor fills early and stays full.
In the first half, we play multi-generational music to pull older guests onto the floor.
The last half, we increase the intensity (harder, faster, newer — sometimes naughtier, depending on the couple 😂) with music that’ll get your friends running from the bar to the floor.
Meanwhile, we watch the room respond to what we’re doing and adjust on the fly (that's the nightclub-trained part).
What do people say about Alternative Wedding DJs?
Over 130 reviews, all of them are 5-stars. The Knot placed us on their Hall of Fame list. Zola has given us its “Best of” award three years running, and WeddingWire has given us its “Couples Choice Awards’” for four years.
So our formula and approach are working. Here’s a sample of reviews to easy any fears or questions you have …
Worried we can’t blend your multicultural family? →
Cecilia on WeddingWire: "combined my new husband's Latin side with all the best hits to keep everyone on the dance floor all night."
Worried nobody will dance? →
Greg D on The Knot: “My friends (some of whom are music snobs) won’t stop raving about how much fun our dance was!”
Alex J on The Knot: "read the crowd to keep all generations dancing."
Abbie V on The Knot: "So many people came up afterwards talking … about how much fun they had breaking it down."
Worried the DJ will be cheesy and hog the mic? →
Daniel Muller on Zola: (they) "keep the party going without being on the mic the whole time."
Briana on the Knot, WeddingWire, Zola: "his amazing MC voice… set the tone for the night"
Anne M on The Knot: "He had an appropriate amount of interaction, making announcements as needed."
Worried we can't handle your mix? →
Hilary W on The Knot: “represents us as a couple”
Mia on Wedding Wire: “worked secretly with my family to coordinate a surprise flashmob from my favorite movie and handled requests as if they had the ability to read my mind (yes, Rasputin Just Dance choreography came out).”
Becca on Wedding Wire: “allowed us a lot of creative control … Booking them was one of our best decisions. We wish we could live in that day over and over again.”
What does a nightclub-trained wedding DJ mix sound like?
Abi & Troy on Zola said, “They played every song we requested in a fun, creative way that blended with other songs. The party literally never ended until they kicked us out.”
Connor G on The Knot said, “They seamlessly transitioned from typical favorites to appeal to the older guests early on but really threw it into next level territory later on in the night.”
Cecilia G said on Wedding Wire that we “perfectly combined my husband’s Latin side with all the hits to keep everyone on the dance floor.”
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In nightclub DJ culture, we’re taught to do what we call “beat matching.” It means seamlessly blending one song into another, so that the dancefloor never has to stop.
We also view it as an art, so we creatively challenge ourselves to mix across genres, geographies, and generations to create mixes you’ve never heard, or to hear familiar songs in ways you’ve never experienced them.
Sample this live mix:
You can sample this mix below and clips from actual weddings we’ve DJ’ed. ou can listen to more live mixes here.
This is roughly what your dance floor will sound like. Every wedding's different, so don't take it literally, but press play and you'll get the feel: songs blending into each other, no dead air, no train-wreck transitions. All leading to more fun and better guest engagement.
What credentials does the team at Alternative Wedding DJs have?
DJ Crabrangucci has won four “Best DJ“ awards from the OEAA’s.
Apart from our wedding awards, our individual DJs have received their own awards, produced their own festivals, or owned and operated nightclubs.
Those accolades and hard-earned lessons bring authenticity and a deep skill level that make your event more fun.
Becca H on The Knot said, "Never in my wildest dreams did I think we'd find someone as talented or creative in our small city."
Our DJs …
Win awards
Four of our DJs have won “Best DJ” from the Omaha Entertainment & Arts Awards’ and our newest addition won “Charlotte's Favorite Club DJ” from 2017-2020 (so the person reading your floor has done it at a level that’s been judged 🏆).
Produce festivals
Like Lincoln Calling in Nebraska & MULA's Cinco Block Party in Omaha (so a packed 250-person room doesn't rattle us 🎉).
Owned and operated nightclubs
Like House of Loom in Omaha & Roxxy in Madison (so we know how to take a room from empty to sweaty, because we did it every weekend for years 🕺).
Get a vibe check for who’ll be DJing your wedding …
How much does a wedding DJ cost? Our pricing
Most wedding DJs hide their prices behind "request a quote" forms (lame!). You don’t have time for that. So here's what AWDJ costs:
Nebraska: A reception package can cost between $1,500 and $2,000, with most couples spending $2,000. Ceremony sound is $430. Find out what’s specifically in these packages.
Wisconsin: The reception package costs $1,700, and the ceremony sound is $300. Find out what’s specifically in these packages.
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Every package includes two full-range speakers, a subwoofer, a wireless microphone, and dancefloor lighting. Custom playlists, our custom wedding planner/guides, and logistics meeting.
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Yes! We have variety of things from a live saxophonist, cold sparks, and speciality lighting beyond what’s already included in our packages.
Ready? Let's check your date.
[ Book your 30-min call → ] Peak Saturdays book 9 to 12 months out, and each DJ only plays one wedding a day. So if your date matters, grab it now.
No pressure, and no obligation. The call's free and useful even if we're not your DJ. Worst case, you’ll walk away with our best tips for how to make your reception more enjoyable. We're absolutely happy to be a sounding board while you shop around. 🤝
Prefer to type it out first? Message us instead.
