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Couples put a lot of pressure on themselves to provide the best wedding experience possible for their guests and loved ones. So, how do you make sure that your wedding is memorable? Here are 11 killer wedding entertainment tips and ideas that will help you create an unforgettable event.
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A photo booth is where guests can pose with props in front of a camera. Guests can choose from a variety of poses or use their own props. The photos are then printed out at the end of the night.
Not only are photo booth's a ton of fun for your guests, but they are also an extremely affordable entertainment option for your guests. Do you need more convincing? They also give you creative control over what kind of pictures you get with options for custom backdrops, costumes, and more.
Worried about space at your reception venue? Some photo booth vendors even offer open- air photo booths. These are perfect if you have limited space or want to set up a photo booth outside during your reception. Photo Booths are also great for any type of party because they don't require much setup time.
The process couldn't be easier...once the photo booth is set up, just start taking pictures! Most vendors will provide an employee on-site to operate the photo booth and deal with any potential issues that could come up during use
Not all photo booths are created equally. It is essential to make sure you understand the type of equipment options you have available, understand whether photos will be printed or stored online only, and ask how long each session lasts and what the rates are if you go over the allotted time. This way, there won't be any unpleasant surprises in your invoice after the event.
We aren't talking about those generic stickers you can get from a vending machine, not even close! Imagine hiring an artist to hand-draw designs that are only limited by your imagination.
Make it your own by having the artist create a unique design for both you and your significant other that represents visually what you mean to one another.
Don't forget to make sure you have your photographer capture pictures of your unique designs to memorialize them forever!
If custom temporary tattoos sound like a great addition to your wedding, you first need to find someone who specializes in this type of work. There are many artists out there who specialize in creating these types of designs, so check around before making a commitment.
Once you've found a vendor, you'll need to decide which designs you'd like to see. If you're looking for something simple, some basic shapes may be enough. However, if you're looking for something more elaborate, you may want to allow the artist to sketch out ideas for you.
You should also consider the size of the tattoo. For example, if you're planning on getting a large tattoo on your arm, you might want to wait until closer to the day of your wedding. The ink used to draw the tattoo will dry quickly, and you don't want to risk ruining your dress with a tattoo that isn't fully dried yet.
Another consideration when choosing a design is the color scheme. If you want something bold and bright, then perhaps using colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white, black, and silver would be appropriate. Or maybe you prefer something soft and subtle, like pastels, muted tones, and earthy hues. Whatever style you choose, make sure you know exactly what you want before committing to a specific design.
I know what you're thinking...this is nothing new and you're a DJ company so why is this on the list? I agree, there's certainly some bias going on here, but I put it on the list because a truly professional Wedding DJ performs more functions than just the person who plays music at your wedding.
A professional wedding DJ often-times is the sound engineer for your event. While it's true that most wedding venues have their own system, much of the time these systems are very limited and don't produce the highest-quality audio reproduction for your event or venue size.
If you're planning to have your wedding outdoors, this becomes even more crucial. No wedding venues support the right audio equipment necessary to make sure your guests are able to hear the officiant, the vows, etc. Their abilities are usually limited to the indoor part of their venues.
Professional DJs are also excellent MCs for your event. They will coordinate with your wedding planner to make sure that announcements are made during your reception, and they can help keep things running smoothly by keeping track of all the details that need to happen throughout the night.
In short, good wedding DJ services will take care of everything related to the entertainment aspect of your wedding. This includes coordinating the lighting, sound, video, dance floor, and other aspects of your event. In fact, a lot of DJs will offer free consultations to discuss how they can best serve your needs.
Hiring a wedding DJ is generally a pretty easy process as it usually involves just visiting their website, DM them on social media, or finding them through an intermediary like Wedding Wire. The more important question is how to determine which DJ to hire for your wedding?
