When couples think about wedding entertainment, they usually mean a band or DJ to provide music for dancing at the reception. While this is certainly a key element of your wedding day, there are numerous other types of wedding entertainment ideas you could consider to amuse your guests.
Whether you book a magician to keep the children occupied, or an expert cocktail waiter to liven up your drinks reception, thinking up unusual entertainment for your guests is an up and coming wedding trend.
Match your wedding entertainment to your wedding style
Look at the theme and feel of your wedding when you are booking wedding entertainment. If you are having an informal summer wedding, you might consider a bouncy castle or similar light-hearted fun. For a vintage themed wedding, why not book some old fashioned fairground rides such as a musical carousel. A cheese and wine expert to advise your guests on their post dinner nibbles could be more suitable for an elegant evening event, or if your wedding has an arty theme, hire a caricaturist to draw your guests.
You don’t necessarily have to hire a professional entertainer to amuse your guests. Anything that provides a talking point and prevents your guests from getting bored can be classed as wedding entertainment.
Perhaps a series of photos taken of the couple and their families and friends in the run up to the wedding, including tame photos of the hen and stag parties, could be projected onto a blank wall at the reception or displayed using a digital photo frame.
You can even make your wedding breakfast entertaining by having something unusual for your guests to talk about such as themed food stations, or by serving sociable food such as tapas or chocolate fondue.
Wedding music
Music will play a key role in your wedding entertainment, as it can set the whole mood and atmosphere of your reception. Don’t restrict yourself to music for dancing after the dinner; try to have music playing during your drinks reception and dinner as well. If your budget will run to DJs or live bands to play for the whole day, this can add a real energy to your wedding day, but equally you can compile your own play list for the earlier part of the reception using an MP3 player and software to regulate the volume.
Consider the mood you want to create for each period of your wedding day, and choose a style of music to suit this. Perhaps upbeat swing music could be perfect for your drinks reception, replaced by instrumental jazz for your dinner, and funky soul for after dinner? If you have a themed wedding, your music should reflect, or at least complement that theme.
A live band may be an expensive option, but it will certainly provide entertainment at your wedding. Latin American or tribute bands are key wedding trends, and a good band can engage with your guests to get them up and dancing. DJs are usually cheaper, but can provide just as much entertainment, and are often more versatile, having a greater repertoire of tunes and being able to respond more quickly to the mood of your wedding guests.
