One DJ for ceremony AND reception, or separate?

$400 vs $800 with the same DJ vs separate musicians. Real considerations:

DJ for both:

• One vendor, one timeline, one PA system. Simpler logistics.
• Recorded music for ceremony works fine if your DJ has a clean ceremony playlist (processional, recessional, prelude).
• You save $400 and get one fewer vendor to manage.

String trio:

• Aesthetic difference is real if the ceremony is the formal anchor of the day. Live strings reads differently than a Spotify playlist over speakers.
• Setup/teardown is on them. Their PA is theirs. No risk of feedback when DJ switches modes.
• $800 is the going rate; some areas it's $1,200+.

The practical question: what does your venue look like for the ceremony? Garden / barn / cathedral — strings make sense. Modern industrial space — DJ playlist works fine. The "vibe" should match the venue, not just be added on for show.

My take: if your DJ is competent and the venue isn't pushing you toward live music, the $400 option gets the job done. The $800 string trio is a "we wanted this" purchase, not a "we needed this" one.