77 Unique Ways to Entertain Your Wedding Guests
From singing waiters and live circus performers, to tribute bands and animal farms, these are the most epic wedding entertainment ideas ever
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Choosing your wedding entertainment can be so tricky because there are so many wedding entertainment suppliers out there to decide between. According to our latest National Wedding Survey results, a staggering 79% of couples said that their guests' happiness was the most important part of wedding planning, and much of that has to do with what wedding entertainment you choose.
Whether you're wondering how to entertain your wedding guests during the wedding photography part of the day, or you're looking for unique wedding entertainment ideas that'll keep your guests smiling all day, you've certainly come to the right place.
You want your wedding to be remembered (for all the right reasons) and having plenty of wedding entertainment ideas throughout your day is definitely the best way to make that happen. So, if you're wondering how to entertain guests at a wedding, get ready to be completely spoilt for choice as we have plenty for you to browse through.
How to Entertain Guests at a Wedding: 77 of the Best Wedding Entertainment Ideas
Here you will find 77 of the best wedding entertainment idea in the UK with everything from live painters and roaming bands, to alpaca petting zoos and tribute bands. Your guests won't believe their eyes when they see what you have in store for them. And the best bit? Most of these entertainment ideas are carried out by our wonderful Hitched suppliers.
Read on to find the perfect entertainment pick for your day, whether you fancy wedding fireworks, outdoor wedding games, or an alternative food idea to make your day utterly unique (and memorable).
- Creative Wedding Entertainment Ideas
- Personalised Wedding Entertainment Ideas
- Music Wedding Entertainment Ideas
- Food & Drink Wedding Entertainment Ideas
- How Much Does Wedding Entertainment Cost?
- How to Keep Wedding Guests Entertained During Photos?
Creative Wedding Entertainment Ideas
1. Have a Photo Booth
There’s a reason why hiring a wedding photo booth for your is such a popular idea – they’re so much fun. They also provide your guests with a lovely memento to take home with them to ensure they remember your wedding day forever.
The Proper Booth allows guests to create photos and boomerangs which can be instantly printed, air-dropped or emailed to them. Think your traditional photo booth, but seriously jazzed up.
2. Hire an Alpaca Petting Farm
If you’re having your wedding at a farm wedding venue, pay homage to your wedding theme by setting up a petting zoo.
Your guests (particularly any children you have at your wedding) will love to make friends with the local residents! Or how about an alpaca appearance? Believe it or not, there's a supplier for that! Charnwood Forest Alpacas are available to transport their gorgeous alpacas to your venue where your guests can pet them and get up close and personal.
3. Get Fire Performers
Can you imagine your guests excitement when they sit down to eat their three course meal and a group of fire performers start to work their magic? Oddle Entertainment Agency provide fire performers, along with a range of other acts including acrobats, jugglers and more.
5. Have Circus Entertainers
Speaking of more, why not go the whole hog and get the entire circus to perform at your wedding? There's plenty more incredible circus skills that an entertainer can bring to your wedding to wow your guests like the services offered by the team at Aerial Circus Entertainment.
Think amazing aerial and hoop performers, acrobats, stilt walkers, jugglers, mime artists, contortionists, tightwire dancers and more. If you want to put on a spectacle that'll rival Cirque du Soleil, hire circus entertainers to amaze your guests.
6. Use a Glitter Bar
Hosting a festival-themed wedding? A glitter bar is a seriously cool idea - we love seeing guests end the night with beards full of sparkles, eyebrows in multi-colour splendour, dancing under the disco lights with fabulous, festival-style glitter on their face.
And we're not just talking about a bit of glitter on the cheek, oh no. The team at Luminosity Glitter can do glitter hair, beards and more, meaning literally every guest can get involved in this unique wedding entertainment idea.
7. Have Retro Wedding Games
If you are looking for the ultimate creative entertainment for your milestones, Gaming4Weddings offers nostalgia in spades. The first of its kind, the company provides a host of retro game machines for wedding events - the most welcome and social of which being their dance machine.
