NYC Event Price Index: what event vendors charge
The median starting price New York area event vendors publish for a whole event is $3,000 for photographers, $2,000 for DJs, $5,000 for florists, $3,000 for planners and coordinators, $600 for photo booths, $2,480 for videographers, $800 for caterers, $280 for cakes and desserts, $900 for hair and makeup and $4,600 for live bands (582 vendors' own published prices, November 2026).
Last updated 2026-11-13. Based on 582 vendors that publish a starting price for a whole event on their own websites.
Starting prices that New York area event vendors publish on their own websites, for a whole event, from the vendors in this index. These are advertised starting prices, not quotes: the final price depends on the date, hours, guests and extras. We show a figure only when at least 8 vendors publish one. Half of the vendors start between the low and high quartile.
By category
| Category | Vendors | Low quartile | Median | High quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographers | 313 | $1,800 | $3,000 | $5,000 |
| Caterers | 22 | $270 | $800 | $1,980 |
| Florists | 39 | $1,950 | $5,000 | $8,000 |
| Planners and coordinators | 33 | $2,000 | $3,000 | $6,620 |
| DJs | 74 | $1,200 | $2,000 | $2,600 |
| Videographers | 26 | $1,450 | $2,480 | $5,000 |
| Hair and makeup | 16 | $510 | $900 | $1,490 |
| Cakes and desserts | 19 | $200 | $280 | $520 |
| Live bands | 10 | $1,740 | $4,600 | $11,250 |
| Photo booths | 30 | $450 | $600 | $820 |
By area
| Category | Area | Vendors | Low quartile | Median | High quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographers | Manhattan | 170 | $2,280 | $3,550 | $6,000 |
| Photographers | Brooklyn | 163 | $2,200 | $3,500 | $6,000 |
| Photographers | Queens | 160 | $2,220 | $3,500 | $6,000 |
| Photographers | The Bronx | 153 | $2,500 | $3,650 | $6,000 |
| Photographers | Staten Island | 153 | $2,500 | $3,600 | $6,000 |
| Photographers | Long Island | 109 | $2,100 | $3,500 | $6,000 |
| Photographers | Westchester | 81 | $2,690 | $3,900 | $7,000 |
| Photographers | North Jersey | 196 | $2,050 | $3,500 | $5,220 |
| Photographers | Central Jersey | 191 | $2,420 | $3,500 | $5,450 |
| Caterers | Brooklyn | 9 | $350 | $550 | $3,250 |
| Caterers | North Jersey | 9 | $210 | $700 | $1,270 |
| Caterers | Central Jersey | 9 | $140 | $550 | $1,270 |
| Florists | Manhattan | 20 | $1,510 | $5,000 | $7,000 |
| Florists | Brooklyn | 22 | $1,540 | $5,000 | $7,380 |
| Florists | Queens | 18 | $1,540 | $5,000 | $7,380 |
| Florists | The Bronx | 17 | $1,520 | $5,000 | $7,750 |
| Florists | Staten Island | 16 | $1,510 | $5,000 | $8,120 |
| Florists | Long Island | 13 | $3,500 | $5,000 | $7,500 |
| Florists | North Jersey | 15 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $8,000 |
| Florists | Central Jersey | 16 | $2,310 | $4,500 | $7,750 |
| Planners and coordinators | Manhattan | 19 | $2,400 | $3,000 | $15,000 |
| Planners and coordinators | Brooklyn | 22 | $2,300 | $3,250 | $13,120 |
| Planners and coordinators | Queens | 17 | $2,450 | $3,500 | $15,000 |
| Planners and coordinators | The Bronx | 17 | $2,450 | $3,500 | $15,000 |
| Planners and coordinators | Staten Island | 18 | $2,480 | $3,250 | $15,000 |
| Planners and coordinators | Long Island | 12 | $3,000 | $3,500 | $15,000 |
