Within the whirlwind that planning a wedding can become, it can be all too easy to forget about what your wedding guests are going to be doing while you’re getting professional photographs taken or talking to everybody. On the day itself, you’re likely to feel like everything is going at breakneck speed and filled with excitement and emotions, so for most couples, it means that keeping your wedding guests entertained gets pushed down to the bottom of the priority list. The good news is that if you plan ahead, there are plenty of options to consider for keeping guests entertained and making sure that nobody gets bored.

After all, your wedding day is all about celebrating the two of you as a couple, but your guests are there to celebrate with you as a part of this special day, so it’s important that they are happy. There are usually some moments during every wedding day like moving in between venues or waiting for you to walk in before dinner where having nothing to do might leave your guests bored.

A Wedding Band

A wedding band for your reception can fill the space while guests are waiting for the newly married couple to enter the room, and they can provide the music later on for all the dancing too. If you want to hire a live wedding band for your special day, check out some of the top UK wedding bands, do your research and make sure that you hire a wedding band that plays music you enjoy and can really incorporate into the theme and vibe of your wedding day. Jam Hot is a wedding band for hire that can really adapt to any kind of wedding day, whether you are throwing a lavish Asian wedding, a traditional Jewish wedding or a low-key celebration.

Hire a Photo Booth

Photo booths at weddings tend to be a huge hit with the guests, and for good reason. And, it gives you the chance to get some photographs of your guests having some fun throughout the special day rather than posed professional photographs alone. Why not make it even more fun with some personalised photo booth probs that symbolise your life together? Old hats, items of clothing or props that represent the places you have been together or things that you have achieved together can be a great way to add that personal touch to your guest entertainment.

Food Stations

DIY food and snacks might not be the most traditional option for a wedding, but it can work really well when it comes to keeping your guests entertained and encouraging everybody at your wedding to interact with one another and get to know each other. Street food stations, for example, are becoming a more popular choice for weddings, and it’s a great way to support local food vendors too. On the logistical side of things, it provides your guests with more options to choose from compared to a traditional three-course meal, and it can make it easier to ensure that everybody’s dietary requirements are catered to.

Karaoke

By the end of the night, everybody’s usually quite tipsy and people will be singing along to all the tunes that your wedding DJ is playing anyway, so why not give them a chance to show off their singing skills? Karaoke machines are not expensive to hire and it can make a great addition to your wedding day, especially if you get your hands on one with multiple microphones.

Display a Video

Hire a screen for the day and put together a video or a slideshow using images from your lives together so far and have them rolling throughout the day. Not only will this mean that guests have something to watch so that they don’t get bored, but it’ll also be a fun way for them to get a glimpse into what your lives together is like day-to-day. Include footage or photos of you with family and friends, too, to show them how important they are to you.

Table Games

Seating everybody can be one of the most stressful parts of planning your wedding reception as no matter how much planning you do, and there is always going to be at least a table or two of people who don’t really know each other very well. Fun table games are a good way to help them break the ice and get the conversations flowing. If you’re hosting your wedding reception outdoors, there are plenty of fun lawn games like croquet, giant chess, giant gender or rounders that will always be big hits, but even if you’re celebrating indoors, there are plenty of options to consider like playing cards, puzzles and table quizzes.

Pub Quiz

Why not put a spin on the traditional pub quiz with a fun game where you can test how well your friends and family really know you? Each table can form a team and come up with some funny questions about the two of you growing up, or what you’ve done together as a couple so far, how you met, or where you got engaged and share some fun stories in between. Make it even more fun with a prize to give away to the winning table; another great way to encourage a team spirit among the people sharing tables and help break the ice between those who don’t know each other very well.

Children’s Entertainment

If you’ve got children on your guest list, make sure to provide something for them to do so that both kids and their parents can relax and enjoy your wedding day. You might want to hire childcare professionals for the day to watch the kids so that parents can relax, organise a face painter, or have a kids’ station with arts, crafts and games for them to get involved with - after all, weddings can get pretty boring for little ones.

When it comes to keeping your wedding guests entertained, there is plenty of fun and interesting ideas to consider. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box when it comes to keeping guests happy.