We understand that dancing is an important part of any wedding reception and for this reason, many couples have decided to postpone their wedding to continue the party they’ve always dreamed of. However, we are here to tell you that you can still have a party without dancing. And trust us when we say this because we had the pleasure of experiencing this first-hand in 2021 with the weddings we planned. Because your guest count is smaller, your guests are much more in tune with the events you have planned for them for your big day. No one is rushing to eat their dinner to get to the dance floor. Instead, your guests are truly experiencing the food you’ve selected, the speeches you have prepared and the music you are entertaining them with. We’ve put together our top wedding reception entertainment ideas for your wedding in 2021. Keep scrolling to read more!
1. A Musician
Cocktail hour is looking different these days as food and beverage must be consumed while seated, but this doesn’t mean you can’t include cocktail entertainment. As guests make their way into the reception space, find their seats and dig into plated hors d’oeuvres, you can think about hiring musicians to keep them entertained until your reception program begins. There are several options varying from violinists, harpists and string quartets. What we truly enjoy most about these musicians is that they can play pretty much any genre of music! People often assume they only play old classical music, but trust us when they say they can play your favourite Drake track or a classical Bollywood dance song!
2. A Comedian
We could all use some laughter these days, don’t you think so? Think about hiring a comedian for an hour to entertain your wedding guests. You can allocate time in between your courses, but we feel it’s best if you save the laughter for after dessert. This will ensure your guests’ bellies are full so that they are not distracted by food or other things. If you’ve attended comedy shows in the past, you’ll know they often take place late at night anyhow! To get a comedian’s best performance, the crowd should always be engaged. You can work with your A/V & lighting team to dim the lights and have a spotlight on the comedian to almost resemble being at a stand-up comedy night. How great would that be? Who knows when we’ll be able to attend comedy shows in the future so why not bring this experience to your guests?
3. Meaningful Toasts
Don’t get us wrong here! Toasts have always been meaningful. However, being able to gather after so long with an intimate setting where all your guests will likely know one another well, toasts will be just that much more touching. Before COVID-19, we would have likely told you to keep speeches and toasts at a minimum to keep the night going, not to bore guests and to open the dance floor early, however speeches and toasts now make the perfect fillers for in between courses. As mentioned, your guest count will likely be smaller than anticipated so wanting to listen to a loved one, in a room filled with loved ones, sounds pretty amazing and much needed.
4. You Can Still Have a Band and/or DJ
Just because dancing isn’t permitted at the moment, doesn’t mean you need to eliminate a band or a DJ completely. We would still go to restaurants and bars to enjoy the music without dancing, so think of it the same way. A band or DJ still make a great option to play background music. If you are choosing to have a band or other type of live music, you can have them play your favourite track or a track requested by guests as a filler in between courses. When have you attended a wedding where you paid full attention to a band? You probably haven’t! You can now have the chance to do this and bring almost a concert type of experience to your guests at your wedding!
5. First Dance & Cake Cutting
Don’t forget that your first dance and cake cutting ceremony are entertainment ideas within themselves. You can put more emphasis and time with these two symbolic wedding components. For example, instead of having your DJ play your first dance track, think about hiring a musician such as a guitarist to play and sing your first dance song. Not only will your guests truly embrace the moment, but so will you and your partner! We had a client of ours who did just this last year and it was so incredibly magical!
6. Pre-Produced Videos
Don’t forget to include videos as they also make for great fillers in between courses and entertainment overall. More than just your same or next day edit from your cinematographer, think about incorporating video or audio speeches of guests who, unfortunately, could not be in attendance. You can also create a video of your love story from how you met to the proposal and everything in between. If you chose to get married last year and are looking to celebrate an intimate dinner reception this year, then definitely incorporate footage from your wedding day too!
If you’re in need of sourcing your wedding reception entertainment, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here. We would love to make your dinner reception a night to remember!
