So congratulations! If you are reading this then no doubt you are getting hitched and starting to plan your wedding! It’s an exciting yet very stressful time where you get to create the perfect day for you and your partner. There’s so much to plan and prepare, which cake to have, where to have the service and of course the dress! But one important thing to consider is entertainment. How can you keep your guests entertained at your wedding? A modern and exciting option is hiring a magician for your wedding – and here are 10 reasons why that is a great idea!
1 – It creates an atmosphere
One of the biggest things to consider is how you want your guests to feel at your wedding? It’s the most important day of your life and you want them to feel as happy and excited as you are. Well magic is a great way of creating that buzz. Close up magic at weddings involves the audience, and good magicians know how to keep everyone included so that it creates an exciting positive feeling at your wedding that just spreads to keep everyone smiling!
2 – It pleases lots of people
I remember at my wedding we had a bit of a mini disaster a couple of weeks before we were due to get hitched. Our DJ pulled out of the wedding leaving us with no music for the night. So a week before the wedding we were on facebook, calling up every DJ we could find and by chance found someone who was available so we booked them. We’d asked for typical wedding/chart music, music to get everyone up and dancing etc, but when it got to the wedding day we soon realised that this DJ didn’t quite understand our brief. At one point in the night I had to send my best man over to direct the DJ to change the music from dance/club style music as no one was dancing... While I am sure there was the odd person at the wedding who enjoyed it, there was a vast majority who didn’t. And while this is an extreme example, it’s very true of music in general, you can’t please everyone. You might love the band that’s playing, but your friends may not.
Yet magic is different. A good wedding magician can perform to various groups and adapt their style to match the audience member. As P.T. Barnum said "There's something for everyone!" Magic is generally a good all-round pleaser where a wedding magician can mingle with your guests and connect on a personal level, entertaining each and every guest no matter what they like. As a magician I like to carry a variety of tricks and props so I can tailor my performances to the individual so no matter what they like, they leave your wedding entertained.
3 – It’s not cliché..
If I asked you to think of wedding entertainment right now you would probably think of a band or DJ. And that’s not a bad thing. Your guests have come to expect certain things at weddings and if they weren’t there it would be a surprise. But what better way to surprise your guests then with entertainment they aren’t expecting. It also makes your wedding stand out. Whether we’d like to admit it or not we all end up competing to see who has the most memorable or unique wedding and close up magic can leave your guests talking about your wedding for weeks afterwards.
4 – It breaks the ice…
Wedding receptions often start out slowly. This isn’t the fault of the bride and groom but it happens at most events. Your guests will enter, sit down and get settled as they adjust to the venue and get to know what’s going on. It’s completely normal but for some people it causes concern as it doesn’t look like people are having fun straight away. People can take time to “warm up” to a party. One of the good things about wedding magic is that it helps speed up this warming up process. A good wedding magician can break the ice, start entertaining guests and making them feel welcome and that there is a party going on. A few tricks later and your guests are ready for the rest of the evening. It also gives your guests a great talking point to start conversations off. Which leads to my next point…
5 – It connects guests
What do your grandmother and a 20-year-old male colleague have in common? The answer is not much. The only time their world would really collide is at your wedding. Weddings are one of the few places that everyone we know are in the same venue. So making conversation between groups can be really hard, especially if they end up at the same table by co-incidence. This is where wedding magicians can come in really handy. Magic is great at starting conversations and connecting people. Even in the most simple way of “Have you seen that magician? Did you see it when…?” it starts of conversations and makes guests talk to each other. I’ve lost count of times I’ve overheard people starting conversations about tricks I’ve done and it leading on to people telling stories to each other. Magic has a real way of connecting people, which is why its perfect to have at your wedding.
6 – It works anywhere in the venue…
One of the less noticeable positives to wedding magic is that wedding magicians can be flexible when it comes to where they perform. Normally entertainment is fixed in one place – the band is always in the same corner of the room, a photobooth is in the opposite space, but a magician can read a room and go where they are needed. They are mobile entertainment and can see where there are people who would like to be entertained and go there. Magicians are also great for working well with other entertainment. They can work with bands, photobooths and any other entertainment you have to ensure your guests are thoroughly entertained without all being crowded in one area
7 – It avoid lulls in the day
As the happy couple I can assure you, you will not stop all day. From the moment you walk down the aisle to your final dance of the evening you will be so busy you won’t have time to think or even breathe. The same though can’t be said of your guests. While you are having your photos taken is a great example. You’ll be really busy posing with an array of family and friends but quite often your guests will be left to fend for themselves inbetween shots. So what better way to keep them entertained then by booking a wedding magician to entertain your guests while they wait. Magicians can be used for a lot of points during the day, from photos, as the wedding breakfast is being served, right through to that awkward time inbetween the wedding breakfast and reception. This means that no matter what is going on your guests will be taken care of.
8 – It’s great for kids!
Speaking of guests, there is often a group of guests that are left to fend for themselves at weddings. Children are an amazing part of any wedding, but there are times when the day is a little bit too long for them, and 4 year olds are no good at sitting through a hundred speeches. So what better way of keeping them occupied than hiring a magician? Magic Dave is a family entertainer and provides entertainment for both children and adults. Whether its walk-around magic or even a little show in a side room during the speeches, Dave can provide entertainment for kids aged 1-100. A good wedding magician can also tailor their walkaround act to entertain and engage little ones so they too can feel special and that they have had a good time (but not of course at the expense of the adults getting entertained too. Personally at weddings I’ll always carry around a few balloons too so that children (and the odd bride too who requests it) can get a little gift to take home with them too.
9 – It’s great for photographers.
I know this probably isn’t in the forefront of your mind when booking an entertainer, but one of the ways that you’ll look back at your wedding in the future is through the photos you’ve taken of the day. And lets be honest you’re going to spend a lot of money on these photos so you want to get the best ones you can. Photographers love having magicians around for a simple reason. The reactions that people have when seeing magic are ones of excitement and happiness and what better expressions do photographers need to show off your special day? Having a magician at your wedding will help ensure that when you look back at those photos you’ll see a lot of genuinely happy faces smiling back at you, and it makes your photographers job a lot easier on the day!
10 - It’s great entertainment at affordable price
For many people this is probably one of the more important reasons. Weddings are expensive. Sometimes it feels like when you say the word “wedding” to a supplier their fees triple. And people don’t realise how expensive somethings can actually be. For a few hours entertaining you could expect to pay a 5 piece band around £1000, and a decent DJ could be around £800 for a few hours. Hiring a magician can be a cost-effective way of providing entertainment no matter what your budget. For myself, I remember how expensive weddings are and I want to help make your event the best day I can for you – without breaking the bank. Pound for pound, wedding magicians can provide an excellent service at a great price no matter how long your day is.
So that’s it! 10 awesome reasons why you should book a wedding magician for your event. If you are interested in booking a wedding magician, Magic Dave has over a 15 years experience working in the entertainment and wedding industry and knows how to make your wedding extra special. Based in Essex, Magic Dave can travel to most areas of the country and will happily send you a bespoke quote based on your exact needs. After attending hundreds of weddings Magic Dave truly has the experience to make your wedding extra magical.