Playing against formal traditions, owner Chris Hignell offers the First Dance Package as a way of helping couples showcase their passion for each other by doing something they both enjoy as opposed to simply swaying through a song together.
And the best part? As Chris explains, "It is a great crowd pleaser, and usually, the guests don't see it coming until the curtain is removed." It's a seriously fun alternative to the first dance that leaves newlyweds nerve-free and guests enthralled. Where do we sign up!?
8. Hire Casino Games
If a Las Vegas hen do was too much for the budget to handle, why not incorporate the buzzy theme into your wedding entertainment? Bring the glitz and the glamour of Las Vegas to your wedding day by putting casino tables out at your wedding reception.
Lots of companies like Wedding Casino Hire, hire out the tables and provide a croupier to run the games so you can sit back and have fun. Guests win chips and you could have a prize for the person who gets the most.
9. Hire a Mini-Golf Course
If you’re hosting a summer wedding, set up a miniature golf course for guests of all ages to enjoy - it's a great outdoor wedding game idea. Companies such as Portable Putts can provide a colourful option that will fit seamlessly into any open event space, providing endless entertainment in between wedding stages.
As the married couple, why not go head-to-head or play the winners of your tournament?
10. Arrange a Fireworks Display
What better way to end your wedding night than with a show stopping firework display? Not only are they the perfect end to a full day of celebrations but they lend themselves to a fantastic photo opportunity too.
It's not a good idea to start lighting fireworks yourselves after a day of, err, merriment, so opt for a professional firework supplier and let the experts create those magical moments for you! Sonning Fireworks plan mesmerising firework displays for weddings and milestone events so be sure to check out their listing and our other wedding firework suppliers.
11. Embrace Face Painting
You might think face painting is only for your younger wedding guests but we bet a fair few adults will want in on the action too. There'll be the classic butterfly, tiger and Spiderman looks for kids, but your older guests can rock some dainty flowers or a few leopard spots.
Tropical Bird Face & Body Art provide unique face paint entertainment that includes unique face painting and henna, too.
12. Include Children’s Colouring Stations
Colouring can keep kids occupied for hours: just cover a table in Kraft paper and scatter it with wedding-themed colouring books or let them scribble away on the paper. You won’t hear a peep from them!
If you’d rather keep things contained to the wedding breakfast tables, pop one of these cute personalised colouring books on each child’s place setting. They’re so sweet.
13. Play Giant Jenga
Everyone is partial to a game of Jenga, aren’t they? Set up a game of giant Jenga in the garden of your wedding venue and watch the merriment unfold. A classic, easy source of entertainment that is sure to have your guests on tenterhooks!
14. Have Guests Write Advice Cards
If you trust the words of wisdom you get from your wedding guests, why not set up a table with a post box and advice cards for your guests to fill in with funny words of wisdom. It's such a simple activity for guests to do, but brings a lot of laughs.
15. Play Virtual Reality Games
As part of your evening entertainment, you can hire Altered Reality Zone. They set up a VR party arcade where guests can fly through space, shoot lasers, solve puzzles and more.
16. Go On a Treasure Hunt
A treasure hunt is a great way to keep your young guests entertained. Provide them with a list of things to tick off, like spotting a person in a red outfit or a sign that has the word 'love' on.
You could even get some of the wedding party involved in the treasure hunt, for example, one of the clues could be to find the best man/maid of honour and they'll be able to tell the kids a secret message or give them a clue to where a prize is hidden.
17. Play Garden Games
If you're getting hitched in a garden wedding venue, why not hire Girl Friday Games, a wedding vendor who provides handmade, classic garden games perfect for outdoor events? This is something wedding guests of all ages can enjoy and will keep everyone entertained while you're off having your pictures done.