This is a more complicated question, but here are a few rules to follow when considering which DJ to hire for your wedding:
One final note is that if you have a wedding planner, introduce your DJ to them in advance of the wedding. It is our experience that we provide a lot of the services that a wedding planner might stress about finding for your wedding. Additionally, the wedding planner can better utilize the DJ in other areas such as making announcements at specific times to make sure your wedding goes smoothly.
Check out this article on vendor communication for more insights of how a DJ can help during the day of your event.
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Your wedding day is all about you and your significant other. Sharing the story of your relationship is such a wonderful part of the wedding experience that your guests will love. Why not do it through visual media? A slideshow is the perfect way to share photos and videos of your big day.
A slideshow at your wedding can include photos of you and your partner from early childhood through to when you first met and got engaged. However, a slideshow doesn’t need to be limited to just these images. You can include videos, pictures of your venue, and even your wedding day. The sky is the limit here!
Slideshows are easy to create with just a simple amount of editing, renting or borrowing an external projector, and a screen for the presentation itself. You can do all of this on most laptops, making it a very economical form of entertainment for your wedding guests.
Timing is everything when it comes to using a slideshow during your wedding. You will want to have it featured as a backdrop that enhances your wedding, so when you show the slideshow will be important.
Generally, the best time for the slideshow is before the ceremony, during cocktail hour, or during the evening reception.
This is also a great time to inject a little humor into your event. For example, do you have any photos of you or your partner that are less than flattering? When done correctly, this could be a fun way to bring some levity to your wedding. Just make sure the photos or videos aren't too embarrassing, you don't want to ruin the mood of your wedding.
Another important thing to consider is the use of music as a background to your slideshow. It can really enhance the emotion of your slideshow, but if you're going to play music, make sure it's appropriate for your wedding. If you're unsure what type of music would work well for your slideshow, ask your DJ or wedding coordinator for advice.
If your wedding venue has a dance floor why not kick your event up a notch by having a dance-off competition!
This event requires the right type of guests to pull off. You need to have attendees that aren't afraid to get down on the dance floor. You might think that you need to have guests that double as professional dancers, but trust me, just having guests that are fearless is enough for it to be entertaining for everyone to witness. Sometimes the worse the dancing, the better!
The key to hosting a successful dance-off competition is timing. Obviously, the best time to have a dance-off competition is during the evening festivities. This gives people ample opportunity to participate in the event.
The idea behind this event is to get everyone involved in the party. To start things off, you'll need to set up a bracket system where each participant gets two minutes to perform their own version of a popular song. After the two-minute performance period, the judges will select one winner based on how many points they receive.
After the winners are selected, the next step is to announce the grand prize winner. This is usually something like a gift card to a local restaurant or bar. Then, the second and third place winners will be announced.
You should definitely give out prizes to the winners. You may even want to throw in a few free drinks for the winners. This will help to encourage people to continue participating in the event.
The next key factor is the number of contestants. Ideally, there should be more than one person competing against each other. In my opinion, two is ideal, but three or four competitors work too.
Finally, the venue where your reception is being held is crucial. You want to make sure it has a dance floor with ample space for everyone to move around freely. You'll also want to ensure that the room is large enough to accommodate all the participants.
You may also want to consider getting a DJ to help out. They can provide commentary while the contestants dance, which makes things much easier for everyone involved.
Remember to consider the overall theme of the wedding and get your wedding planner involved as early as possible if you're planning on having a dance competition. This will guarantee you choose the perfect time for this event and keep the event under a strict schedule. You don't want any activities to override the reason everyone is there.
Finally, take precautions to make sure guests and participants stay safe during the competition. Make sure that you designate an area for the activity so that no one gets hurt. If any of the participants seem like they are too intoxicated at that point to participate, have a substitute for them in mind.
What is it?
Hands-down one of the coolest events you can have during your wedding reception is a choreographed first dance. The newlyweds will walk into the room together and then break apart. When they come back together again, they will dance to music that was specially picked by the couple. It's a great way to show off your love for one another and create some amazing memories.
