Looking for truly unforgettable wedding entertainment? If you want your wedding to be a spectacular event, exceptional wedding entertainment is a must! With couples looking for more inventive ways to entertain their guests during their wedding day, there are plenty of options to choose from these days. From something bespoke and luxurious to interactive games and thrilling activities, discover our comprehensive guide to making your wedding reception more fun and memorable for guests of all ages.
Why is wedding entertainment so important?
Wedding entertainment isn't just a nice extra, it helps bring your wedding day to life, offering interactive fun that keeps guests chatting and laughing, creating picture‑perfect moments you'll treasure in photos, and setting the tone for a truly memorable celebration. With most options starting from around £300, it's wise to secure your key acts early to enjoy the best choice and rates, then revisit this list closer to your wedding to fine‑tune your plans as your budget becomes clear.
Photobooths
Photobooths are an increasingly popular option for weddings and are a must have for many. They provide lighthearted entertainment for guests of all ages and are great for bringing your guests together, as well as providing heartfelt keepsakes from your big day. Most hired photobooths come with props which can be used to add extra entertainment to those quick snap photo shots!
Caricature Artists
Imagine being able to combine your wedding entertainment with gifts for your guests. Well, with Alan Simpson Ink, you can! This incredible gifted artist has been honing his skill for nearly 20 years. He has a remarkable instinct for creating caricatures.
Caricatures are a great, unique way to bring some fun to your wedding. A great hit with couples and guests alike, Alan's drawings really speak for themselves. Even if a guest is not being drawn, they get to watch the magical process unfold. As well as entertaining your guests, caricatures make a personal, unforgettable gift for them too!
Wedding Magicians
Hiring a magician can make your wedding a truly special occasion for all your guests, providing excitement and enjoyment for everyone present. If you have a magician at your wedding, everyone can have their own "magic moments" to remember, adding to their special memories of the great day.
Choose a wedding magician to suit the style of your wedding and the size of the venue and audience - do you want "mix and mingle" magic as your guests arrive at the venue, or a spectacular stage performance, or do you prefer a table magician to entertain smaller groups of guests by moving around the room? Perhaps you would like to have the bride and groom, or some other guests of honour, taking part in the magic themselves?
Having a wedding magician to entertain your guests while the photographer is at work can be a very successful way to keep the celebrations going without anyone feeling "left out of the picture" Magic can also provide the perfect interlude between the wedding breakfast and evening festivities. Close-up magic is a fantastic way to involve your guests and make each of them feel special, as the magic unfolds right under their nose, or even in their hands! By circulating from table to table, your wedding magician can ensure that every group of guests is entertained in turn, and this can be especially good for breaking the ice on a table where the guests don't know each other well.
Depending on the style of venue, and the type of wedding celebration you are throwing, you may prefer close-up magic to stage, or vice-versa. Maybe you even want both! It is important to be able to explain exactly what you are looking for, as some magicians only perform some types of magic.
Equally, are you searching for a suave, sophisticated sleight-of-hand artist; a down-to-earth street magician; or a magician that also offers clowning and balloon models? Approaching the right magician will ensure the tone of your wedding is exactly right for you. Do not feel uncomfortable about ringing or emailing a magician to ask about their performing style. After all, you don't want to book somebody inappropriate for your special day.
Many magicians charge by the amount of time they are performing, and knowing the number of guests will better allow them to give you an estimate. After all, if you only have 30 guests, one hour may be appropriate...if you have 100, you may well need to bookmark them for longer. The 'rule-of-thumb' with close-up magic, is that for everybody to see some magic, there should be 1 magician per 100 guests. However, if you are struggling to find a second magician for those big occasions, all magicians should be able to suggest additional magicians.
Casino Entertainment
For some people, fairgrounds and rodeo bulls probably aren't your thing. Why not look at the class of the casino with roulette, blackjack and poker tables instead? The tables are hosted by professional croupiers and guests play with chips bought with fun money.
A wedding casino is a fun way to encourage your guests to interact during the evening reception. Mobile casino companies can provide stations for blackjack, roulette and various other traditional casino games along with professional croupiers to operate them and entertain your guests.
They will bring money tokens for you to give your guests and it can lead to lots of friendly rivalry as guests try to increase their original stake. You will want a relatively quiet area for your casino so that the croupiers can explain to guests how each of the stations works and to get them fully involved and it can be fun to incorporate a roving magician to play card tricks with guests waiting for their turn at the tables.
Interactive Games and Activities
I Spy
I Spy is a great game, and not just for the children! It's a wonderful way to capture extra photos from your wedding, too. Simply ask your guests to use their cameras to capture the moments that even the photographer missed. Think 'The best wedding dancer,' 'my favourite decoration' or 'The bride and groom kissing'. Add a line on their 'I Spy' cards with an address where your guests can upload the photos.
Marriage Advice Cards
Come up with questions for your guests on each of the tables and place a mini booklet and pens so your guests can add their ideas to it. Some good questions to ask are, 'how should we celebrate our first anniversary?' or 'What should we name our first child?
Board Games
Instead of centrepieces, why not place a different board game on each of the tables? This will keep your guests entertained while helping them to get to know each other better. Encourage your guests to swap with other tables throughout the night so there will be endless fun.
Guess Who
Who doesn't love a game of Guess Who? Create personalised boards featuring your wedding guests. You can make a mini set for each table with photographs of the guests on that table. This is a superb idea as it helps your guests learn each others' names and faces.
