You’ve walked down the aisle; you’ve made your vows… so now it’s time to party! Thankfully, the days when starting a conga was the only choice open to you if you wanted some reception entertainment, are long gone. Now, with everything from mobile petting zoos to celebrity look-a-likes available for hire, there’s no shortage of options when it comes to keeping your guests entertained.

Photo reproduced by kind permission of Chris Ward Photography
www.chrisward-photography.co.uk
Start the party the second you’re pronounced man and wife, with a drinks reception with a difference. Book a mixologist for the day and you’ll not only get a bartender who knows his beverages, but a showman too. With their unique brand of bar-magic, professional ‘flair’ bartenders will ensure your guests’ drinks requirements – whether they’re Alabama Slammers, Cuba Libras or Blue Lagoons – are shaken, stirred, flipped and frothed into the glass. You can even commission your own one-of-a-kind wedding-themed cocktail to be specially made for the occasion.
A wedding just wouldn’t be a wedding without music, but why limit yourself to one option when there’s so much choice on offer. With everything from string quartets, solo guitarists, pianists, big bands and ukulele orchestras, to bagpipers, pop and rock tribute acts and of course DJs, there’s no reason why the musical flavours can’t change as the day progresses.
Give your guests a break from the selfies and hire a photo booth for the day. Funny faces, pouting, and bundling as many people as possible into the booth are all compulsory. It’s great fun, and the resulting photos make perfect take-home wedding souvenirs.
Quizzes and competitions are a brilliant way to break the ice and keep everyone entertained in the lulls between photos, drinks, food and dancing. And best of all, they don’t cost a thing.
Traditional fair games like Lucky Dip, Coconut Shy, Ball in a Bucket, Buzzwire, Hoopla, Darts and Hook-a-Duck provide hours of fun for all ages. But if you’re looking for more of high-stakes thrill, then why not book a Las Vegas-style casino (albeit a fake-money one you can’t lose your house on when you’ve had one Cosmopolitan too many).
When it comes to keeping children happy at a wedding, it pays to think carefully about your audience, because entertaining a preschooler requires something very different to entertaining a pre-teen. Balloon modelling, magicians and even mobile petting zoos are all great choices for young children. As are activities that let them burn off energy in between the sitting-down and keeping-still parts of the day. Activities such as bouncy castles, inflatable slides and ball pools are always popular choices, but strike a cautionary note and enlist an adult to supervise the activities. A trip to A&E might be entertaining, but probably not in the way you intended.
A scavenger hunt is a fabulous way to keep older children entertained. Give them disposable cameras and a list of objects they have to find and photograph, or design an activity pack for them with tasks such as ‘Draw the wedding cake’ or questions to find out the answers to, such as ‘Who are the oldest and youngest people at the wedding?’ Keep a bag of small prizes handy to reward children who complete the activities.
A craft table with trinket boxes to decorate, stickers, ribbons and sequins will be a winner with children of all ages, and will keep them busy for hours, as will garden games like skittles, giant Connect4, giant snakes and ladders, giant dominoes, pick-up sticks and Jenga which have the added bonus of being easy to bring inside should the weather take a turn for the worse.
Outdoor games are great for adults too, and if you have guests who are game for a laugh (and don’t mind messing up their wedding hair) then you can’t beat inflatable sumo wrestling or inflatable pole jousting for proper grown-up belly laughs.
If it’s something more sedate, but still guaranteed to raise a smile, that you’re after, then why not consider a caricaturist or table magician?
You can’t fail to put a smile on the faces of guests both young and old with sweet treat entertainment. Chocolate fountains, an ice-cream van and traditional handcarts hired for the day serving candy floss, popcorn, and retro sweets not only look fabulous, but are just the thing when the post-Wedding-Breakfast-munchies set in.

Photo reproduced by kind permission of Chris Ward Photography
www.chrisward-photography.co.uk
And if you have fine weather and a clear sky, why not scatter some cushions, rugs and beanbags on the ground outside, provide a few maps of the night sky for guests to use, and invite everyone to partake in a spot of stargazing. It’s completely free, and what could be more romantic than lying out on the lawn looking at up the stars, at the end of your first day as husband and wife.
For more entertainment ideas, and a list of recommended suppliers, take a peek at our Services and Hire page.