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Great Wedding Entertainment Ideas - Smartest Brides

Great Wedding Entertainment Ideas

Great fun and unique ways to entertain your guests at the reception. A list of wedding entertainment ideas on how to keep your reception exciting and your guests enthusiastic.

Every couple wants their wedding to be as exciting and fun as possible especially during the reception. It is where guests come and celebrate with the couple and dine together with them. A reception is not complete without any wedding entertainment that suits both the young and old.

The reception should provide amusement for families and guests. Everyone should have fun from the start, up to the end of the reception. We have provided a guide on how to set up some entertainment for your guests. Here is a great list of wedding entertainment ideas for you.

Receiving Area (Beginning Of Reception)

Most of the time, the guests arrive first at the reception area. The couple usually comes out when all guests have been seated. This receiving area is the best time to greet your guests with some fun wedding entertainment ideas while waiting. Presentation is important to establish that romantic ambiance of the venue.

1. Quirky Guest Book

A guest book is nice to have so that the couple has something that they can keep as a reminder of who attended their wedding. There are a lot of things that you can come up with to make your guest book unique and fun for the guests and this is also a fun wedding entertainment to keep your guest busy.

  • Typewriter notes: Ask your guests to type messages in an old-fashioned way.
  • Polaroid: Provide a camera for guests to use and print out photos with their messages on it, then attach to the guest book.
  • Video booth: A place for guests to record their messages and later collected into a montage for the couple to see.
  • Bucket List: Let guests help you create a list of things to experience as a married couple.
  • Message Board: Prepare a large board with a frame with the couples’ photo and let guests write their message on it.

2. Appetizers / Dessert Table / Candy Bar

A wide range of choices of finger food to keep the guests happy until the main course. It can be a combination of savory and sweet light snacks or it depends on what the couple would like. You don’t want guests waiting for you with an empty stomach.

3. Beverage Station / Cocktail Bar

This is usually beside the appetizer table. It could be non-alcoholic, alcoholic, or a combination of both. Make sure there is a variety for the guests to choose from.

4. Photo Booth / Dress Up Boxes

A way to entertain your guests and make memories that they can take home with them.

5. Children’s Entertainment

If you don’t want kids running around during the program, you can set up a place and assign or hire someone to watch over the young ones. You can also set up some kids entertainment like magic shows, coloring station or any form of amusement that the children will love.

Program Proper (During Or After Dinner)

This starts when the couple arrives at the venue when they are called as Mr. and Mrs.

6. Wedding Games

Wedding games are a perfect way to get a lot of good vibes going! It doesn’t only develop camaraderie but it also offers fun and enjoyment to all participants. Here are some great games that you can use for your wedding.

Wedding Games for Guests

  • Dance Challenge: Name each dinner table by song title and whenever the song plays, the guests assigned to that table must dance. Either you tell them to rush to the dance floor or just stand up from their chairs and dance.
  • Couple Trivia: As guests take their seats for dinner, challenge them to a trivia game. Leave the questionnaires on their table and let them answer it. These questionnaires are all about the newlyweds so knowing them is a big advantage. Have someone collect and check the papers. People who answer everything correctly wins a dessert or a prize that is already prepared.
  • Bouquet and Garter Toss: Probably the most common game in every wedding. It’s kind of tradition to be doing this at the reception. The emcee will call every single lady in the room to participate in the bouquet toss. The bride will turn her back at the group of girls and throw the bouquet. Whoever catches it will be the one paired with the guy who catches the garter that the groom also threw.
  • Wedding Bingo: Everyone knows the mechanics of bingo. But instead of numbers, each box contains something that is applicable to them or not. Guests will sign the spaces that they match until they get a perfect bingo. The first ones who gets a bingo will have a prize from the couple.
  • Crossword: Hand out crossword puzzles on every table with questions about the newlyweds. The first person who gets everything correct will win a prize or a dessert.
  • Dance Instructor: In some wedding parties, it is customary to bring in a dance instructor. His or her task will be to drill the guests on a particular type of dance that is needed. Every interested guest will come up for the lessons in front of the entire crowd. This will be done ahead of starting the dancing properly. If you get someone to drill the future dancers, remember that it is not only something interesting but the teaching process itself is something that will go a long way to entertain the entire guest.

Wedding Game For The Newlyweds

  • Couple Quiz/The Shoe Game: This is probably one of the favorite game to play at wedding receptions. The bride and groom seat back-to-back in front of all their guests. The bride holds one of her shoes and one of her groom’s shoes, as does the groom.

    The emcee or a member of the bridal party asks questions about who did who and the couple answer simultaneously by holding up the shoe that corresponds with their answer. The entourage will decide on what questions will be asked.

    You can do this for about 10 to 15 minutes. The guests will enjoy watching the couple answer to the questions. You can include questions like:
  • Who made the first move?
  • Who eats more junk food?
  • Who is more organized?
  • Who is the animal lover?
  • Who said I love you first?
  • Who do you love more than anyone in the world?

Wedding Games Prizes

Prizes depend on the budget of the couple. Some weddings have overly extravagant prizes while some are budget-friendly ones. It is really up to the bride and groom on how much they will budget on prizes for the wedding games. Here are some prizes that you can give to your guests after every win.

  • Bottle of wine
  • Box of chocolate
  • A jar of homemade spread
  • Cookies
  • A bath set
  • A set of candles
  • Perfume
  • Polaroid camera
  • Towel
  • Blanket or scarf

7. Wedding DJs (increasing in popularity) vs Live Band

The music sets the mood at the venue. Music is played in the background throughout the program. It depends on your budget though.

8. First Dances

Either you set it before dining or after everyone has eaten.

9. Choreographed Routines

Done by the couple, entourage, family members or all. Usually planned weeks before the wedding since this requires time for practicing.

10. Video Presentations

Usually, it is either a montage of video messages from friends and family, a prenuptial video/picture montage that the couple did weeks before, or a same-day edit of their wedding. This is either done by the photographers and videographers that are hired for the event or by a friend if you’re on a budget.

Program Ending

This is the last part of the event where everyone has already eaten and wedding favors are handed out.

11. Surprise Fireworks Display

Who doesn’t love fireworks? Surprise your guest with an awesome firework display but it could be quite expensive though.

12. Sparkler Send-off

It is kind of a toned down version of fireworks. Hand a sparkler for each guest and light them up together. This works best at night and make sure photographers are standing by to take beautiful shots.

13. Final Thank You Speech

As a couple, make a short message for the guests, telling them your appreciation for attending your wedding day.

14. Photo with the Newlyweds

The couple mingles with the guests and also a chance to takes photos with them.

Conclusion

There is a lot of wedding entertainment to choose from. It’s up to the couple and their budget to decide on what kind of amusement they want. Whether if its DIY or something you paid a lot for, as long as the couple agrees with it and keeps everyone entertained and happy for the whole reception.

Jason Wheeler

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