18. Enjoy Giant Connect Four
If you’re installing garden games, this is a great choice. The kids and adults at your wedding will love playing Connect Four. We adore this giant wooden set from Etsy which you can personalise with your choice of colours and wedding date. Not only will it offer bags of nostalgia for your guests, but its gorgeous look lends itself well to a fun family heirloom.
19. Gift Pamper Boxes
You might not think of this as an entertainment idea, but if your guests are anything like us, they'll love delving into a box of pampering goodies in the bathroom.
As well as deodorant, hairspray and some spare toiletries, put a few extras in there like a perfume to spritz, mints, lollipops, blotting paper - heck you could even have a curling iron or hair straighteners if there's a heat-proof pad and someone to make sure it's safe.
20. Put Out Wedding Table Games
Avoid small talk and awkward conversations between your guests with a few well-placed wedding table games. They are a welcome surprise at the start of any wedding breakfast and even more so for attendants not keen on busting a move on the dance floor.
We love this pack of icebreakers which includes a mix of conversation starters, dares and questions.
21. Table Pass the Parcel
Play pass the parcel around each of your wedding tables with icebreaker jokes and a little gift hidden between every layer. It sets the tone for a fun wedding reception and gets everyone in the mood for the hilarious groom speeches to come.
Kits like this hen party pass the parcel set can make for great entertainment at the wedding too, and we love the idea of a dare between each layer instead of a joke if your guests are into that sort of thing.
22. Have a Go At Axe Throwing
TimberJacks are a mobile axe-throwing business which will delight your guests with some unique entertainment. They'll bring their trailer to your event, which comes with two lanes, target boards, axes, festoon lighting and trained staff to guide your guests through the seriously fun experience.
23. Put Up an Outdoor Swing
If you're as in love with garden swings as us, you'll love hiring a rustic, chic swing from The Wedding Swing Company. It's the perfect backdrop for photos, with drapes, flowers and lights. Every couple will want to have a turn.
24. Hire a Magician
There are few things more entertaining than magic. It’s a skill that really gets the mind working, and your guests will be determined to figure out the secret behind the trick!
Magic Phil Taylor will wander around as your guests are enjoying their reception drinks to perform tricks. This guy really knows his stuff.
25. Give Out Hangover Kits
At the end of the night, do your wedding guests a solid with a table packed with hangover kits. Etsy has a host of custom hangover bags you can choose from, which you can fill with things like a bottle of water, paracetamol, cereal bars, disposable ear plugs, Berocca, a coffee sachet, mini dry shampoo, face wipes, and more.
It's a sweet final touch and a godsend for guests on the way home facing one hell of a morning after. See more wedding hangover kit ideas here.
26. Get an Owl Ring Bearer
For a really romantic ring arrival, what about having them delivered by a barn owl?! The Barn Owl Ring Bearer team arrive discretely to keep the owl a surprise for guests until the ceremony, then the bird will silently swoop in to carry the rings to the gloved hand of one of the wedding party. The owl stays for an hour afterwards to entertain your family and friends.
27. Enjoy Fairground Rides
Hosting a vintage-themed wedding? Fairground rides might be a bit extra, but boy are they a cool thing to have on your big day!
Marleybrook House in Kent offers a fairground wedding theme in the most incredible way. It has vintage rides and fairground games on-site - your guests will literally never want to leave! We also have a whole selection of wedding venues with funfairs here.
28. Head Out On a Bus Tour
Are your guests from out of town? You could organise a tour of your city on an open-top bus with bubbles and a guide talking through the sights. It's a unique way to get wedding photos and a cool experience.
Golden Tours organise tours through the City of London, offering views of the London Eye, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge and Houses of Parliament. You could do it between your ceremony and reception or as part of a longer wedding weekend and see the sights without having to book a landmark wedding venue.
29. Let Off Confetti Cannons
If you don’t fancy finishing your wedding night with fireworks (or if your wedding venue doesn’t allow it), why not consider letting off confetti cannons? We love these white biodegradable ones from Etsy - just make sure your wedding photographer is on hand to capture the moment everyone lets them off, it'll make such a pretty shot!
