From music acts to furry friends, there are plenty of ways to keep your guests entertained at your wedding. Here are some of our faves
Of course all of your guests are attending your wedding to see you get hitched, and everything else is a nice extra. But it can be a long day and you don't want anyone to be sitting around bored.
Which is where wedding entertainment comes in, and there is a lot to choose from.
To help you get started with the planning, we've gathered up a whole host of wedding entertainment on offer in Scotland.
(Photo: Paul Govers Photography)
Wedding music
You can't have a wedding without some kind of music soundtracking the day. But when a Spotify playlist just won't cut it, it's time to call in the professionals.
Check out some incredible music acts in our directory
Live band
There's nothing like live music to drum up emotion and raise spirits, and there are plenty of incredible wedding bands across Scotland to choose from.
Whatever style and genre of music you're into, there's a musical group for that!
Wedding DJ
If you're looking to fill the dancefloor, you can count on a DJ to keep the best tracks spinning all night.
Let them know your favourite songs ahead of time, for a playlist that really reflects the mood of the day and you as a couple.
Harpist
For a sophisticated and romantic choice of music, a harpist offers just the thing. From welcoming in the wedding party as they walk down the aisle to creating ambiance the drinks reception, they'll have a range of songs in their repertoire.
Musical ensemble
If you fancy having a group of musicians serenading you, look into a string quartet or another music group who will keep things classy.
Ceilidh band
No Scottish wedding is complete without a ceilidh! There are loads of brilliant ceilidh bands to choose from, each bringing their own twist to the classic celtic music.
(Photo: Karen Thorburn Photography)
Bagpiper
A bagpiper piping playing outside your venue is quite the welcome to kick off your truly Scottish wedding day. And there are plenty of ways to work a piper into your wedding day. A bagpiper can add their traditional music to your wedding:
- As the guests arrive at the venue
- As the bride walks down the aisle
- During the ceremony
- As the newlyweds leave the ceremony
- As the newlyweds walk to a location to get their photos
- During the drinks reception
- As the couple make their entrance at dinner
If your piper plays you into your reception, you might want to observe the tradition of toasting to the piper. Once you reach the top table, the bride should offer them a dram so they can toast to the newlyweds, then the groom will toast the piper before they leave.
If you're interested in Scottish wedding traditions, we've rounded up some of the most popular ones.
Saxophonist
A saxophonist is sure to bring the cool upbeat vibes to your evening celebrations with some Balearic tunes.
Unlike a stationary band, a saxophonist can work their way around the reception and really interact with the guests to get the party turned up.
Saxophonist Saxingh getting the crowd going (Photo: Murray McMillan Photography)
Wedding performers
Wedding day performances go beyond music acts, and there are plenty of fun and entertaining people you can book to wow your guests while you're off getting photos.
Magician
A magician is a great way to kick off your drinks reception and get people mingling, talking and laughing. Allow them to break the ice as they impress your guests with cards tricks and sleight of hand.
Billy Reid Magic (Photo: Jen Scott Photography)
Live drawing artist
Whether you hire someone to draw a detailed picture of you and your partner on your special day, or to do stylised drawings of each guest, there are plenty of styles to choose from. And the best part is that you'll get a meaningful keepsake to take home.
Singing waiters
It might not be as much of a shock as it once was to see waiters suddenly burst into song, but a troupe of singing waiters will certainly amuse your guests and get the reception off to a fun start.
Drag Queens
If anyone knows how to command a room, it's a drag queen. From hosting duties to leading karaoke and giving a fabulous performance, there won't be a dull moment with a drag queen invited.
Fireworks
For a special way to round off the night, fireworks really do add a wow-factor and provide an amazing backdrop for photos. Remember to check with your venue about their rules around fireworks.
(Photo: J S Coates Wedding Photography)
Interactive entertainment
It's all well and good watching people perform, but what about something your guests can really get involved with?
Photobooth or videobooth
While you're off getting your professional photos, your guests can be capturing fun snaps of their own with a photo or videobooth.
Whether its a magic selfie mirror or a 360 spinning videobooth, most will come with props to get everyone in the silly photo spirit and will be lots of fun to look back on.
Audio guestbook
A newer take on the traditional guestbook, an audio guestbook allows your guests to record messages during the wedding for you to keep forever.
