From live painters to roaming bands and advice cards, we thought it was time to share 10 of our favourite fresh and memorable wedding entertainment ideas. A lovely addition not only for guests but for yourselves as the newlyweds too, wedding entertainment can be the perfect way to add a little extra to the wedding day, getting everyone involved and adding to the atmosphere. Plus, wedding entertainment ideas don’t have to just be for the wedding day – additions like advice cards can be a perfect keepsake for years to come. So, from polaroid cameras to vintage games and dessert spreads, we’ve put together 10 fresh and memorable wedding entertainment ideas– see below for more…
1. Hire a Live Painter to Capture Your Guests and the Wedding Day Ambience
Offering something a little different from a photographer or videographer, a live painter can bring the day to life through their hand painted creations. Whether you’d like them to capture different parts of the day or yourself and your guests (or both), their work can be a lovely keepsake to take home. We’ve seen a number of talented live painters at Pynes House in recent times and whether they’re at their easel in the rose gardens during the drinks reception or set up in one of our state rooms, they’re a great addition to the ambience of the day.
2. Offer Guests Polaroid Cameras and a Polaroid Printer For Phone Images
By simply placing polaroid cameras at various points throughout the venue (putting a few on the wedding breakfast tables is always a good idea), you can add to your wedding photos with some memorable photos from the perspective of your guests. You could also add in a small polaroid printer for any images taken on guests’ phones, ensuring that you have a cohesive (and novel) collection of guest photos at the end of the day!
3. Wedding Entertainment Ideas – Gather Wisdom From Your Guests with Advice Cards
An easy activity for kids and adults alike, advice cards can be a lovely wedding entertainment idea which also double as a sentimental keepsake. They don’t require too much setup either – simply put a glass jar or similar next to some slips of paper on a ledge in a frequented spot of the venue and watch your guests do the rest!
Read more: 5 reasons to choose a Manor House wedding venue
4. Enjoy Some Vintage Games for Your Wedding Entertainment
There’s something special about the novelty of a retro game at a wedding, especially when it’s set against a historical backdrop! The perfect balance of nostalgia and fun, you could consider casino games like roulette and blackjack or even some outdoor games like croquet. Here at Pynes House, we’ve seen many couples opt the wedding entertainment ideas of vintage games in the time between the wedding breakfast and the evening dancing, and we’re happy to offer our couples a list of recommended entertainment suppliers – get in touch with us here to see our recommended suppliers brochure.
See more: Outdoor Wedding Entertainment Ideas
5. Opt For an Abundant Dessert Spread Feasting Table
In addition to/ instead of a seated dessert, you could opt for a dessert table spread with a selection of desserts like cakes, pastries and sweets. An added benefit of a dessert spread is that it will give your guests the option to enjoy it at various points of the evening, which can be particularly good if you’ve had a filling wedding breakfast and need a little time before enjoying some sweet treats. Plus, it will make for some great photographs too – we’ve included some great shots of a dessert table we loved just below.
Read more: Ellie & Emilio’s dessert spread feasting table for their spring wedding
6. Hire a Roaming Band For Wedding Entertainment Ideas with an Immersive Experience
Roaming bands have become increasingly popular among our couples here at Pynes House and we can absolutely see why! A truly immersive experience, roaming bands can bring the most wonderful atmosphere whilst also keeping the entertainment flowing throughout the day. When it comes to choosing a roaming band, there’s plenty of options to suit a variety of musical instruments – from brass bands to quartets and roaming saxophonists, you’re sure to find something that you and your guests will love.
See more: James & Olivia’s Pynes House celebrations with a roaming band
Read more: All you need to know about roaming bands
7. Enjoy a Sophisticated Ambience with a String/Jazz Quartet or Acoustic Guitarist
Following on from roaming bands, wedding entertainment ideas of a jazz quartet or acoustic guitarist during the drinks reception or cocktail hour (or even earlier during the day while guests are arriving before the ceremony) can bring a lovely sophisticated yet relaxing ambience. When it comes to string quartets, we’ve seen a number of our Pynes House couples opt for Bridgerton style music, to really add to the country house feel of our Devon wedding venue.
See more: The Pynes House Gallery
8. Create a Bespoke Wedding Crossword Puzzle
A great way to add something a little different during the wedding breakfast, a wedding crossword puzzle about yourselves as the wedding couple can be a great way to focus on some of your milestones as a couple, while also providing some fun talking points! Whether it’s given as part of a wedding speech or included on the wedding breakfast table settings, this can a great and novel wedding entertainment idea.
Read more: an ultimate guide to writing a groom’s speech
8. Wedding Entertainment Ideas – Partake in a Mr & Mrs Quiz
Well established for good reason, the Mr & Mrs game is always sure to get your guests up and laughing! A great way to keep the atmosphere and energy up during the drinks reception or just following the wedding breakfast, the Mr & Mrs quiz (also know as the shoe game) involves the guests asking ‘most likely to’ questions while the newlyweds sit back to back and raise a paddle or shoe to indicate the person most likely to do the question being asked. For more, see this Hitched article on memorable Mr & Mrs question ideas…
10. Elevate Your Celebrations With a Champagne Tower
Last but not least, champagne towers absolutely deserve a mention as part of our favourite wedding entertainment ideas! A lovely focal point to the day and the perfect touch of elegance and celebration, a champagne tower can be a great wedding entertainment idea. Here at Pynes House, we’ve seen couples celebrate their champagne towers out in our rose terrace, in the grand entrance hall with a backdrop of the historic family crests or in the ornate Drawing Room. See some photos from James and Candice’s champagne tower in the Drawing Room, just below.
Read more: suzie & andy’s chic modern wedding at pynes house
That comes to the end of our 10 fresh and memorable wedding entertainment ideas! We hope that we’ve given you some useful ideas in your wedding planning journey. For more on wedding planning advice, head over to the Pynes House journal here, where you’ll find plenty of useful guides. To see our Devon wedding venue for yourself, please do get in touch to book your private in person or virtual show-round.