30. Play Prosecco or Beer Pong
Everyone’s favourite party game of beer pong has got a sophisticated new sister... Prosecco Pong is a fun drinking game which could be set up anywhere in your wedding venue - just make sure your photographer knows to snap some pictures of your guests playing it.
This Prosecco vs Beer Pong set will definitely get people's competitive streaks flying and you can assign teams to mix people's groups up.
Personalised Wedding Entertainment Ideas
31. Make a Wheel of Fun
Putting a wheel of fun somewhere in your wedding reception will keep your guests entertained for hours. If you are already in DIY wedding mode, this could be a fun little extra to incorporate. However, if the project feels a little too hefty, this chic rustic wedding spin the wheel will blend into any venue.
Better yet, you are free to include custom activities that match your wedding theme. Whether you use it for presenting prices, breaking the ice, or starting a conga line is entirely up to you.
32. Get Some Unique Transport
Any cool arrival will be greeted by 'ooohs' and 'aaahs', but nothing will impress like a seriously unique wedding car. Gather your guests on the lawn to watch you and your new spouse touch down in a classic car, a horse and carriage, a tuk tuk, a VW campervan, a black cab, or even a tandem bike.
Imagine the reactions when you turn up in this bright pink Cadillac from Wedding Car Hire Dorset? Your guests can all have their picture taken with the car while you're off having your pro photos taken.
33. Play a Couples Quiz
This has got to be one of our favourite wedding entertainment ideas. See how well you and your new spouse know each other by going head-to-head in front of all your guests. Get guests to ask you questions while you hold up a paddle board to indicate who’s most likely to do it. We’ve got a whole load of fun couple questions here.
34. Get Custom Temporary Tattoos
Temporary tattoos are such good fun for kids and adults to cover themselves with. You could even take it one step further and get custom ones of you and your partner's faces like these fun designs from Etsy. See more unusual wedding favour ideas here.
35. Commission a Live Painter
Capture the magic of the day with an artist doing a live painting as the magic happens. Your guests will love wandering by and watching the painting come together and you'll have the most stunning piece of artwork for your home at the end of the day.
Award-winning wedding supplier Make Your Mark Event's Guest Canvas offers a live painting service that is incredibly creative and gets all of your guests involved, as well as leaving you with something memorable and bespoke to remember your day with.
36. Do a Choreographed First Dance
Give your guests the shock of their lives by learning a full-on dance routine for your first dance and performing it in front of everyone.
Couples who are well-known for having two pairs of left feet will be able to surprise their friends and family with their new-found talents if they book a dance lesson with First Dance Productions.
37. Buy Personalised Crackers
Crackers are a brilliant Christmas wedding idea your guests will just adore. How about making yours even more special with personalised crackers for each guest at their table setting that contain a little note from you? You'll love seeing the smiles on their faces as they pull the cracker and realise what's inside. They can even double up as Christmas wedding favours.
38. Invite Your Pet
Whether you bring them in for cuddles in your photos to have your pet as a ringbearer, everyone will be entertained by you including your furry best friend in the day. Amanda's Ark provides a kennel service where your four-legged VIP will the attentive care of a qualified handler to keep them safe, calm, and tended to throughout your big day.
They even extend their kennel for the duration of your honeymoon so you can jet-set in bliss, knowing your fur baby is well taken care of.
39. Have a Doggy Day Care
Speaking of dogs, why have just your dog at your wedding when you could have everyone's? Companies like A Pad 4 Paws offer a dog chaperoning service for your pooch and any others who need to attend. This way your perfect pups are tended for by professionals, whilst also acting as great entertainment for other guests as well.
40. Date Ideas Box
Banish the wedding blues by asking your wedding guests to provide date night ideas for newlyweds. We love this date ideas jar from Etsy which provides guests with folded hearts for them to write their best ideas on. Married life is sure to be full of fun.