Get loved ones to record you a message with Calleo’s audio guestbook
Karaoke
Who doesn't love a bit of karaoke? Granted it might not be to everyone's tastes for a wedding, but for the karaoke-daft among us it's the ideal entertainment for the evening.
Glitter booth
A slightly more grown-up version of face-painting, a glitter booth will turn the party vibes up and add some extra sparkle to your evening photos.
Food and drink services
On top of the arrival drinks and main meal you'll be serving, there's time in the reception to impress your guests with some specialty food and drink served with flair.
Oyster shucker
For the seafood lovers, why not serve up some oysters during the drinks reception? With professional oyster shuckers available to serve up oysters with a selection of seasoning, it's something a bit different to keep your guests going until dinner.
The Oysterman Events serving up oysters to the grooms (Photo: Photos by Zoe)
Cocktail or champagne cart
Coming in many forms, from mini vans with a champagne tap to horseboxes with a full working bar, you can keep the drinks flowing and leave your guests in the capable hands of a professional champagne pourer.
Or for more of a show why not book a mixologist to whip up some signature cocktails?
Ice cream cart
No matter how old you are, ice cream is always exciting. There are several ice cream carts available to hire across Scotland to give your guests a post-dinner sweet treat.
Take a look at these amazing food and drink suppliers
Wedding games
A simple way to get guests mingling and having fun is to set up some games for them to play. This is perfect during the drinks reception or you can leave them out for people to pick up as the reception goes on.
Lawn games
If you've got outdoor space and the weather for it, you can have fun with some traditional lawn games like cornhole. Or find your favourite board game in giant form, and watch your guests challenge each other to a round of Connect Four, Jenga or Snakes and Ladders.
Guess the first dance
Keep your guests occupied in between the ceremony and reception with a bit of a wager. If you keep your first dance song a secret, you can let your guests guess it right before the big reveal.
This sweepstake from Caledonian Cowgirl gives guests plenty of options and the chance to win some money. (Photo: Jo + Liam Photography)
Animals at weddings
For animal lovers, having a furry or feathered friend attend the wedding can be really exciting and make for some incredible photos (and memorable stories).
Birds of prey
Did you know you could have feathered friends in attendance at your wedding? You could even have an eagle or an owl swoop over your guests’ heads and land at the top of the aisle to deliver the rings to the best man.
Llamas and alpacas
These sweet farm animals have become popular wedding guests in recent years and are (normally) happy to trek, be petted and pose for photos.
Claireville Alpacas brought lots of joy to this fun wedding! (Photo: Mairi Claire Photography)
Unicorns
Couples looking to sprinkle a bit of magic on their big day can have unicorns at their wedding. Yes, unicorns. At Shetland Pony-size they make the perfect special guests if you have children at your wedding.
See even more animals you can have at your wedding
Wedding activities for kids
If you've got children coming to the wedding it's best to plan ahead and get some entertainment to keep them occupied.
Crèches and childminders
There are numerous childcare services available for weddings, with friendly staff who have all kinds of entertainment at their disposal to keep the little ones at your wedding occupied.
Bouncy castle
This one can really be enjoyed by anyone, but will go down a treat with any kids in attendance. Choose a colour to suit your theme or a classy all white bouncy castle for a grown up feel.
(Photo: JH Weddings)
Dressed up characters
A wedding can be a long day for wee people, but getting to spend time with one of their favourite characters would make the day really special.
From princesses to superheros, there are lots of characters to choose from to make an appearance at your wedding.
It's your wedding which means you can do (or not do) whatever you like. While you don't need a jam-packed day of entertainment - since getting married is the main event - it's nice to have something to occupy guests in the quieter moments.
If you're not sure where to begin with entertainment, why not start with music? As a band or DJ will really liven up your reception and get people up and dancing.
Since your wedding should be a reflection of you as a couple, keep this in mind when choosing your entertainment. Perhaps there's a certain type of music you both like, or something you really enjoyed at another wedding you've been to.
Keep in mind the running order of your day and at which points you might like to have something to keep your guests busy, for example while you're off getting photos taken or after the meal.
Have a read through all of the entertainment types listed above to get the ideas flowing.
If you can think of it, it probably exists, from oyster shuckers to unicorns, the wedding entertainment selection is vast.
Have a think about what kind of entertainment you're looking for, whether it's music, food and drink services, other performances, interactive displays, games, animals, etc to start narrowing down the right thing for your day.
