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Cake? Sorted. Dress? Sorted? Guest invites? Sorted. Deciding what to do for evening entertainment? Not quite sorted...
If you're getting married, you've probably got the ball rolling on pretty much every aspect of your wedding, but the one area that can often prove indecisive is what exactly it is you want for your evening party. This is usually the last thing to get sorted because of this.
This blog will provide you with some fun and quirky ideas for your evening party, that you may not have otherwise thought of. So, here goes:
1. The "Surprise" First Dance
Shock your guests with a fully-rehearsed First Dance routine! Make it even more of a surprise by organising a first and second half routine. The first half can be the traditional, "slow dance", to a more emotional, "stereotypical" song. The second half can flip to a much more upbeat song, which is where all of your rehearsal comes into play!
Now, you're probably thinking, "I'm too shy to do this" or "I haven't got the confidence to do this". The great thing about this is you don't really need to be very good at what you rehearsed or how it pans out. As soon as your guests notices the song flip, they will be your biggest fans! Cheers and laughs guaranteed. The latter will definitely happen if one of you does something completely wrong! There's no shame in being the the target of the joke.
The great thing about doing something like this is you can initiate the start of the night. You immediately relax the atmosphere, and it's a great way of getting your evening guests who've just arrived to get into the party spirit! You as the wedding couple are the biggest influencers of the entire day. I can almost guarantee more of your guests will come to the dance floor during the night because of the surprise first dance.
Want some ideas on what you could do? Click here.
2. Inflatable Horse Racing!
Pretty self-explanatory, and lots of fun!
You can hire these from Kieran Clarke Entertainment.
"Hire our four inflatable horse-shaped hoppers along with a small race track throughout Bristol, Somerset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire – what a fun way to get all your guests cheering and laughing!
The horses work best early evening when your room is being turned around for the evening entertainment.
Suitable for all ages."
3. Photo Scavenger Hunt
A great way of encouraging those guests that might not be as "lively", shall we say, is to get them involved in a photo scavenger hunt!
This is a great alternative for guests who don't want to be on the dance floor, or for the young ones who are feeling mischievous!
4. Date Night Ideas Box
The guest book tends to be a staple part of a Wedding, but how about a Date Night Ideas box?
It's a great way of sharing any wild and whacky ideas you had in mind!
5. Silent Disco
A silent disco is a crowd-pleaser, there's no doubt about that. It's great as an "after-party". I.e. if the venue needs music to be off at midnight, you can continue the party with a silent-disco! There's no worry about getting complaints when there's no music coming out the speakers!
Cadence Entertainment provide a fantastic silent disco experience.
Whilst you have a headset on, you can choose three up to 3 different music channels, including what the DJ is mixing! And, if they speak on the mic, you can hear that too!
6. Hire Gatsby!
"If you’re looking for the freshest and most exciting band on the international party scene, then time to celebrate: you just found us! No matter what you're planning - high-end corporate events, weddings, party nights - we're flown all over the world to bring the party to you."
I've been fortunate enough to DJ alongside Gatsby, and let me tell you, they are FANTASTIC. See for yourself:
For more information, visit their website.
7. Find The Guest Bingo
Similar to the photo scavenger hunt, Find A Guest Bingo is all about your guests getting to know...your guests!
Sometimes you get that awkward divide between the Bride's side and the Groom's side, so this is a great way to encourage interaction between the two sides of the family.
Between you both, you know your guests the best! Why not create your own version to make it even more intriguing, and get your guests interacting!
8. Singing Waiters
Singing waiters is not necessarily a revolutionary idea, granted. However, there are a huge amount of variations you can do with this, and not just whilst your eating during the reception.
For starters (pardon the pun), you could hire "fake guests" for the evening. Then, in conjunction with the DJ, the fake guests could head to the dance floor and perform as a singing act or dance act.
How about utilizing a friend or family member's talents? They may not be known by any of the guests, so they could utilise their skills in whatever that may be. Is your friend an amazing magician? Maybe they could integrate a unique magic show in to the reception.
Things like this that surprise your guests throughout the day, can be a fantastic way of breaking the ice and having fun.
Whoever you hire, it doesn't necessarily have to be 'actors' or something surprising. How about hiring some epic fire performers or other circus-style acts?
9. Keeping The Kids Entertained
If kids are coming to the wedding, you want to come prepared with a variety of things for them to do in the evening, or it won't be long before they start nagging that they're bored, tired, and want to go home! It also means the adults can enjoy themselves a bit more, and actually catch up with their friends.
Some ideas you could set up for kids
- giant garden games such as connect four, jenga, snakes and ladders, and noughts and crosses
- a makeshift football pitch and a football
- rounders
- cricket
- boules
- fairground-style games: hit the coconut
- pinata!
- a treasure hunt
Admittedly a lot of these would be better suited for summer weddings. If you're having a winter wedding, you could hire a silent disco for a separate room. Or maybe think about keeping the kids occupied with a "pick 'n' mix" table or chocolate fountain.
10. The Wheel of Fun
A personal favourite of mine. Get really creative, and think of things you could get your guests doing. Here's a few:
- buy the bride a cocktail
- put a peg on the grooms back
- ask someone to dance with you
- hug a stranger
- moonwalk on the dance floor
- do the robot
- do the worm
- chuck wedding glitter over the bride
I hope these ideas have provided you with a few...ideas! You may not use any of them, but it may have sparked an idea of your own! Get creative!