41. Have an Unusual Guest Book
Guest books have always provided guests with something to do in the quiet moments between your wedding breakfast and party. So how about inspiring your guests to be more creative with the messages they leave (and keep them entertained for longer) by using one of our alternative guest book ideas including this wooden wedding jigsaw guest book by Manta Makes.
42. Organise a Photo Scavenger Hunt
How about creating a photo scavenger hunt for your guests to complete throughout the day? From a snap of the couple's beautiful outfits to a group selfie, it’ll bring out everyone’s competitive sides. If you've got something unique at your wedding (like a suit of armour at your castle venue), make sure it's on your list.
You could even encourage guests to upload their pictures to Instagram using your wedding hashtag.
43. Hire a Caricaturist
Give guests a wonderful keepsake of your wedding by hiring a caricaturist. Everyone will love this unique finishing touch to your big day, and you’ll have all guests – old and young – queuing up for their go.
We love talented artist Lucy Sheridan who runs Rubbish Portraits; she's the perfect alternative to a traditional wedding photo booth, drawing ink portraits of all your guests.
44. Have a Signature Cocktail Bar
Ask your venue or bar to whip up pitchers of a special signature wedding cocktail for each of you. Add a whole extra level of fun with a garnish section where guests can add their own extras, like glace cherries, edible flowers and glitter, fruit slices, edible cocktail toppers and popping candy. Guests can upload a photo of their creation with your hashtag and you can award a prize to the best cocktail.
Tchin-Tchin Bar encourage their couples to be as creative as possible with their drinks choices and offer a brilliant discount for anyone hiring them for both the pre-wedding festivities and the celebrations on the day too, so if you're struggling to think of ways to entertain your wedding guests over a wedding weekend - these guys could be the solution. Discover more wedding bars here.
45. Have a Wedding-Themed Piñata
Have a bit of good old-fashioned fun and set up a piñata at your wedding venue. On Etsy and Not on the High Street, the sky's the limit between custom piñatas shaped to look like wedding cakes, unicorns, diamond rings, or even your faces. Alternatively, how about your initials or perhaps something related to a hobby you both love?
46. Create a Personalised Wedding Magazine
A personalised wedding magazine or newspaper is a great time-filler for guests to read while sitting waiting for the ceremony to start or dotted around the reception room. Dapper & Bride can make a magazine for the day or one for after your wedding to share the day's highlights. It's a fab memento of the day and looks so cool!
47. Hire an Escape Room Experience
Did you know you can hire escape rooms for your wedding? If you're the kind of couple that love puzzles and team tasks, this is a fantastic and unique idea for wedding entertainment.
The Gamelab has a mobile escape room in a converted horsebox that they can bring to your wedding and offer a 15-minute escape room experience for up to four adults. Their standard game is called 'Find the Rings' where the wedding bands have been taken, but you can choose your own theme, from horror, superheroes and wizards to a bespoke story.
Music Wedding Entertainment Ideas
48. Surprise Everyone With Singing Waiters
Hiring singing waiters to perform at your wedding is a huge trend that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. Singing Surprise are a group of West End performers who will dress up as staff at your wedding before bursting into song during your wedding breakfast. They’re guaranteed to have everyone up on their feet.
49. Hire a Killer Wedding DJ
Perhaps a bit of an obvious one, but you’ve got to get people on the dance floor, and a wedding DJ is the best way to do that. We love Mitch Matthews who will have your wedding guests dancing all night long, as well as hundreds of other wedding DJ and band suppliers who are ready and waiting to get the party started for you.
50. Have a Live Band
If you’re hosting a rustic wedding, you might prefer a wedding band to a DJ. Blue Lion Band are a customisable three to 15 piece band who play a whole range of music genres. Between them, they’ve played with some of the best artists in the world including Ellie Goulding, Jason Derulo and George Michael.
