Help

Thank you kindly to everyone who has given me ideas!

I would honestly grab a friend with a laptop and hook up a few speakers to it and I'm sure it will be good!! As others have said some little computer speakers these days can pack a punch!! And it's not like you need it SUPER LOUD, just loud enough to be heard across the room and I'm sure a simple speaker is more than fine!
I know how you feel... dealing with some hooking fees myself and the prices are just like.... come on.... even my venue wants to charge $800 for pin lighting like no. I'm not paying almost a grand so you can turn on 20 lightbulbs thanks. No thanks.

Nowadays, even the super small portable bluetooth speakers have crazy good quality (my fiance uses one at home and it is loud enough to hear through the whole apartment). If it's just one song, I'd make sure it's on a phone or iPod and have a designated person to have the speaker ready to play it.

Unless you're in some crazy huge space, it should work fine for a ceremony.

You could rent some equipment from Long & McQuade. and ask a friend/family member to be in charge or hitting play (and taking the equipment down).

I would check with your venue if there is a fee for bringing in your own equipment.

Generally venues have a "plug in fee" for any sort of equipment, whether it is a DJ or you are bringing in your own. Is it just for your first dance? Maybe you could just bring a small speaker and make that a moment for the two of you elsewhere so the song will be better heard?

Any chance you would be able to bring in your own speakers? Did they just give you that price or did you try and negotiate? I know that it's probably that expensive because they still have to pay their employees to set up and take down so maybe you could offer to do that yourself?