As you get closer to your wedding day you really start to think about how the day will flow, and this is when you may discover there are some gaps in the proceedings or the atmosphere you are hoping to create. This is often where entertainment comes in. The following wedding entertainment ideas will help you fill those gaps and solve your last minute planning dilemmas…
Entertaining Guests During the Drinks Reception
The drinks reception is an important part of a wedding day often overlooked. The newlyweds are often whisked away for photographs leaving guests to fend for themselves. On top of this, there may be many guests who don’t know each other so feel a little awkward. Some well placed entertainment at this point will not only keep your guests entertained and help break the ice, but will also set the tone and atmosphere for the rest of the day.
Simple acts such as a walkabout magician or caricaturist can help at this point, or if you are looking for something a little more quirky, how about a living statue, walkabout trees or a lookalike? If budget will allow then a lively jazz band can really lift the mood, ready for the wedding breakfast.
Keeping Children Entertained
There is always the worry that if you are inviting children to your wedding they can overtake some parts of the day, with the ceremony and speeches being the two that are most commonly worried about. There are ways and means of silencing children, some more elaborate than others! The simple solution can be an activity pack with games, puzzles, colouring books etc at their place setting.
If you want to guarantee an attentive audience during the speeches then you could consider some children’s entertainment in a different room during this time. This will also give their parents a break, for which they will be eternally thankful! Entertainment such as circus workshops, balloon modellers, clowns, puppet shows and large outdoor games work well at this point.
Preventing a Flat Atmosphere During the Wedding Breakfast
The wedding breakfast can be a funny one. It’s great because it’ll be your first chance to actually sit down, relax and take stock of your big day. Also, everyone is usually hungry and so grateful of the spread you have laid on for them. The worrying part of the wedding breakfast is the table plan — do you mix everyone up a bit or stick to groups who know each other? What about the people who don’t get on? Where to seat people can be a dilemma, but you can use entertainment to help keep the atmosphere lifted and provide a focus to keep everyone happy and entertained.
A rat pack or swing singer to serenade your guests always works well at this point, or the sultry and soulful sounds of a saxophonist will lift the tone. If you are looking for a more classical feel then how about a harpist to provide the perfect backdrop to proceedings? A string quartet is also a popular option, and they often have large repertoires to suit all musical tastes.
The ‘Turnaround’
This is the gap between the wedding breakfast and the evening reception, and it usually lasts around 45 minutes to one hour. Many couples worry that this is going to be flat and so look into booking entertainment.
In actual fact this is a good point for everyone to relax. If people are staying over at the venue they will often go back to their rooms to freshen up, so may miss any entertainment you have booked anyway. If you do want to book entertainment during this time then a caricaturist is your best bet as they can provide more detailed drawings of the fewer guests that are there.
The Start of the Evening Reception
This is a great point to book entertainment. You may have lots of new guests arriving who haven’t attended the daytime so you’ll want to make them feel part of proceedings as quickly as possible.
You can create a fun and exciting atmosphere with a photo booth or mobile casino to help everyone get into the party spirit. Perhaps a living table to greet guests as they arrive or a fire juggler at the entrance, depending on your venue, would create a real wow factor.
Whatever entertainment you decide to book, don’t forget to try and take some time out to make sure you get to see and enjoy it too.
Guest post by Tracey Warren of Warble Entertainment
Images from…
Activity Book: Lovely Indeed
All Other Images: Warble Entertainment