51. Hire a String Quartet
Add a touch of sophistication to your wedding day by hiring a string quartet like Liquid Strings. It’s the perfect wedding entertainment choice for during your reception drinks or as your guests are waiting for the ceremony to start.
52. Have an Acoustic Guitarist & Singer Play
If your wedding theme doesn’t really lend itself to a string quartet, you could hire an acoustic singer and guitarist instead. They’re likely to take requests of your favourite songs to personalise your celebrations and would work for the drinks reception as well as being perfect for the actual ceremony itself.
24 Live Acoustic is a solo and duo acoustic wedding supplier who have more than 600 weddings under their belt. They have a wide range of wedding packages and performance options including slow, romantic performances and lively evening sets.
53. Roaming Musicians
Roving musicians and walkabout bands add a completely different dimension to your wedding music. These live bands will get your feet tapping as they bring the entertainment up close and personal. From Mariachi bands to barbershop quartets and roaming saxophonists, there's so many types of roaming musicians you can hire.
Music8 Agency provide a number of musical suppliers for weddings, including roaming acoustic and mariachi bands! There are so many different options to choose from here, and hiring them means you can have several wedding music acts all provided by one vendor.
54. Enjoy a Harpist's Music
If you’re hosting a fairy-tale-themed wedding, consider having a harpist play during your reception drinks. It’d be such an elegant touch and there's no better person for the job than Dorothy Harpist. Dorothy used to be the resident harpist at the Shangri-La Hotel and has years of classical training under her belt.
She offers classical sets as well as unique jazz, folk, Bollywood, Irish and modern music styles, making her a really unique wedding entertainment supplier.
55. Party at a Silent Disco
If your circle of friends love to party, they’ll most definitely appreciate a silent disco as entertainment. The atmosphere in a silent disco is one that cannot be matched by any other type of entertainment, and it’s a fantastic idea if your venue has a noise curfew.
Silent Noize Events have been providing silent disco weddings and parties in the West Midlands and beyond since 2010 and are pros at what they do. Their silent disco headphones come with three channels, so you and your crew can party to several different genres with something to keep everyone at the wedding happy.
56. Sing Along to Some Karaoke
From one unique wedding entertainment idea to another, who wouldn't want a pop-up karaoke booth at their wedding? We’ve all endured a bit of drunk karaoke in our time and loved every bit of it, right? So why not bring all the fun of your favourite karaoke bar to your wedding with a pop-up karaoke booth?
Your guests will love it, especially if you hire Lucky Voice Pop-Up Karaoke Booth, a mobile wedding experience with more than 10,000 classic and contemporary tunes for your guests to choose from. Want a wedding that everyone will be talking about for years to come? Then hire a karaoke booth...
57. Have a Steel Drum Band
Hosting a tropical themed wedding day? A steel drum band will transport you straight to the Caribbean, even if you decided against a destination wedding. The guys over at Steelasophical Steel Band are experts in their field, and offer more than 14 genres of Caribbean music on their incredible instruments.
Couples can choose from ceremony music, drinks reception performances, wedding breakfast songs, pre-evening, evening entertainment or the whole lot!
58. Hire Someone to Play Bagpipes
Gift your guests the true luxury of having a live bagpipes player at your wedding. Whether you're getting married in a Scottish wedding venue, have Scottish heritage or just love bagpipe music, there's no grander form of music wedding entertainment than that.
Andrew Brian Highland Bagpiper has been playing the pipes since he was nine years old and offers high standard performances wherever he is.
59. Dance Along to a Tribute Band
If you can't get Ed Sheeran or The Spice Girls to your wedding (we hear they're pretty busy these days...) why not have a tribute band play instead? On Hitched, we have every tribute act you can imagine from ABBA and The Carpenters, to Elvis and Adele.
Speaking of Adele, the Adele Tribute Act One and Only is the crème-de-la-crème of tribute acts. With clients including ITV, Channel 5, the BBC and Hilton Hotels, and even performing live on the Graham Norton Show, this performer is not to be underestimated.