How to Use
This can be one of the most fun parts of the entire wedding day. People will remember this moment forever because it's such a unique experience. The best part is that most guests will not even see it coming! When done well, it can be a true showstopper.
The important part is to plan the dance routine well in advance of the wedding. First, you'll need to decide what song you want to use. Next, you'll need to figure out how long you want the performance to last. Finally, you'll need to determine who will perform the dance. Will it just be the happy couple, or will select members of the wedding party join in?
If you do decide to include others, make sure that they know ahead of time that they will be performing. Also, make sure they understand that their job is to follow along with the lead dancer, not try to step up and become the star of the show.
Remember, each participant will need to schedule a time to practice for the performance prior to the wedding, so a bit of scheduling will be needed.
When choosing a song, I recommend picking something upbeat and romantic. Something like "I Love You" by Mariah Carey would work perfectly.
Other Important Details
As far as wedding entertainment options go, this one could be considerably more time- consuming. Nevertheless, it is such a unique way to celebrate your union that I can pretty much guarantee it will make your wedding stand out in the minds of your guests.
Additionally, it wouldn't be a bad idea to get assistance from a professional choreographer. Pulling this type of thing off requires a lot of coordination and practice, which means someone who knows what they are doing should be hired to help out.
If you're going to invest the time and effort into doing something like this, then hiring a videographer to capture it would be priceless. Trust me, you'll definitely want a video of this event when looking back on your wedding days in years to come.
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If you're looking for a great way to make your own unique statement on your wedding day, consider designing your own signature cocktails to be served at the reception. This would give your guests a chance to enjoy a drink that represents your personality.
You can also take inspiration from other couples' ideas. For example, if you were inspired by a popular cocktail trend, you could design your own version of it. Or, if you wanted to pay homage to a specific celebrity, you could incorporate his or her name into the recipe.
Also, if you're planning on serving alcohol, make sure to check local laws before making any decisions.
There are several different ways to go about creating these drinks. One option would be to purchase premade ingredients and mix them together yourself. Another would be to hire a bartender to create custom recipes for you.
This is a great time to incorporate the unique color theme of your wedding as well. For instance, if you had a pink and purple theme, you might choose to serve a strawberry margarita made with vodka, cranberry juice, lime juice, and sweetened whipped cream.
Another option would be to order pre-made cocktails online and customize them to fit your needs.
Creating your own signature cocktails is a fun way to add some pizzazz to your wedding reception. However, keep in mind that it may require a little extra planning and preparation.
However, once you've got everything set up, you'll have a truly unique and memorable experience that your guests won't soon forget.
Consider offering non-alcoholic versions of your signature couple's cocktail. By doing this you are showing mindfulness to all of your guests including the non-drinkers, children, and those who abstain from drinking due to religious reasons.
If you are planning this event prior to the dinner service, consider offering appetizers or hors d'oeuvres to complement your signature cocktails. This will allow your guests to mingle while waiting for their food and drinks to arrive.
Finally, think about where you plan to serve your signature cocktails. If you decide to do so during the dinner service, make sure to place your bar away from the dining tables. Doing this will prevent your guests from spilling their drinks on the tablecloth.
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A champagne tower is the ultimate height of elegance and truly a sight to behold. If you've never seen one let me set the image for you. Imagine a tall glass filled with sparkling bubbles and topped off with a beautiful bottle of bubbly champagne. Now picture that same glass being placed atop another glass full of more sparkling bubbles. That's right, the first glass is stacked upon the second glass. The third glass is then added upon the second glass and so on until the top glass is reached.
The person tending the champagne tower will fill from the top glass allowing the champagne to cascade down over the entire tower. When he reaches the bottom glass, he will stop pouring and remove the stopper from the bottle. He will then pour a small amount of champagne into each glass, topping off the tower.
You should use a champagne tower because it adds a touch of sophistication to your wedding reception. Guests will love seeing such a stunning display of sparkle and beauty.