| Planners and coordinators | Westchester | 10 | $2,880 | $3,500 | $16,250 |
| Planners and coordinators | North Jersey | 19 | $2,400 | $3,000 | $4,500 |
| Planners and coordinators | Central Jersey | 18 | $2,250 | $3,000 | $7,120 |
| DJs | Manhattan | 34 | $1,200 | $2,150 | $3,000 |
| DJs | Brooklyn | 32 | $1,200 | $2,150 | $3,000 |
| DJs | Queens | 32 | $1,200 | $2,050 | $2,900 |
| DJs | The Bronx | 32 | $1,200 | $2,150 | $2,900 |
| DJs | Staten Island | 31 | $1,200 | $2,100 | $3,000 |
| DJs | Long Island | 37 | $1,200 | $2,000 | $2,800 |
| DJs | Westchester | 27 | $1,200 | $2,300 | $3,000 |
| DJs | North Jersey | 57 | $1,280 | $2,000 | $3,000 |
| DJs | Central Jersey | 50 | $1,290 | $2,250 | $3,000 |
| Videographers | Manhattan | 17 | $1,900 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Videographers | Brooklyn | 17 | $2,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 |
| Videographers | Queens | 16 | $2,050 | $3,500 | $5,000 |
| Videographers | The Bronx | 16 | $2,050 | $3,500 | $5,000 |
| Videographers | Staten Island | 16 | $2,050 | $3,500 | $5,000 |
| Videographers | Long Island | 14 | $1,720 | $2,450 | $5,120 |
| Videographers | Westchester | 10 | $1,680 | $2,300 | $3,120 |
| Videographers | North Jersey | 19 | $1,200 | $2,400 | $5,000 |
| Videographers | Central Jersey | 18 | $1,280 | $2,420 | $5,000 |
| Hair and makeup | Manhattan | 13 | $520 | $900 | $1,580 |
| Hair and makeup | Brooklyn | 13 | $600 | $900 | $1,580 |
| Hair and makeup | Queens | 11 | $550 | $900 | $1,700 |
| Hair and makeup | The Bronx | 10 | $540 | $900 | $1,510 |
| Hair and makeup | Staten Island | 10 | $540 | $900 | $1,510 |
| Hair and makeup | North Jersey | 9 | $510 | $900 | $1,480 |
| Hair and makeup | Central Jersey | 9 | $510 | $900 | $1,480 |
| Cakes and desserts | Manhattan | 9 | $180 | $280 | $610 |
| Cakes and desserts | North Jersey | 11 | $150 | $250 | $350 |
| Live bands | Manhattan | 9 | $1,690 | $3,200 | $10,000 |
| Photo booths | Manhattan | 17 | $520 | $600 | $940 |
| Photo booths | Brooklyn | 18 | $490 | $600 | $920 |
| Photo booths | Queens | 18 | $490 | $600 | $920 |
| Photo booths | The Bronx | 18 | $490 | $600 | $920 |
| Photo booths | Staten Island | 17 | $520 | $600 | $940 |
| Photo booths | Long Island | 16 | $560 | $680 | $970 |
| Photo booths | Westchester | 11 | $450 | $700 | $1,000 |
| Photo booths | North Jersey | 23 | $450 | $600 | $900 |
| Photo booths | Central Jersey | 22 | $450 | $680 | $960 |
Per guest and per hour
| Category | Unit | Vendors | Low quartile | Median | High quartile |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Photographers | per hour | 55 | $200 | $380 | $450 |
| Caterers | per guest | 106 | $20 | $40 | $60 |
| Hair and makeup | per person | 40 | $150 | $180 | $280 |
| Cakes and desserts | per serving | 20 | $10 | $10 | $10 |
| Photo booths | per hour | 8 | $100 | $140 | $200 |
Planners we have not re-read yet can still include officiants and ceremony services, whose starting prices are far lower than full wedding planning. Read that row as the range of the category, not the cost of a planner.
For a direct answer by service and area, such as what a wedding DJ costs in NYC, see what vendors cost.
Each category page lists the vendors behind these figures, with the source page and date of every price. How the index works.