Your venue, your menu your theme: Everything about your wedding says something about your tastes and personality.

That certainly holds true for the type of entertainment you choose.

If joyous, dazzling, and fun are among the adjectives that come to mind when you envision your ideal wedding reception, lining up special entertainment for your reception could be a perfect way to create the day of your dreams. 

You’ll find there’s practically no limit to the options available for couples who envision something truly spectacular for their big day.

You can go for show-stopping circus acts like acrobats and aerialists or arrange dance numbers worthy of a Broadway show.

A wedding is, after all, a time to celebrate. If you want to do that in a big way, you should.

Channel Your Inner Child

Maybe you’d like your guests to experience the sense of wonder that circus acts can create.

Multiple vendors specialize in this type of entertainment and can connect you with professional jugglers, acrobats, belly dancers, trapeze artists — even sword swallowers.

Circus performers do add a certain “wow” factor to events, and if you arrange for strolling entertainers, they’ll also encourage mingling among your guests.

Take A Classic Approach

Depending on the vibe you want for your wedding, classical music could be a perfect addition. You can line up a string quartet, a harpist, or even professional opera singers.

Amazement and Laughter

Of course, one sure-fire way to make your reception magical is to feature a professional magician.

As Close-Up Chris Magician of the United Kingdom explained in a blog, a good magic show can help make a wedding unforgettable.

“People remember how they felt at an event,” he wrote. “It’s why you want to be focused on evoking emotions that feel good. Guess what… magic is an easy way to create the vibe you want. For starters, magic involves the audience — so there’s no yawning from the sidelines. And because magic evokes a response in people, the collective enjoyment creates an upbeat buzz that will infuse through your event to get everyone smiling.”

Along the same lines, an upbeat stand-up comedian can add a sense of joy and mirth to your celebration. Some comedians even serve as wedding officiants.

During an interview with WTOP News, New York comedian and wedding officiant Harris Bloom said the secret to his wedding industry success has been keeping his humor tasteful and geared to each couple’s taste.

“‘I’m not looking to get a laugh a minute; it’s still going to be poignant and meaningful,’” Bloom said. “‘But I do specialize in doing weddings with certainly more humor than people are used to.’”

A Longtime Trend That’s Cool Again

Ice sculpture, a popular wedding fixture in the 1990s and early 2000s, is making a comeback. This time, though, the idea is to make your artistic frozen creations part of the guest experience. Couples have been incorporating their ice sculptures into raw bars and food displays. Others have been offering ice luges: a drink is poured through it and chilled by the time it flows into a glass.

Choreographing Wedding Success

Professional wedding dancers are a great way to add sparkle to your event.

They can present stunning performances for pure entertainment value, showcase your wedding theme (for example, recreate your favorite dance scene from the Silver Screen for your movie-themed wedding), or help you celebrate your heritage.

Businesses that provide professional dancers often can provide custom choreography, props, backdrops, and accompanying singers, too. (You also can find businesses that will help you present a show-stopping couple’s dance!)

Another option: hire dancers to mingle with your guests and coax them onto the dance floor.

Here are a few more entertainment options to consider:

·      Character actors: From Elvis to your favorite fairy tale character, movie heroes to a knight in shining armor, with the help of the right vendor, they can be part of your wedding day.

·      Mechanical bulls: Thinking about a country wedding? You may want to rent a mechanical bull to add some adventure.

·      Professional wedding crashers: While wedding crashers — guests who aren’t expected, and possibly aren’t even acquainted with the bride or groom — are less than desirable, there is an exception to the rule. You can pay professional wedding crashers to mingle with guests, liven up conversations, and add an additional element of fun to your event.

·      Puppets: As Offbeat Bride once reported, “Puppet weddings are totally a thing.” Whether you’d like a vendor to create look-alike puppets for you and your spouse-to-be, or you’d enjoy a special puppet show during your reception, you can find a business ready and willing to help. We’ve even heard of puppets officiating weddings.

If you need help finding vendors that provide any of the options listed in this article, or would like to brainstorm additional entertainment ideas, don’t hesitate to ask a team member at The Bell Tower on 34th. Also, keep in mind, many of these ideas can bolster your corporate event planning efforts, too.

Your wedding entertainment can be as lively, exciting, and over-the-top as you want it to be.