Here's the thing about wedding entertainment. Guests don't need to be entertained every minute. They're happy chatting, eating, drinking and watching you two look happy. What they don't enjoy is waiting with nothing to do, and a wedding day has more waiting in it than people expect.
So the trick is to find the quiet spots and plan for those. Here's how we'd do it, part by part.
Spot the waits
Get your running order out and look for the gaps. Most weddings have the same ones:
- Guests arriving for the ceremony and waiting to be seated
- The drinks reception while you're having photos
- Between courses at the wedding breakfast
- The early evening, after the speeches and before the first dance
- Later on, for anyone who doesn't dance
During the drinks reception
The biggest gap, and the one where guests are most likely to be standing next to people they don't know. Something that moves around and gets people talking is ideal.
We'd always say a close-up magician here. Full disclosure, we run Magician For Hire, so we would say that. But it works because it's personal. The magician comes to each little group, does a few minutes of something they can't explain, and moves on, leaving them talking about it. If you'd rather book someone you can look up directly, Lewis Joss and Jamie Docherty are both Members of The Magic Circle.
Lawn games and live acoustic music are good too, especially together. Our drinks reception ideas post has more.
At the tables
The meal is usually fine on its own, but the gaps between courses can be long, particularly with a big guest list. A magician going table to table keeps things ticking over. Table quizzes about the two of you are a nice touch and cost almost nothing. Disposable cameras have had a bit of a revival as well.
Mix the tables a bit. Putting the quieter cousins with the friends who'll draw them out does more for the atmosphere than any act.
The early evening slump
This is the hour we'd worry about most. Day guests have been going since lunchtime and need a second wind. Evening guests are arriving and don't know where to stand. Meanwhile the room's being turned around and the band is setting up.
A short show pulls both groups together in one place. Jay & Joss, the illusionist double act from Britain's Got Talent, do exactly this kind of slot. Afterwards, go straight into the cake and first dance while the energy's up.
For guests who don't dance
There's always a group who'd rather do anything than dance. Give them something. A fun casino from UK Casino Hire is brilliant for this, with croupiers teaching blackjack and roulette to people who've never played, and fun money so nobody loses anything. A photo booth or magic mirror from UK Photo Booth Hire is another easy win, and guests take a print home.
Both keep people in the room rather than drifting off to the bar or, worse, home.
Children and older guests
Children need their own plan, especially for the speeches. A children's entertainer from Party Magicians in a side room means parents can actually listen. We've written a whole post on ideas for kids at weddings.
Older guests mainly want a seat, somewhere a bit quieter than the dance floor, and to be able to hear. If the band is loud, a separate lounge area with comfy chairs is a kindness. Close-up magic goes down well with them too, because it comes to them.
Don't overdo it
More isn't better. Three acts competing for attention at once just feels busy. Pick one thing for each gap, give each act a clear slot, and leave room for people to simply chat. For a sense of how the whole day fits together, see our wedding entertainment ideas and the sample wedding timeline.