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Additional Wedding Entertainment

ninnyhammer

Hello (my first post so go easy on me

I’m getting married later in the year (Nov), in Leitrim. Originally, I wasn’t really bothered about any extras on the day but I attended two weddings recently, of either extreme, and I’ve started to reconsider my initial thoughts. The first wedding didn’t have any variant to the day e.g. the bouquet wasn’t even thrown. The other wedding had a lot of ‘surprises’ for the guests (fireworks, pig-on-a-spit, dancers, throwing of bouquet & garter…amoung a few).

While I enjoyed both days, I did find a lot of planned activities slight overkill (I felt it kept interrupting the atmosphere) but on the other hand, I did find the wedding without any break to the day quite…I cant say long or boring, but it just seemed to miss something.

I would be interested in your previous experiences at weddings, or what you did at your own. What did you enjoy or not enjoy? Also, what part of the day do you think is best to provide some entertainment/break in the day? And the costs would be useful too J

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tinkerbell

Personally I hate the throwing of the bouquet and the garter, I just hate it. I never participate in it. My bf and I were at a wedding before and he didn't know about the whole shenanigans that happen after the bouquet is caught. He was asking me why I wouldn't move from the table when the bouquet was being thrown - I was like "do you know what happens if I caught it? The guy who catches the garter has to put that garter on my leg with his teeth, no frikkin way is any guy coming near me that is not you!" He realised then that it wasn't a nice idea!!

Whispered

I think instead of throwing the bouquet we're going to do a couples dance thing. The band will request that all couples get up for a dance (I'll ensure he asks only once and that people are not goaded into doing it). Then after a min he'll ask people who are married less than 1 year or not married to have a seat, then people married less than 5, less than 10 etc until only 1 couple is left. The longest married couple in the room. The lady will be presented with the bridal bouquet. The only thing I can think of though is that 3 family members have lost their partner within the past 7 years, so would it be inapropiate? (BTW if this sounds silly let me know!)

I'd like to have some extra entertainment but I don't know what. I don't like the singing waiters idea, or magicians, or anything really that goes on while people are having their dinner.

Bookkeeper09

I was at a wedding 2 weeks ago and they had some Ceili dancing!
Was great craic!
We are having a 3 peice Philapeno band to play during our drinks reception!

ThePiedPiper

The business with the garter is completely cringe, in my opinion, for the bride and the groom. I also saw at a recent wedding the craic with the girl who catches the boquet sitting down and having some drunk lad trying to put the garter onto her... Car crash stuff to be honest, so I'd definitely stay away from stuff like that.

All of the extras are going to cost money, it really depends on your budget. In my experience, the more the extras, the less effect they have and people will inevitibly refer to a lot of the extra things you may do as gimmicks. At the end of the day, it's the people who are there that will make the day what it is. A good band and DJ is vital in my opinion.

charms.ie

Hey, I was at a wedding and there was a caricaturist there from around 3 hours, and people had lots of fun getting their piece done - lots of giggles were had and it did not interrupt the day at all as people were going up on their own or in twos so didn't break the party atmosphere. Its a bit of an icebreaker and gets people in good spirits!

rainbowtrout

Whispered wrote: »

I think instead of throwing the bouquet we're going to do a couples dance thing. The band will request that all couples get up for a dance (I'll ensure he asks only once and that people are not goaded into doing it). Then after a min he'll ask people who are married less than 1 year or not married to have a seat, then people married less than 5, less than 10 etc until only 1 couple is left. The longest married couple in the room. The lady will be presented with the bridal bouquet. The only thing I can think of though is that 3 family members have lost their partner within the past 7 years, so would it be inapropiate? (BTW if this sounds silly let me know!)

Well it means none of the single people can get involved if you have any going to the wedding and could feel like tools sitting at their tables.

rainbowtrout

charms.ie wrote: »

Hey, I was at a wedding and there was a caricaturist there from around 3 hours, and people had lots of fun getting their piece done - lots of giggles were had and it did not interrupt the day at all as people were going up on their own or in twos so didn't break the party atmosphere. Its a bit of an icebreaker and gets people in good spirits!

Friend of mine was at a wedding last week and he said there was a caricaturist at it and it was great fun. Everyone wanted their picture done and it passed the time between the ceremony and the meal when everyone is usually just milling around the hotel bar.

Whispered

rainbowtrout wrote: »

Well it means none of the single people can get involved if you have any going to the wedding and could feel like tools sitting at their tables.

It'd only be for a minute though. Although something I didn't think about. Most of the single people are in a group of friends, so it might not be a problem. Will have to have a look at the guest list, I wouldn't want to make people feel uncomfortable.

ninnyhammer

Lots of great suggestions there, thanks. I've been thinking about it since and I'm now leaning towards organising the local set dancers to do a 10/15 minute piece. Not everyones ideal i'm sure, but can anyone suggest the best time to put on the entertainment. Is the band usually stopped for this activity or what is the norm?