You can purchase a ready-to-use champagne tower at most department stores. They usually come in sets of three towers which contain six glasses per tower.
Alternatively, you can check with your venue to see if they offer this type of service. Many hotels and resorts provide this as part of their services.
Another option would be to hire a professional bartender to tend the tower. This could cost anywhere from $100-$500 depending on how many people attend your wedding.
I would strongly advise that you don't leave this in the hands of a novice. A good bartender knows what they're doing but also has enough skill to avoid spills.
I'm sure there are few things worse than to imagine an entire tower of full champagne flutes come crashing down all at one time, creating a huge mess and costing you quite a bit of money for both the wasted champagne and the clean-up cost, and that's assuming there's no damage as the result of the mishap.
What is it?
I'm not sure who the saint was that originally thought of this fantastic idea, but it is utterly brilliant! A hangover kit is basically a box or bag containing everything needed to help someone suffering from a bad case of the morning afters. Inside the box will be aspirin, antacids, a toothbrush, mouthwash, deodorant, tissues, and other items that might be helpful.
How To Do It
Hangover kits are easy to purchase online through select retailers. Most kits include a variety of products ranging from $5-$50.
Examples are:
If you want to put a more customized spin on your hangover kit, there are also plenty of options to just purchase the personalized bags with your own design on the front and build the kits yourself. There are plenty of wonderful articles out there to provide inspiration for this project.
Hangover kits are a fun and creative way to give back to your guests that perhaps partied a little too hearty at your event. They are a wonderful addition or substitution for the traditional gift bag and you will find them tucked away in people's closets for years to come as they remember the great times spent together, or maybe they just heard about it from others!
Other Important Details
It would be a good idea to consider the audience that would receive this gift. Knowing that it will not be the best gift for everyone, it's ok to be selective about who you choose to give them to. Have alternative gift bags for those who might not be the right audience for the gift.
Creating lasting memories and sentiments is all about being inclusive, so make sure that you take into account the needs of everyone attending your event.
An acoustic soloist is a musician who plays music without accompaniment by another band member or singer. These wedding entertainers specialize in setting a mood as the backdrop for your event. They can also give your wedding a sophisticated and special feel as they play songs that are appropriate for your wedding theme.
Soloists are an excellent choice for a wedding reception entertainment idea. They can really enhance the mood of the event for your wedding guests.
Additionally, you can hire an acoustic soloist to perform during cocktail hour, dinner, or even during the ceremony itself. While the most common place for an acoustic soloist to play is during cocktails and dinner, you can have one play during the ceremony if you wish.
Some couples like to have their wedding day start off with a beautiful song played by an acoustic soloist. This is especially true if you are having a religious ceremony.
There are many different types of acoustic soloists available. Some are better suited for weddings than others. For example, some soloists specialize in playing classical pieces while others prefer contemporary tunes. If you're looking for something specific, make sure to familiarize yourself with the types of music you want for your wedding, when you want them to be played, and with what instrument. Knowing this will help you to narrow down your search.
When considering an acoustic soloist, make sure to get references and see examples of their performances. This is definitely not something you want to leave to chance. While most performers will be able to several music genres, most soloists specialize in a few. Make sure you know which ones before you book them.
If you don't already have a list of potential performers, try asking friends and family members for recommendations.
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Don't settle for a boring traditional guest book that you'll never look at again. Why not use a video guest book instead?
A video guestbook is a fabulous way to capture the essence of your wedding and create lasting memories for your guests. Guests can watch videos of themselves on the big screen, read messages from their loved ones, and add their own personal messages to the video.
The possibilities are endless! Guests will be able to record themselves leaving meaningful messages, sharing fond memories, providing words of wisdom and advice, or simply expressing gratitude for being invited to attend.
All of this can be stored in an online platform so that you can relive your wedding day through the eyes of your loved ones for years after your special day.
