Wedding Reception Entertainment Ideas
The ceremony and the first dance take care of themselves. It’s the gaps in between that need a plan: the drinks reception while photos are taken, the wait between courses, and the slump before the evening guests arrive. Here are ideas that fill those gaps without turning the day into a game show.
During the drinks reception
This is usually the longest wait of the day, while the couple are off having photos taken.
- Lawn games. Giant Jenga, Connect Four and quoits are cheap to hire and need no explaining.
- A guest book with a twist. Polaroid cameras next to the book, or an audio guest book phone where guests leave a message.
- A live musician. An acoustic guitarist or string trio sets the tone without needing anyone’s attention.
At the tables
Guests at a table of strangers appreciate something to talk about.
- Table quizzes about the couple. How did they meet? Who said “I love you” first? The table with the most right answers gets the first trip to the buffet.
- Disposable cameras, or a shared photo album guests can add to on their phones.
- Name the table after a place that matters to the couple, with a short story on the table card about why.
During the speeches
The speeches are the one time every guest is in the same room, paying attention. They’re also where the most memorable moments happen.
- A photo reveal. Instead of a projector, put embarrassing photos of the couple on every guest’s phone. Each table gets a QR card, and the best man or maid of honour reveals the code during their speech. The whole room browses and reacts together. PhotoLeak is built for exactly this.
- The shoe game. The couple sit back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of their partner’s, and raise the right shoe in answer to questions like “who’s the better cook?”.
- A surprise video message from someone who couldn’t be there.
If photos are part of a speech, our guides to the best man speech and the maid of honour speech cover how to choose them without crossing the line.
In the evening
- A sweet or cheese table to keep energy up when the evening guests arrive.
- A photo booth with props. Still popular for good reason.
- A ceilidh caller or dance teacher for the first hour gets people on the floor who would never dance otherwise.
- Leave the photos running. A photo site from the speeches gives late arrivals something to catch up on, and guests keep scrolling well into the evening.
Keep it proportional
You don’t need all of these. Pick one thing for each slow moment of the day:
| Moment | One good idea |
|---|---|
| Drinks reception | Lawn games |
| The meal | A table quiz about the couple |
| The speeches | A photo reveal on guests’ phones |
| The evening | A photo booth or a ceilidh caller |
Things to check with the venue
- What time the speeches will actually start (they usually run late)
- Whether the venue has decent phone signal or guest Wi-Fi
- Where tables, games and booths can go, and what needs to be cleared away
Planning a reveal for the speeches? See how PhotoLeak works at a wedding, or try the demo with the code dave.