How To Entertain Guests At A Wedding

There’s no doubt that organising and coordinating your wedding can be overwhelming. While dedicating several hours to make things perfect, you want nothing more than to have the wedding of your dreams and provide your guests with an unforgettable experience.

Keeping your wedding-goers occupied and allowing minimal downtime is a big factor in their overall experience, so we have gathered a few entertainment ideas to ensure your wedding is the talk of the town. But, how do you entertain your wedding guests?

Entertaining Guests Before The Vows

Live music playing before the wedding ceremony begins will create a beautiful atmosphere for guests. It will also be a delight for them because they will be drawn to the area of your ceremony by hearing the divine music before they see the stunning ceremony location!

As guests arrive, it’s natural for them to gravitate to each other and chit chat. Although it’s a great way to fill the time before you walk the aisle, use this time to leave a memorable first impression.

Give friends and family a chance to give their best advice for life as newlyweds and beyond. Advice cards are a simple, yet sentimental activity to have your guests complete when they sign your guest book or something special to have waiting for them in their seats when they arrive. They will feel included in your nuptials and you will be able to keep the special words of wisdom from each loved one to look back on years from now.

How To Entertain Wedding Guests During Photos

1. Create A Clear Order Of Events

The moment the ceremony ends, guests are looking for the next event. While the bridal party, groom’s posse, and family members are held back to take photos before heading off to the reception, amp up the energy for the celebration.

2. Decide If Traditional Or Unique Entertainment Would Best Suit Your Wedding

If you desire a more traditional transition, you can’t go wrong with a cocktail hour. Some venues may not provide an area to host drinks so consider a fun option like a portable bar. Serve your favourite signature drinks named after your bridal party or fancied champagne flutes with toppings. Having a cocktail hour will give you much needed spare time to get the perfect shots with your loved ones while allowing your family and friends time to mingle.

On the day of your wedding, two families that may or may not know each other are coming together in support. As a significant part of your lives, it’s important for your guests to feel welcomed and included. Fun games are an ace to get your audience to socialise! A few quiet indoor games you could play are Naughts and Crosses and Checkers. Jenga, Bocce, and Cricket make for excellent competitive outdoor activities (as does a giant chess board!).

One of our favorite, unique ways to entertain wedding guests during photos is to have a live painter or caricature artist present. The live painter brings their own canvas and supplies to set up at the celebration to paint a dreamy scene of the wedding. Usually, a perfect image of the bride and groom at the end of the aisle or the breathtaking features of the venue. A truly amazing piece of artwork from your big day to place on the wall of your home.

A caricature artist will have a set up similar to the live painter and sketch images of guests showing features in a simplified or exaggerated way. Friends and family will appreciate these fun, take-home mementos of your big day.

How To Entertain Wedding Guests Between The Ceremony And Reception

Incorporate elaborate activities and entertainment during leisure hours. The majority of your downtime comes between the ceremony and reception so the bigger activities that take up ample time can be perfectly integrated here. Check out these unique ideas.

What would a wedding be without music? Live entertainment is a must-have to set the mood for the day and carry that mood throughout the night. No need to worry about booking a band for downtime and a wedding DJ for the party because Red Soda Band can create a spine-tingling musical experience that sets the tone for your wedding day from beginning to end.

Genre and instruments of your choice can be arranged or ask us for our music recommendations for different aspects of your big day. Listen to our music style in over 10 hours of video and customise your own wedding package. Get a FREE quote.

An area for a photo opp will be a hit after the ceremony. Choose a scenic location at your venue where not much decor is needed and hang a banner, place a bench, or create a DIY frame for guests to hold.

Depending on your venue and also the weather, it may be convenient to have a simple beverage stand with lemonade, punch or water. It would not be an ideal scenario to have grandma parched and sitting in the sun during the transition from ceremony to reception. This also gives everyone a chance to explore the venue and take in the happenings.

A trending idea for how to entertain guests at a wedding is to have a DIY station. This would consist of a table with prepared craft materials for guests to create a favour of their own! These crafts can range from flower crowns to kitchen coasters to potting mini succulents. Guests are more likely to hold on to a favour if they make it themselves or if it is reusable. They can put their creativity to work and have fun while doing it. A DIY station will definitely be a highlight of the night.

Entertain Guests During The Reception

Whether you choose to have a formal sit-down dinner or serve hearty canapés with champagne, it is a good time to rest up before the dance floor kicks off. How convenient would it be if the entertainment came to you?

Table singers are able to make their rounds to tables and even take song requests giving family and friends a chance to be involved in the entertainment without getting up from their seats.

Maybe an out-of-the-box performance would better suit your audience. Enhance the interaction and hire a magician. This performer makes it easy to break the ice, avoiding awkward silences and blank stares at tables where guests are not familiar with one another.

Finally, almost everyone has been anxiously awaiting to get a taste of the wedding cake. While the cutting of the cake is a highly anticipated part of the wedding reception, some guests just won’t eat cake. Keep the entertaining momentum going by offering a sweets cart alongside the cake. This gives everyone a chance to choose their lollies, serve themselves, and be creative! Options for a sweet cart can vary from lollies to cupcakes, a selection of gelato to donuts, lamingtons, mini pavlovas and more.

Contact Red Soda Band For Wedding Entertainment Today!

If you’re looking for a professional wedding band in Australia that clicks with your wedding style and takes it up a notch, Red Soda Band loves to help brides and grooms-to-be celebrate their union with a unique and memorable experience from the moment they book, right through to the last song of the night! Get a FREE quote online today!