Here Are Some Wedding Entertainment Ideas
1. DJs and wedding party bands
One of the primary wedding entertainment ideas that everyone may think of is hiring a DJ or hiring a band. It has become a tradition for a live band to be played at a wedding function. If you choose to go for this traditional idea, you need to prepare to research some live bands available in your city by seeing how they perform live at others’ functions. This is important as you want to ensure their performance meets your expectations and can entertain your guests.
Alternatively, hiring a DJ is not a bad idea. You can choose a combination of a DJ and a singer. If you like and can afford it, you can add on with a guitarist or keyboardist. Most wedding couples prefer this choice as this is more entertaining and has a variety of music.
2. Non-traditional wedding bands
If you prefer to go for more unique ideas, you can select classical orchestra or jazz trios. You can also go for bands that are dedicated to Motown music, as this can help to get your guests to the dance floor, and if they like, they too can sing along with their favorite songs.
Do not forget your older guests, as they want to be entertained too. You can choose Big Band or bands that specialize in Glenn Miller-style music or 1940s-era music.
For those couples who come from a rich cultural background, hiring cultural musicians for their wedding function is certainly a smarter wedding entertainment idea. If you want to go for Mexican musical culture, you can choose a Mariachi band. Violinists playing during the cocktail hour or the dinner may be more suitable for those who have an Italian cultural background. Bagpipers, of course, are more suitable for a Scottish background, by having they play to symbolize the grand entrance to the party. Riverdancers is more suitable for a Celtic wedding theme.
You can consider classical ensembles by hiring the musicians for your cocktail hour or wedding reception, or ceremony. Examples are the professional musical entertainment company Music in the Air in New York City. You can go for White Tie and Tails, Two For Tea, The Embassy Quartet, The Seville Trio, and Brassworks.
3. Dances
Dancing is one of the sure wins of all the wedding entertainment ideas, as everybody loves to dance regardless of their age. Below are some of the common dances performed during a wedding function.
The Bride and Groom Dance will be the first dance between the wedding couple. The first dance can be carried out with the wedding party circling the dance.
The Father and Daughter Dance, or Father Bride Dance, is a dance in which the father(s) of the bride dance with the bride.
The Mother and Groom Dance is a dance in which the mother(s) of the groom dance with the groom.
Special Dances are always danced with songs that are meaningful to the wedding couple. This is one of the highlights of the evening as guests want to see the wedding couple’s performance.
Later, you ought to let your guests enjoy that special evening with their own dances. You may encounter some guests who are shy and ignorant of dancing. Therefore, if you can afford to hire a dance instructor to help your guests get to the dance floor, your guests will certainly appreciate it and will remember your wedding for the rest of their lives for being helpful.
4. Karaoke
If you know a number of your guests like to sing, then choosing karaoke will be a good choice of wedding entertainment ideas. You can choose to rent a karaoke machine or hire a karaoke DJ who has a full set of equipment to operate your party. To have more fun, you can randomly hand-pick some guests to sing their favorite songs or songs that you select for them. Some guests may be shy or reluctant to sing, but with the support from the floor, ultimately they will sing it. If you want to have the last memories for your guest, this is surely a good idea.
5. Entertainers
Hiring entertainers for a wedding program is quite common in today’s wedding trends. Actually, hiring entertainers doesn’t need to be upscale. If you plan to organize an outdoor family-style wedding party, you can hire jugglers, face painters, acrobats, and other artists who can entertain everyone, regardless of the age of your guests.
However, if you have the budget and want to go for top-quality entertainment, then you can go for artists-for-hire like Broadway performances. You can choose duo or trio singers to sing various top hit movie songs or the musical Chicago.
6. Magicians and illusionists
A magician is often able to amuse guests, and it is nice to have him/her in as one of your wedding entertainment ideas. If you decide to go for a magician, suggest that the magician interact with the guests often during his/her performance. Those guests who have the privilege to be selected for participating in the magician’s performance will definitely enjoy it and will never forget that wedding evening. Another advantage of hiring magicians or illusionists is that they can be used to fill in the gap if things get off schedule. As you know, the wedding reception program or planning is not always perfect. You may experience late arrivals or late serving of dinner.
7. Videotaped presentation
A videotaped presentation to your guests is just about the best wedding entertainment idea to occupy your guests’ time while waiting for the ceremony to begin. You can show the scene of a marriage proposal, which will amuse the guests. Some may want to present the history of their childhood and other intimate dating moments to their beloved guests. It is inexpensive, can be kept and replayed any time in the future for remembrance by the wedding couple.
8. Fireworks Display
Fireworks display has been a custom for any grand celebration. Therefore, if you think you want to end of wedding celebration spectacularly, you can go for a fireworks display. You can either go for do-it-yourself firework displays or better to, engage professionals to set up for you. Just display fireworks for five to ten minutes, sufficient to make your wedding celebration stand out and be remembered for years to come.
9. Bouquet and Garter Toss
This is one traditional wedding entertainment idea that is still being practiced by some wedding couples. Firstly, the bride will toss the bridal bouquet to any single lady guests. Next, the bride is requested to sit on a chair set in the center of the dance floor. The groom is required to remove the bride’s garter from her leg and toss it to any single male guests. The man or the lady who is lucky enough to catch it will be the next person to get married, according to the myth of this custom.
10. Sky Lanterns
Sky lanterns for a wedding celebration are something new type of wedding entertainment idea. It is wonderful to see the sky lanterns launched in succession and light up the sky. Like a fireworks display, you can choose to do it yourself or hire a professional to operate it for you. There are many sizes and designs you can choose from.