# Wedding entertainment ideas: 40 ways to keep guests having fun

> 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.

Updated 7 October 2026 · 6 min read · By the DropSnaps team · https://dropsnaps.com/guides/wedding-entertainment-ideas

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.

1. **Lawn games**: giant Jenga, Connect 4, croquet, quoits and boules. Borrow a set or hire one.
2. **Live acoustic music**: a duo, a string quartet, a harpist or a steel band.
3. **A close-up magician** who moves between groups. Brilliant for mixing two families who've never met.
4. **A caricaturist or live portrait artist**, so guests leave with a drawing of themselves.
5. **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](https://dropsnaps.com/guides/wedding-games-and-photo-challenges) guide has a ready-made list.
6. **A live slideshow** of guests' photos on a screen, starting with the confetti shots. Guests love seeing their own photos appear.
7. **A cocktail bar** with a signature drink named after the two of you, plus a mocktail.
8. **A tasting**: gin, whisky, cider or English sparkling wine, led by a local producer.
9. **Fairground games**: a coconut shy, hook-a-duck or a tin-can alley for a village-fete feel.
10. **An ice cream van or sweet cart**, especially on a hot day.

## During the meal and speeches

11. **Singing waiters**: "staff" who drop a tray and burst into song. Keep it a secret from everyone except the venue.
12. **A table quiz about the two of you**, with a prize for the table that knows you best.
13. **A speech sweepstake**: guests guess how long the best man's speech will last, and the closest wins.
14. **Musical chairs between courses**: one guest from each table moves on, so people meet new faces.
15. **Table names with a story**, such as places you've travelled, with a card explaining why.
16. **A live photo wall** guests can browse on their phones while they wait for the next course. See our [live photo wall guide](https://dropsnaps.com/guides/wedding-live-photo-wall).
17. **A photo challenge card on each table**: "your table's best group photo", "a selfie with the couple".
18. **A wedding newspaper or activity sheet** with a crossword, a word search and the story of how you met.

## In the evening

19. **A live band.** Nothing fills a dance floor like a good one.
20. **A DJ**, on their own or with a live saxophonist or percussionist playing over the top.
21. **A ceilidh** with a caller who teaches every dance, so everyone joins in, from grandparents to children.
22. **A silent disco**: wireless headphones with two or three channels. Great where the venue has a noise limit.
23. **Karaoke** once the dance floor is warmed up.
24. **A photo booth** with props, or a DIY booth corner. See our [photo booth ideas](https://dropsnaps.com/guides/wedding-photo-booth-ideas).
25. **A first-dance surprise**: a rehearsed routine, or a slow dance that switches to something else entirely.
26. **A sparkler moment** for photos, if the venue allows them.
27. **Fireworks** as a finale, if the venue allows them.
28. **Late-night food**: a pizza van, bacon rolls, fish and chips or a cheese table.
29. **Glow sticks and LED props** handed out as the night goes on.
30. **A dance-off or limbo** called by the DJ or the band.
31. **Fire performers or a drumming group**, for an outdoor venue.
32. **Fun casino tables** with play money, for guests who'd rather not dance.

## For children

33. **Activity packs** at each child's place: colouring, stickers and puzzles.
34. **A children's entertainer** for an hour during the speeches or early evening.
35. **A kids' corner** with games, books, beanbags and a film.
36. **A bubble machine** on the dance floor.

## Free and cheap ideas

37. **A playlist your guests help choose**: ask for one song request with each RSVP.
38. **The shoe game**: the two of you back to back, raising a shoe to questions like "Who's the better cook?".
39. **Borrowed garden games** from friends and family.
40. **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.

![The live slideshow of a sample wedding, in the collage look](https://dropsnaps.com/examples/slideshow-collage.webp "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](https://dropsnaps.com/weddings) for how it works.

For more ideas, see our [wedding photo ideas and shot list](https://dropsnaps.com/guides/wedding-photo-ideas) and the [wedding slideshow guide](https://dropsnaps.com/guides/wedding-slideshow).

Try DropSnaps free at https://dropsnaps.com/, or open the live demo (a sample wedding) at https://dropsnaps.com/e/demo.

## Questions and answers

### 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.