60. Embrace Woodwind Instruments
Is there any better sound than saxophones, and woodwind instruments? Giving all the feels from Ibiza beach parties to New York jazz bars, bands like A Good Reed are able to make these brassy instruments sound more versatile than ever. With this band, you can have between four and six musicians, and for a small additional charge you can request any song you like!
61. Perform Your Own Song
Why hire someone else to sing at your wedding when you could do it yourself? Eliza Mishcon is a renowned vocal coach with years of experience. She has worked with huge names including Adele and Kylie Minogue and is sure to be able to work her magic on you, too.
62. Have Scottish Drummers
Scottish bagpipe and drumming duo Ross and Ailise are a siblings and love bringing their unique craft to people's weddings through their act; Dum + Drones. They have a decade of experience playing in Scottish bands and have performed at numerous large-scale events such as the Solheim Cup, Cop-26 and more - so why not make your wedding the next?
Bagpipes are one thing, but when you pair them with the unmissable sound of traditional Scottish drumming, you're guests will be truly lost for words.
Food and Drink Wedding Entertainment Ideas
63. Plan an Afternoon Tea
For the ultimate English garden party atmosphere, an afternoon tea is a must. While a full afternoon tea can replace your wedding breakfast, you can also do a smaller version instead of canapes. Think outside the box with teapots full of gin cocktails and a scone and cupcake display instead of a wedding cake and ask experts like Here Today, Scone Tomorrow for advice on dishes.
64. Watch Ice Cream Rolling
You've seen it all over Instagram and TikTok as a big wedding trend - now it's time to serve it at your wedding. IcyCurls UK bring rolled ice cream to your wedding and their products are vegan so dairy-free and vegan guests can enjoy them too. Your guests can pick from six flavours including cookies and cream, raspberry ripple, mango, and seasonal options like mince pie.
65. Tuck Into Some Street Food
If you’re struggling to know what food to serve to your guests in the evening, keep them entertained with street food trucks. It’s a great idea for a festival-style wedding. From Thai and Mexican to burgers and pizzas, there are so many cool food trucks you could choose from.
How about Cardona & Son? They offer authentic American BBQ to wedding guests and it’s utterly delicious!
66. Give Your Guests a Midnight Feast
Your favourite childhood sleepover activity can get an adult makeover with pizzas, hot dogs, nachos, doughnuts, popcorn and more. If your venue is allowed to keep the music going till the early hours, you'll want some food at this point to fuel your guests on the dancefloor.
The team at The Pizza Post are the perfect pick for a midnight feast of pizza - no guest will be turning that down before the last song...
67. Have a Waffle Stand
Doesn't everyone agree that brunch is the best meal? Bring those breakfast-y vibes to any time of your wedding day with a waffle stand like Bettys Waffle Co, serving up hot, crispy waffles with all the toppings. It's a fab option for late-night food as guests can choose between a savoury topping like chicken and gravy or some sweet chocolate and ice cream.
68. Set up a DIY Cocktail Bar
What’s not to love about having a cocktail cart at your wedding reception? You can set up a DIY one if your venue has no corkage charge or hire a mobile bar service for the most insanely delicious spirits, cocktails and frozen cocktails.
We love this self-service cocktail cart by husband-and-wife business Near And Far Mobile Bar.
69. Have a Hot Chocolate Bar
If you’re hosting a winter wedding, a hot chocolate bar is a great choice. Guests could pimp their drinks with cream, chocolate flakes and marshmallows—or you could add Baileys or Disaronno for an alcoholic version. Why not take it a step further with a full-on mobile coffee bar courtesy of Cute Little Drinks Van and keep guests nicely energised for the evening festivities.
