10 Ways to Keep Your Guests Entertained at Your Wedding
Keeping guests entertained at a wedding is all about creating a joyful atmosphere and providing activities that appeal to a variety of tastes. As experienced North East Wedding Photographers and Videographers, with over 11 years of experience, our team at CARRO Weddings has seen a lot of amazing entertainment ideas for weddings. From surprise singing waiters, to fireworks and sparklers, magicians and fire-breathers, we’ve seen it all from the weird and wonderful to the romantic and thoughtful. We would like to share that knowledge with you.
Here are some ideas to keep your guests engaged and entertained:
ONE
Hire a band or DJ to provide live music throughout the event. Make sure they play a mix of genres to cater to different preferences and keep the dance floor busy. But fit this with your style. Do not just go for your box-standard DJ if that is not for you. If you are a ballroom dancer at heart, choose a string quartet. Or, if you are an old-school raver find yourself an upbeat DJ with disco lights or even a jazzy band with drums and bass. One wedding did have a bongo player and a saxophonist duo who played clubland classics, we have never seen so many people on the dance floor at once!
TWO
How about a Photo Booth? With a Photo Booth, it’s all about the props! Set up a photo booth with fun props where guests can take pictures. Who doesn’t want a photo with your best mates while wearing a horse mask and a long ginger beard? This not only provides entertainment but also gives guests a keepsake from the wedding. Make sure you get a guest book, and one photo can go into the book alongside a lovely message from your guests. As you can imagine, the photo book gets funnier as the night goes on!
THREE
Incorporate games into your day. This could be lawn games like cornhole or giant Jenga or trivia games about the couple to keep guests engaged during cocktail hour or reception downtime. The possibilities are endless! At one of the weddings we have attended, the whole wedding party played Mr and Mrs during the break between the ceremony and wedding breakfast, using their shoes! Every guest was belly laughing as they argued over who was the better driver when they chose themselves. Another wedding had crosswords on the tables that related to the couple, I think the guests learnt a lot about the Bride and Groom that day!
FOUR
Have interactive stations such as a DIY cocktail bar, a dessert station where guests can customize their treats, or a caricature artist for some personalized mementoes. Depending on your style, hiring a caricaturist can be a big hit. Couples who attend your wedding can pose for creative drawings together. Something quirky to frame on their walls at home, something that will always remind them of your special day.
FIVE
Consider adding dance floor activities like a dance-off, a conga line, or a group dance to get everyone involved and energized. Singing waiters are a good way to entertain guests and can give your wedding that shock and wow factor! No guest will see it coming when suddenly your waiter suddenly falls over or gets fired in the middle of your reception. It’s such a dramatic performance in front of all your guests to quickly turn form the ‘disaster’ to start singing ‘It’s just too good to be true, I can’t take my eyes off of you…’. Next thing you know, napkins are being swung around in the air and everyone is singing their heart out.
SIX
Arrange performances like a flash mob, a cultural dance performance, or a magician to add an element of surprise and excitement. Magicians are really popular. Don’t worry, you will not have to force guests to sit down and watch a show. Your magician will mingle between groups of people providing up-close tricks and jokes as they socialise. This is a fantastic way to entertain guests and it is always a good option.
SEVEN
Organise creation stations for the children. Remember, if you have little ones yourself, or intend on inviting them, they need entertainment too. Think of drawing tables, soft play or even arts and crafts to keep their little hands busy. Organise a treasure hunt, hiding envelopes under tables with clues. If children will be attending, it’s a MUST! Even something as simple as a kids’ movie corner, or a children’s entertainer would go down a treat. The possibilities are endless.
EIGHT
Instead of a traditional guestbook, opt for something interactive like a fingerprint tree or a puzzle guestbook where guests can leave messages. One amazing wedding we attended, had a Globe. All guests had to write around the Globe messages to the Bride and Groom who both worked for airlines and had travelled the world together.
NINE
Keep energy levels up with late-night snacks like a taco bar, gourmet popcorn station, or a mini doughnut wall. Anything from cereal bars to cookie walls, whatever you’re craving when you’ve had ‘a few too many’ – incorporate it!
TEN
If you have a theme for your wedding, incorporate entertainment that aligns with it, such as a live band playing music from a particular era, or cultural performances related to your theme. If you have based your wedding day on your mutual hobbies or likes, use it. Again, at another wedding, we attended the couple were Marvel-mad. This amazing duo found super-hero-themed masks and inflatables for the dance floor. Absolutely nothing wrong with lots of Thor’s boogie-ing on the dancefloor to ‘Groove is in the Heart’! It was a topic of conversation for all the guests!
Remember to consider your guests’ preferences and the overall vibe you want to create for your wedding. The goal is to ensure everyone has a memorable and enjoyable time celebrating with you. Most importantly, make sure you and your partner have an amazing day. Your wedding day will pass very quickly, so make the most of it. Don’t forget to ask your wedding photographer or videographer to capture all your creativity and your magical moments on camera. That way, you can treasure the memory of your amazing wedding forever!
As experienced North East Wedding Photographers and Videographers, we are here to capture every moment of your day, and create those ever-lasting memories!
See more about Team CARRO here