“We had multiple people tell us how much they loved the music he was playing.”
“We are still getting compliments on how awesome the music was. I no joke still have songs stuck in my head two weeks later.”
“I still have people telling me it was the BEST wedding reception they had ever attended.”
Wedding DJ FAQs — Nebraska and Wisconsin
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Nebraska packages start at $1,500 (Friend of the Budget), $1,700 (Rising Stars), or $2,000 (Deluxe Vibes, where you pick your DJ by name).
Wisconsin is $1,700. Ceremony sound is an extra $430 in Nebraska, $300 in Wisconsin.
Every package includes two full-range speakers, a subwoofer, a wireless microphone, and dancefloor lighting.
Travel outside our home areas is $1.50 per mile round trip. We quote travel in writing before you book so nothing is a surprise.
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We're a team, not a solo operator. If something happens to the DJ matched to your wedding (illness, family emergency, transportation issue) we pull from our roster of nightclub-trained DJs who can step in.
You won't end up with a stranger we found on a Facebook group at the last minute. Every DJ on our team has been vetted, played our nightclubs, and held their own on a 200-person dance floor. The contingency plan is already built in.
The good news is that in 9+ years of doing this, we’ve only had to dig into the contingency plan twice. Once when a flight got delayed due to weather (new rule: no flying the day before an event), and the other (with plenty of notice) when a DJ moved out of the country.
We even had a DJ setting up one time and the venue manager accidentally knocked their computer onto the floor and killed it. Our DJ called a friend to drop off a backup computer, and he ended the night getting a $200 tip, lol.
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Nebraska: Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs, Bellevue, and around. Wisconsin: Madison, Milwaukee, Waukesha, Oconomowoc, and the corridor between them. Outside those areas, ask us. We travel for the right event.
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Our DJs come from nightclubs and festivals, not the wedding-DJ world. They mix live. They read the room. They stay off the mic unless they actually need to be on it. DJ Crabrangucci has won Best DJ four times at the Omaha Entertainment Awards. DJ Choko plays Forward Madison FC home games. Julian Gross plays Saint Kate Arts Hotel in Milwaukee. That kind of experience is what you're actually hiring when you book AWDJ. 130+ five-star reviews and Hall of Fame status on The Knot and WeddingWire back it up.
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We're not a "genre" DJ. Our roster spans hip-hop, house, disco, indie, pop, throwbacks, Latin, R&B, country, and the deep cuts your friends will lose it to.
Most weddings we play are multi-generational, so the night starts wider (songs that get older guests on the floor early) and gets harder and faster as the night gets younger.
You give us your must-plays. We blend them with songs we know work. We watch the room and adjust on the fly. That's the nightclub-trained part.
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No. This is the top complaint couples bring us about other wedding DJs. Our DJs make the announcements that need to happen (grand entrance, first dance, cake cutting, dismissing tables, last call) and otherwise stay out of the way. We're directional, not performative. If you want more mic engagement than that, tell your DJ and they'll adjust. Most of our couples want less mic, not more.
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Yes, and we recommend it. About 80% of couples send one over. Most common offenders: country music, YMCA, Chicken Dance, Cupid Shuffle, and whatever mainstream pop artist people are currently sick of. Send your do-not-play list with your must-play list. We treat both as instructions.
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Yes. About 15-20% of our bookings each year are corporate events, private parties, holiday parties, milestone birthdays, and anniversaries. Same DJs, same equipment, same nightclub-trained approach, just adjusted for the room.
Pricing for non-wedding events varies based on hours, location, and setup requirements. Reach out with your event details and we'll send a quote within two business days.
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Yes, always. We've had the honor of DJing many LGBTQIA+ weddings and it's some of our favorite work.
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Totally your call! We're here to help you have a great time in whatever way that counts. Some couples want zero Cha Cha Slide and zero "everybody who's single get out here." Others want a couple of crowd-pleasers and a fun moment or two. We're great either way. What we won't do is force games to manufacture a dance floor because we couldn't fill it with music. Want the participation stuff? We'll do it well. Want none of it? It never happens.
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Nope! Luckily nightclub-trained doesn't mean ear-splitting. Reading the room means reading the volume too — it's common to see us walk the dance floor mid-action to feel how it's landing. And don't get shy about letting us know if it's ever too loud.
See our full list of FAQ’s
Want our full reception timeline that helps avoid guest fatigue?
We’ve heard the whispers from guests before, “Boy, this is a long wedding.” We’ll tell you how to space the reception so your guests leave wanting more.
How to book your wedding DJ
We already know you’re exhausted from the infighting over the table centerpieces. We’ll make booking your DJ the easy part. Here's how it works:
Send us your event details through the contact form, or grab a spot on our meeting calendar.
We'll have a 30-minute discovery meeting — phone or video, your pick. We'll talk about your music taste, your venue, your guests, and answer any questions you have.
Afterwards, we send a meeting summary, info on which specific DJs are available, and a contract and deposit link if you wanna move forward.
After signing, we’ll connect you to your DJ or planner. Closer to the wedding, you'll meet with your specific DJ to walk through your day-of schedule and music preferences.
Go ahead and book a call. It’s free. No obligations. And the worst-case scenario is that you’ll get some of our best tips.
We're happy to be your sounding board while you shop around. 🤝
So that’s our pitch. Ready to do this?