70. Have a Whiskey and Cigar Bar
Do it like Don Draper and have a Mad Men-style whiskey and cigar bar in the evening at your wedding. You can create a little outdoor lounge with heaters where your guests can sip it on the rocks or in a cocktail and blow on a cigar. It's a really decadent addition to your night.
The Dorset Cart Company have a number of cute treat carts including their Whisky & Cigar Cart which features a number of different drinks, cigars and garnishes for the whisky.
71. Enjoy a Traditional Ice Cream Stall
Everybody loves ice cream, so if you’re hosting a retro-inspired wedding day, why not hire an ice cream cart to pop up at your reception? We love the vintage ones on a bicycle, like this one by Delicious Dreams Ice Creams. Some can even serve candy floss, popcorn, hot dogs, doughnuts, waffles and more too. It's a brilliant summer wedding idea.
72. Give Your Guests a Prosecco Drinks Van
If you’re looking for even more ways to include Prosecco in your wedding day, reach out to Thirsty Nomad.
This converted drinks caravan will bring all the glam to your big day and serve Prosecco or Prosecco-based wedding cocktails to your guests. Mocktails are also available, so non-drinkers don’t miss out.
73. Have a 'Pimp Your Drinks' Station
Prove your love for Prosecco (or any other drink, for that matter) by taking things one step further and installing a ‘Pimp Your Drinks’ bar at your wedding. DIY a cool sign and offer your guests these shimmery Prosecco accessories.
74. Grazing Tables
Grazing tables are a popular wedding trend and a wonderful alternative food and drink idea for your evening reception.
As the name suggests, guests will love to spend hours grazing on the delicious food you’ve laid out. Prize for the guest who makes the most visits! You can make a DIY grazing table or hire a company like Little Graze Company to make a stunning one for you.
75. Design a Doughnut Wall
Finally - a doughnut wedding idea! We love the cute doughnut walls you can buy which read “Hole-y Matrimony” or "I Dough". Funny and delicious. This Ginger Ray wall from Amazing is particularly brilliant and would suit so many different styles of doughnut.
76. Dessert Table
One of our favourite ways to entertain your guests is to offer a dessert table, like this one from Natalie Cake Studio. A whole table full of sweet treats is sure to impress your guests - and it’ll make for some great photographs, too.
77. Decorate Biscuits
You've never seen personalised, bespoke biscuits like the ones from Honeywell Biscuit Co - they are truly remarkable and perfect to be used as wedding favours or as part of the treat table. But why not take biscuits at your wedding one step further and have a decorating station where guests can add their own toppings - and perhaps attempt to recreate a Honeywell design, though they will struggle!
How Much Does Wedding Entertainment Cost?
Wedding entertainment costs vary so much. You can have free wedding entertainment in the shape of wedding quizzes, performances from guests and DIY ideas, right the way through to all-day live performers and musicians that will set you back thousands.
Like with most supplier costs, things that will impact the price are how far your wedding entertainers are traveling, how long they are expected to be at the wedding for, and what their running costs are. A photobooth or karaoke pod are going to have higher running costs than an acoustic soloist or a live painter, so these are all things to consider when booking your entertainment.
Hitched Editor Zoe Burke says, "There is no 'have to' when it comes to weddings, and especially wedding entertainment. The most important thing couples can do is choose one or two wedding entertainment must-haves that really suit their theme and budget."
How to Keep Wedding Guests Entertained During Photos?
While you and your partner are having your pictures taken, it's likely that your guests will be socialising and enjoying a cocktail hour. As most of them will want to catch up on the ceremony and mingle, we'd recommend roaming entertainment - someone or something that can work the room. For example, magicians are able to go from group to group keeping people entertained.
If you know your crowd will likely just want to chat and socialise without disruption, opt for some live music that will create the perfect ambiance instead.
We have so many more wedding entertainment ideas in our suppliers section, however, entertainment is not the only way to make your guests’ days better. Consider gifting them wedding favours, too. And don’t worry – we’ve got plenty of cheap wedding favours for under £1 that won’t break the bank.