Wedding entertainment ideas: 40 ways to keep guests having fun
Forty ideas for every part of the day and every budget, what to book first and how to make it all run smoothly.
Updated · 6 min read·By the DropSnaps team
Quick answer
The best wedding entertainment fits each part of the day: acoustic music and lawn games during the drinks reception, something at the tables during the meal, then a band or DJ and a busy dance floor in the evening. Free and cheap ideas work too, such as a photo scavenger hunt, a live slideshow of guests' photos and a playlist your guests help choose.
Questions people ask
What entertainment should I have at my wedding?
Music for the evening, a band or a DJ, is the one thing most weddings book. Add something for the drinks reception, such as lawn games, a magician or acoustic music, and something light for the meal, such as a table quiz.
How do you keep guests entertained at a wedding?
Fill the gaps: the drinks reception while photos are taken, the turnaround between the meal and the evening, and the moment the dance floor needs a push. Lawn games, a photo scavenger hunt, a live slideshow of guests' photos and late-night food all help.
What are some cheap wedding entertainment ideas?
Borrowed garden games, a table quiz about the two of you, the shoe game, a photo scavenger hunt, a DIY photo booth and a playlist guests help choose. A live slideshow of guests' photos is free on DropSnaps for up to 50 photos.
When should we book wedding entertainment?
Book the band or DJ as soon as you have a date and a venue, since the best-known acts get booked up a long way ahead. Most other entertainment can be booked six to nine months before, and DIY ideas in the last couple of months.
What are some quirky wedding entertainment ideas?
Singing waiters, a ceilidh, a silent disco, fun casino tables, a live portrait artist, fire performers and a coconut shy are all memorable without costing the earth.
Great wedding entertainment isn't about spending the most. It's about filling the quiet moments: the hour between the ceremony and the meal, the lull while the room is turned around, and the point in the evening when the dance floor needs a nudge. Here are 40 ideas for every part of the day and every budget, plus what to book first and how to make it all run smoothly.
What to book first
Music is the one thing to book early. The best-known bands and DJs get booked up a long way ahead, especially for summer Saturdays, so secure yours as soon as you have a date and a venue. Next, anything the venue has to approve (fireworks, a silent disco, a food truck) and anything in short supply near you (a magician, a caricaturist, a photo booth). Games, playlists and DIY ideas can wait until the last couple of months.
During the drinks reception
This is the longest gap in the day, often an hour and a half or more while the photographer works through the group shots. Give guests something to do besides queue at the bar.
Lawn games: giant Jenga, Connect 4, croquet, quoits and boules. Borrow a set or hire one.
Live acoustic music: a duo, a string quartet, a harpist or a steel band.
A close-up magician who moves between groups. Brilliant for mixing two families who've never met.
A caricaturist or live portrait artist, so guests leave with a drawing of themselves.
A photo scavenger hunt: a list of shots to take, with a prize for the table that ticks off the most. Our wedding games and photo challenges guide has a ready-made list.
A live slideshow of guests' photos on a screen, starting with the confetti shots. Guests love seeing their own photos appear.
A cocktail bar with a signature drink named after the two of you, plus a mocktail.
A tasting: gin, whisky, cider or English sparkling wine, led by a local producer.
Fairground games: a coconut shy, hook-a-duck or a tin-can alley for a village-fete feel.
An ice cream van or sweet cart, especially on a hot day.
During the meal and speeches
Singing waiters: "staff" who drop a tray and burst into song. Keep it a secret from everyone except the venue.
A table quiz about the two of you, with a prize for the table that knows you best.
A speech sweepstake: guests guess how long the best man's speech will last, and the closest wins.
Musical chairs between courses: one guest from each table moves on, so people meet new faces.
Table names with a story, such as places you've travelled, with a card explaining why.
A live photo wall guests can browse on their phones while they wait for the next course. See our live photo wall guide.
A photo challenge card on each table: "your table's best group photo", "a selfie with the couple".
A wedding newspaper or activity sheet with a crossword, a word search and the story of how you met.
In the evening
A live band. Nothing fills a dance floor like a good one.
A DJ, on their own or with a live saxophonist or percussionist playing over the top.
A ceilidh with a caller who teaches every dance, so everyone joins in, from grandparents to children.
A silent disco: wireless headphones with two or three channels. Great where the venue has a noise limit.
Karaoke once the dance floor is warmed up.
A photo booth with props, or a DIY booth corner. See our photo booth ideas.
A first-dance surprise: a rehearsed routine, or a slow dance that switches to something else entirely.
A sparkler moment for photos, if the venue allows them.
Fireworks as a finale, if the venue allows them.
Late-night food: a pizza van, bacon rolls, fish and chips or a cheese table.
Glow sticks and LED props handed out as the night goes on.
A dance-off or limbo called by the DJ or the band.
Fire performers or a drumming group, for an outdoor venue.
Fun casino tables with play money, for guests who'd rather not dance.
For children
Activity packs at each child's place: colouring, stickers and puzzles.
A children's entertainer for an hour during the speeches or early evening.
A kids' corner with games, books, beanbags and a film.
A bubble machine on the dance floor.
Free and cheap ideas
A playlist your guests help choose: ask for one song request with each RSVP.
The shoe game: the two of you back to back, raising a shoe to questions like "Who's the better cook?".
Borrowed garden games from friends and family.
A DIY photo booth: a backdrop, a box of props and a phone on a tripod.
The photo scavenger hunt, the quiz and the live slideshow cost little or nothing too. With DropSnaps, guests scan a QR code on the tables to share their photos, and they appear on the slideshow within seconds. It's free for small weddings, up to 50 photos.
A live slideshow of guests' photos keeps the room watching between moments
What to have when
Part of the day
Typical length
Ideas that work
Drinks reception
1½ to 2 hours
Acoustic music, lawn games, a magician, a caricaturist, the photo scavenger hunt
The meal and speeches
2 to 3 hours
Singing waiters, a table quiz, a speech sweepstake, the live photo wall
The evening
4 to 5 hours
A band or DJ, a photo booth, late-night food, sparklers or fireworks
Tips for entertainment that works
Check the venue's rules early. Many venues have a sound limiter, a curfew for music, and rules about fireworks, sparklers, confetti and candles.
Don't fill every minute. Guests want time to talk, too. One thing at a time is plenty.
Plan for rain. Lawn games need an indoor alternative, and so does a sparkler send-off.
Think about every guest. Seat older relatives away from the speakers, and give children something to do during the speeches.
Tell guests what's coming. An order of the day on a sign, and an MC to announce each thing, make sure nobody misses the magician or the first dance.
Make the photos part of the fun. A QR code on every table and a slideshow on a screen turn the whole day into a shared album. Afterwards you download every photo and video your guests took. See wedding photo sharing for how it works.