Outdoor Games and Activities
Giant Outdoor Board Games
If you want to make your day a full family affair incorporating little children as well as 'big kids', then a good old fashioned selection of giant board games is sure to keep everyone entertained. Some of the large selection of games available are giant Jenga, Kerplunk, Snakes & Ladders and, for the more agile, giant Twister.
Interactive games are an affordable and fun way to get your guests mingling. With a small hire cost - giant outdoor games are perfect for a fun-filled summer garden wedding.
Coconut Shy
One of the most kitsch ways to keep everyone happy? Set up a makeshift coconut shy! Ideal for any extravaganza, this old-time activity comes straight from the runaway fair and village fête - promising hours of competitive throwing! As for the coconuts? Bring a little of the beach and tropical paradise to your day...
Piñata Fun
Borrow some festival fun with a brightly coloured piñata. The great news? Kids love these. You can stash the piñata with goodies perfect for little hands. But don't just stop there with this novelty, a piñata can be a fabulous way to treat the adults too! Make an event of the piñata at your wedding by filling it with favours or even photos to tell a story!
Limbo
Love to dance? Feel the rhythm at your wedding by introducing the limbo pole to the dance floor! With a highly addictive tropical twist, your friends can form a total conga line! Just make sure you have your photographer on hand and at the ready to snap some ridiculously fun shots of your guests mid-limbo!
Croquet
Channel Alice in Wonderland and the favoured English Country House pastime by constructing a wacky croquet course of your very own. Small groups can enjoy mini matches or bring the whole gang together for a full-scale afternoon tournament! We think that croquet is a great idea if your venue benefits from sprawling lawns and gardens!
Ring Toss
Station the ring toss at your wedding for an easy way to add to the entertainment! You can decorate the bottles to dazzle, work in perfect pastels and simply set this game up in a few crates outdoors on the terrace! It just goes to show that your wedding day can be turned into a makeshift carnival by focusing on quirky touches and lots of fun!
Bespoke Musical Entertainment
Whether you love to salsa, boogie, jive, hop or just go disco crazy, there's a wedding band for hire just waiting to play for you! If you want something smoother, hire a Rat Pack singer and band, a swing band or a laid-back soul band to delight your guests with a wonderful show and terrific music. Or hire a ceilidh band (Irish band) that'll soon have everyone up and jigging and reeling about.
Exciting Summer Activities
Bouncy Castles
If your wedding venue has lots of outdoor space, then a bouncy castle is an affordable alternative to that dreamy princess castle. Bringing everyone together, children and adults will love a go on the inflatable castle. Bounce, bounce, bounce - If you're planning a show stopping wedding, then this unforgettable entertainment is a must. Guests of all ages can bounce and have fun together.
Rodeo Bull
For the more daring couples, you could hire a rodeo bull. This is sure to fill the event with laughter and probably some rather interesting photographs! If there is a competitive streak in the wedding party, then why not run a rodeo competition for added interest?
Fairground Rides and Funfair
If space isn't a compromise then what about some fabulous fairground rides? You'll have the fun and nostalgia of a traditional fairground, from helter skelters and teacups to merry-go-rounds and waltzers. Your guests will have a truly unforgettable experience and unlimited rides!
Giant Scalextric
One for the big boys in the group is the Giant Scalextric. Due to there being lots of sizes available, most venues will have this put up there. It will provide much fun, laughter and reliving of childhood memories for many of your guests.
Indoor Activities
Popcorn Machine
Hiring an old fashioned popcorn machine is an entertaining snack idea which would also look fab at a vintage reception. A definite winner among younger guests - you may even have to ration those popcorn boxes!
Table Football
If you're looking to inject some light hearted competitive fun into your reception, then table football is a great option which doesn't require much space. You could even organise a mini table football tournament.
Crazy Mirrors
Bring the circus vibe to your big day with these crazy mirrors. Place them around your reception venue to add some extra laughs to the day.
Arrival Entertainment
Make your guests feel like celebrities from the moment they arrive with comedy paparazzi at the door, desperate for that 'scoop shot', and first drinks served from 'living tables', complete with costumed host or hostess in the middle! Line the way into your venue with eye-catching ice sculptures, leading to a neon-lit bar with flair bartenders ready to mix up a storm of breath-taking cocktails.
The Grand Finale?
What better way is there to end a wedding reception than a volley of wedding fireworks into the night sky? It is a great way to encourage your guests outside to wave you farewell, however there are a number of issues to consider, not least whether your venue has sound restrictions, preventing fireworks to be used late at night, or at any other times.
For a grand finale, draw your guests outside with fire and glow performers, lighting the way out with breath-taking fire juggling, before filling the sky with your own magnificent firework display.
Child-Friendly Options
The most angelic of children will eventually get bored at a wedding, so for their sake, as well as for the sanity of their parents and other guests, a professional creche or childcare facility at a wedding is a sensible idea. Many reception venues have a special room adjacent to the main reception specifically for this purpose, where children can let off steam, play with the creche staff or even have a nap.
Guests of all ages will love the novelty of a caricaturist or a magician during your reception. Ask your magician how they like to work; some prefer to work around the tables while guests are eating, others will entertain guests while they enjoy their reception drinks, and some prefer to be based in a "quiet zone" away from loud music, to allow interaction and to enable older relatives to wind-down if they so wish.
Final Tips
When booking with your entertainment suppliers, just remember to ask exactly what you'll receive, how long for, and how much it will cost including VAT. If you hire too much entertainment, some may go unused! Pick your favourites and stick with them.
Your wedding reception party is when everyone can ditch the posh hats, kick off their shoes, and really enjoy themselves - so make it count with entertainment that will have your guests talking about your special day for years to come!