For some, booking wedding entertainment simply means hiring a DJ to help you and your guests dance into the night. For others, that’s just the beginning. Special dance performances, costumed entertainers serving food, and even celebrity music performances can amp up the celebration to create a party like no other. There are no rules when it comes to punctuating your wedding festivities—and luckily, there’s an amazing industry full of professionals who can help you pull out all the stops.
“Outside of the basics of hiring a band or DJ, the possibilities for wedding entertainment are endless. If a couple can dream it, we can create it,” shares Gretchen Rowe, executive director of event entertainment agency Élan Artists. “We are dedicated to enhancing the guest experience through music, dance, and storytelling. The combined talents of our musical and immersive departments allow us to create anything a couple can imagine! We have designed everything from icebreaker questions and activities for guests to custom entrances with bespoke music to stunning dance performances and even concert-style receptions that guests will remember for years to come.”
If you want to transform your wedding into a fully immersive entertainment experience or just want to zhuzh up the atmosphere with uniquely curated talent, read ahead to learn how to take your celebration to the next level.
How to Bring Entertainment to Your Wedding
As you consider any type of entertainment you would want to bring into your wedding day, it’s best to think of the party as a play in multiple acts: the ceremony, cocktail hour, the reception, and the after-party. While every part of the show should feel connected with one another, each can have a different tone.
“The ceremony’s entertainment should be subtle, setting the mood with options like a string quartet, gospel choir, guitar and vocalist, klezmer band, or greeters,” says Rowe. “The transition from ceremony to cocktail hour is a chance for something celebratory, such as a second line, flash mob, ballerinas, or a small band.” The next stage of cocktail hour can bring about more musicians, but also some more unique elements as guests mix and mingle. “Immersive entertainment can complement the music, with beautifully dressed entertainers offering hors d’oeuvres or drinks, station-based activities like typewriter poetry or tarot cards, or light dance or cirque performances.”