You will be surprised how impactful being able to capture your guests' personalities in a fun, unique way will be for you and your partner. Weddings can be an overwhelming experience for some couples which leaves little time to really take in the moment, adding a video guest book will help you to truly enjoy your special day after the fact for years to come.
Creating a video guest book is simple enough, but here is a list of things you might need to take it from ordinary to extraordinary...
Things you will need for a video guestbook:
Whether you choose a professional setup or just a webcam, there is no right or wrong choice here. What matters is that you choose a camera that works well for capturing video and has good quality audio.
Once you've chosen your video camera, it's time to start setting up your video guest book. The first step is to decide where you would like to place your video camera.
If you're looking for a more casual vibe, consider interviewing your guests one-on-one. Have them stand behind the camera and ask them questions about their life and why they chose to be part of your wedding.
Music adds another layer to your video guest book. Consider having someone play background music while your guests are recording their messages. This could include playing your favorite songs by artists that represent your personality or theme.
After you've captured all of your videos, it's time to edit them into a single video. There are many editing software options available but if you want something simple, iMovie is free and easy to use.
Once you've edited your videos, it's now time to share them with your guests. If you have a website, you can upload your videos directly to your site. However, if you don't have a website, you'll need to find a service that allows you to host your videos online. You may also want to consider creating a YouTube channel for your videos.
Your video guest book will allow you to relive your wedding day over and over again. Not only will you be able to see how happy your guests look on your big day, but you can also see how much fun everyone had throughout the night.
A video guest book is a great way to ensure that everyone remembers your wedding day. After all, memories fade over time, but when you add a video guest book to your wedding, you can keep those memories alive forever.
Would you like to incorporate a fun activity that's also inexpensive? Well, look no further than a Mr. Mrs. quiz.
A Mr. and Mrs. Quiz is an engaging activity for guests at a wedding reception. Hosted by the best man or maid of honor, the quiz surveys the bride and groom's intimate knowledge of one another. It's a great way to break the ice and get everyone laughingly involved in the celebration.
The quiz usually consists of five to ten questions, and often has an audience participation element, with guests cheering on the happy couple as they try to answer personal questions about each other. The newlyweds are ordinarily asked questions about their first date, how they met, their courtship and engagement, as well as family background and favorite things.
The winner is often determined by who scores the most points, which is usually based on correct answers.
This is the perfect game for the reception of the wedding. It's not too long and highly entertaining which keeps the wedding guests interested and engaged the entire time.
It's also a great way for the happy couple to share some lesser-known parts of their personal story. Wedding Guests will find this very interesting and fun.
Creating the quiz is a fairly simple process and can be assigned to the best man, maid of honor, or both together. Try to keep it to 5-10 questions in case the story behind some of the answers could use some explaining from the happy couple!
While in most cases this will be a fun wedding entertainment idea, you will want to make sure that the questions are tasteful. Elect an independent 3rd party that you trust to review the questions to make sure they're appropriate and won't offend anyone. Also, make sure that the questions aren't too personal and that there isn't anything inappropriate being discussed.
It would also be a good idea to make sure your photographer or videographer is planning to shoot during this event. Some of the most fun wedding photos will come from reactions to some of the answers.
We hope this list has provided you with some killer wedding ideas for entertaining your wedding guests. Keep in mind that these tips are just suggestions, so feel free to mix and match them to create your own unique wedding entertainment plan. We'd love to hear what works for you and your guests. Share your thoughts with us below!
Did you find this post entertaining? If you did, please share it with your friends and followers on the social media channel of your choice. We would love to help other brides and grooms come up with new and fantastic ideas for their weddings.
We are a full-service entertainment company in Portland that provides its clients with top-quality service and leaves them feeling like they made the right decision in choosing us. With our wide range of services, we strive to meet your needs and exceed your expectations. We have extensive experience in DJing, videography, and live streaming, as well as other aspects of live events such as lighting design, sound engineering, and more!
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