Choosing Your Wedding Entertainment: The Drinks Reception

Second in our mini series, guiding you through the task of selecting the right entertainment for your big day, and following on from our last post, is the drinks reception.

Whether you have a religious ceremony or a civil one, there will be a section of the day where your guests will be mingling, chatting but also waiting. Normally, this will be the part where you are off and away having your photos taken, feeling like a supermodel, posing with your new husband. It is important not to forget about your guests at this point as whilst they are waiting to be called for photos, they still need entertaining.

Any music at this stage need to be low-key. Guests will want to talk between each other, catch up with family they haven't seen in a while and get to know new people they haven't met before. Also when the ushers are calling people for the photographs, they need to be heard. It doesn't do to keep a photographer waiting whilst ushers are running from person to person trying to catch their attention, and if this section goes on too long your guests will start to get restless.

A lovely touch at this point is a string quartet. They will remain in the background, but offer an elegant setting to go along with the champagne. The Cezanne Ensemble are such an act, who will not only play traditional classical music, but can offer a twist on modern songs.

For a different type of entertainment many brides are looking outside the box and choosing things guests can become involved in. A magician can work around guests as they mingle, keeping the conversation going and often providing an ice-breaker for those who don't know each other.

A photo booth is also becoming popular in the wedding industry and is often a fun element to the day, where guests can dress up and pose, keeping the photos as a memento of your day. At our recent Showcase Night, supplier Boothtube went down a storm.

There are so many other ideas now for your wedding entertainment is really is important to do your research. From caracaturists to children's entertainers. One great resource we have come across is Pinterest, and there are some incredible ideas on there - how about a kissing booth? Or maybe you'd prefer a flame thrower? 

Next time we will be talking about the all-important Wedding Breakfast - in the meantime head over to our website where tickets are now on sale for our next showcase night in January!

Blackpool Hilton - Our First Showcase

On Friday 8th November, our first showcase took place. After months of hard work, it all finally came together and we eagerly awaited the night. Despite some obstacles, the M6 being closed a major one, the night was a great success and we want to give a huge thanks to all those who attended and all the act and suppliers who supported us on the night.

The doors opened at 7pm and guests were greeted by the lovely people at Country Brides Magazine, before entering the reception room, where they were provided with a complimentary glass of champagne and mini cakes as they browsed our suppliers.

All the acts were on hand to introduce themselves and brides and grooms then made their way around the suppliers, including Pier Fun Casino, whose tables proved very popular and The Faux Wedding Cake Company who provide beautifully decorated cakes. Guests could try a dip in the Heavenly Melted Chocolate fountain, have a bit of fun in the Booth Tube photo booth and gaze in awe at the beautiful display from Lottie's Bridal. Meanwhile The Cezanne Ensemble, a professional string quartet, provided some classical entertainment and a lovely start to the evening.

After trying all those suppliers out we then moved into the entertainment suite, beautifully decorated by Weddings Covered, which included a dancefloor and backdrop lit with stars, and our toastmaster kicked the night off.

Each act showcased themselves over four songs, giving the guests a great sample of their work. This meant that the brides and grooms could see for themselves how their chosen act would perform on the night, which we feel is crucial. It really demonstrated to many that night that whilst you can source a great entertainer via their website and videos, until you see how they actually perform you really do not know if they are the act for you. This is what we provide.

The acts really gave us some great performances and had people off their seats, dancing the night away.  We had ten acts perform who showcased a wide variety of music from swing with John Norcott and Wayne Farrow to a unique Live Piano Experience to acoustic from Ortopilot to dance with Just Matt and even rock with The Noel Fraser Band. Further to this we had the extremely entertaining and adaptable voices of The Retro Brothers, whilst amongst the audience The Wedding Magicians mesmerised the guests. There really was something for everybody.

We had some fantastic feedback on the night from brides and many of our acts came away with bookings, which proves that the Showcase concept is a great one.

We are looking forward to our next Showcase night at the Salford City Stadium on January 31st 2014, and hope to see you all there!