Love the idea of the caricature between reception & dinner but prob out of my budget me thinks.

Also, I think that's a sweet idea of giving the bouquet to the oldest married bride. I would feel for those recently single or bereaved but you could end up with the same result without making it too obvious.

Skyelite

Whispered wrote: »

It'd only be for a minute though. Although something I didn't think about. Most of the single people are in a group of friends, so it might not be a problem. Will have to have a look at the guest list, I wouldn't want to make people feel uncomfortable.

Hi Whispered.
I just had to reply to you. Been a while since I logged in here, had to go to the trouble of having my password reset.

I was at a wedding a few years ago where this couple dance thing was done. I was single at the time and at the wedding with a big group of friends (who were mainly in relationships). It was so horrible to find myself the only person left sitting at the table. Mortifying and humiliating is the only words that I can use to describe the situation. I was not one to be bothered about being single but at that moment in time I just wished the ground could of opened up and swalled me whole.

Also - your family members who are recently bereaved - it will be tough enough for them to make the effort to attend your day alone as it is, not to mind be reminded of it like this.

Sorry, don't mean to rain on your ideas but I feel quite stongly about it after being put in the situation myself at my friends wedding and also having to watch my mother ask one of us to partner her to parties and weddings since my Dad passed away is tough.

Whispered

Thanks so much for your input skyelite. It is definately something I should rethink.

I suppose I just wanted to honour the longest married couple in the room, being the newest married couple if you know what I mean. I'll have to find another way of doing that.

peggie

i like your idea of honoring the longest married couple, you could do it without asking everyone to do the dance as was suggested but rather its your wedding so you know who's going, ask your family and OH's family who is the longest and just invite them up to give her your flowers,
if there is someone longer married that you weren't aware of i'm sure they'll understand- you'd have to be pretty understanding to stay married for that long ;-)

enjoy

rainbowtrout

peggie wrote: »

i like your idea of honoring the longest married couple, you could do it without asking everyone to do the dance as was suggested but rather its your wedding so you know who's going, ask your family and OH's family who is the longest and just invite them up to give her your flowers,
if there is someone longer married that you weren't aware of i'm sure they'll understand- you'd have to be pretty understanding to stay married for that long ;-)

enjoy

That's a really good idea, if you put it as something like 'We would like to honour the longest married couple within our family and hope that our marriage will be as long as theirs' you should be able to cover all angles. Then nobody is insulted, or feeling awkward or left out. Unless you both have really big families and they are all coming to the wedding it shouldn't be too hard to find out.

Heineken Helen

I'll throw the bouquet and the cake but not doing the garter thing or a first dance. I'm struggling to come up with ideas to fill out the day. I want everyone to have a laugh from early on and not quite sure how to do it

maybe a comedian?:o Or some kinda spot prizes or ahh... I dunno

mac36

Hi there, not sure if this is what you would be looking for but I was at a wedding in the Landmark Hotel, Carrick On Shannon near the end of last year and the couple had organised a girl to play the violin before the meal when all the guests were seated. Now when I say play the violin I mean she played some really good lively songs and had all the guests clapping and joining in. She went around all the tables and I have to say it really made for a great atmosphere.

H8GHOTI

Heineken Helen wrote: »

I'll throw the bouquet and the cake but not doing the garter thing or a first dance. I'm struggling to come up with ideas to fill out the day. I want everyone to have a laugh from early on and not quite sure how to do it maybe a comedian?:o Or some kinda spot prizes or ahh... I dunno

Never heard of someone throwing the cake before

As for the comedian, I wouldn't bother. Unless you can get a big name that's on tv or something, chances are they won't be that funny. I was at a Christmas party with work one year and they had some comedy act on, and it just didn't go down well at all. They weren't funny, didn't really get the crowds attention and then everyone just starting talking between themselves. A wedding might be different, or it might work in a smaller venue or a smaller crowd but I wouldn't be taking the chance personally.

I like that idea about the caricaturist. Anyone any idea how much that would cost?

Heineken Helen

H8GHOTI wrote: »

Never heard of someone throwing the cake before
As for the comedian, I wouldn't bother. Unless you can get a big name that's on tv or something, chances are they won't be that funny. I was at a Christmas party with work one year and they had some comedy act on, and it just didn't go down well at all. They weren't funny, didn't really get the crowds attention and then everyone just starting talking between themselves. A wedding might be different, or it might work in a smaller venue or a smaller crowd but I wouldn't be taking the chance personally.

I like that idea about the caricaturist. Anyone any idea how much that would cost?

smartarse!

Yeh, I see where you're coming from... or it doesn't really invite people to join in and get to know eachother... unless a comedian involves everyone somehow. But yeh, it just wouldn't work.

Throwing the cake would make for a good comedy moment though