Wedding entertainment ideas

Every bride wants her day to be special and different to other weddings. Of course having live music and entertainers will always make your wedding unique. Plenty of people organise a harpist or string quartet to play background music during the drinks reception and wedding breakfast, which is lovely, but there are so many other choices available.

So, if you are in the process of organising your wedding entertainment, why not consider some of these alternative options suggested by Susan Heaton-Wright from NSN Productions.

1. Gospel Singers. They could sing during your wedding ceremony and throughout the drinks reception. At NSN, our Gospel Singers are singing at a wedding which is being filmed for ‘Four Weddings’. They will lead the hymns if you are having a church ceremony and generally ‘up’ the energy levels!

2. Mix and Mingle artistes. This could include singers, moving musicians and magicians who entertain guests during the drinks reception. This is often a time when everyone is waiting around for the bride and groom to finish having their photographs taken, so entertaining guests in this way is great fun and really memorable. Surprise singing guests: singers who mingle with guests and suddenly burst into song is also great fun and unforgettable. At NSN, one of our most popular musicians is ‘The Romantic Tenor’ who serenades guests during drinks receptions.

3. Wedding ceremonies can be made special by musicians playing both before and after the ceremony. Music can really relax the atmosphere and provide a welcoming environment for your guests, so why not ask the musicians to play 15 minutes before the ceremony and for 10 minutes afterwards.

4. If you are having a church ceremony, why not consider having a professional singer, while the register is being signed. You could also ask the singer to lead the hymns. We find it can really help to encourage shy guests to join in the singing too! Alternatively, you could consider booking the church choir to lead the singing which will always be memorable.

5. Consider times during the day when there isn’t much going on; when photos are being taken for example, or after the wedding breakfast and before the evening reception. Guests are often kept waiting for the next thing to happen. As well as the mix and mingle artistes, magicians and surprise singing guests that we mentioned earlier, you could also consider singing waiters who are a complete surprise for guests and make everyone laugh! If you have a hired a themed band for the evening – such as a 50s or Jazz band, why not employ the services of a dance teacher to show your guests a few dance steps in preparation for the evening. Older guests will enjoy showing younger ones how it is done!

6. One of the most memorable weddings I attended had a Ceilidh which included a number of people singing; dancing and playing instruments. The band had an excellent caller, but the bride and groom also invited guests to perform. It is so memorable when a musical friend or family member plays an instrument or sings at your wedding.

Credits: Our thanks go to Susan Heaton-Wright, http://www.nsn-productions.com/