Entertaining Ideas
Celia Shatzman
Entertainment at weddings these days is no longer limited to line dances and the garter toss. Now brides are hiring cigar rollers, salsa and Mariachi bands, dancers, and more to amuse their guests.
“Traditional is becoming more passé,” says Christine Gerlach, a bridal consultant based in Austin, Texas. “Today’s couples want their guests to be excited about coming to their wedding, rather than expecting the same typical traditions. People still love and use tradition, but incorporate different fun ideas so that it makes the wedding more interesting. I have a lot of brides tell me they don’t want what everyone else has.”
The entertainment often reflects the overall theme of the wedding. San Francisco-based wedding coordinator Michelle Barrionuevo-Mazzini worked with one bride who planned a Cuban-themed event. “The wedding had a cigar roller and Havana dancers,” says Barrionuevo-Mazzini. Another one of her clients had a Cirque du Soleil theme wedding, which was held in a tent complete with a magician and acrobats.
One of Gerlach’s brides used red for her theme. “Using color as a theme is a popular idea,” says Gerlach. “This bride had a red signature drink, and set up a candy shop with different kinds of old-fashioned red candy.”
While entertainment often reflects the theme of a wedding, Gerlach recommends that unique entertainment ideas bring several themes together. Farrah Snavely, another one of Gerlach’s brides, featured both a Mariachi band and French cuisine in her recent wedding.
“I didn’t want a standard wedding,” says Snavely. “I wanted something that was significant to both of us. I wanted little touches that would tell and remind our quests of who we are. I feel strongly about personal touches.”
Snavely chose French cuisine because her fiancé proposed to her in France. She also chose to hold a cocktail hour after the ceremony and served mojitos (a popular Cuban rum drink) while a Mariachi band performed. She wanted a Mariachi band because she is part Latina, and because they were going to Mexico on their honeymoon.
“I knew that having a Mariachi band would surprise a lot of my guests,” says Snavely. “It helped bring both families together and incorporated a little of my culture. It made my wedding more festive and fun. I didn’t want the reception to be too monotonous throughout the whole evening – my husband and I are kind of lively ourselves, and we thought this would loosen people up.”
Juan Castaño, Managing Director of the Calpulli Mexican Dance Company, says his dance company is frequently hired for weddings to reflect the bride or groom’s culture and background. “We’ve performed at a wedding where the bride was of Mexican descent, and the groom’s family hired us as a cultural bridging to welcome her into their family.”
“At an event like a wedding where things can be so formal, the heart of what is Mexican dance is very accessible to people and can encompass many emotions,” says Castaño. “It can do a lot to break the ice and make people have a different experience at a wedding. Mexican dance is colorful, passionate, and bigger than life. The audience is really amazed by what they see.”
Castaño believes that having groups such as Mexican dancers and Mariachi bands perform at weddings will increase because people are becoming more aware of how to get in touch with them, since they are increasingly accessible and easier to locate due to the internet.
Barrionuevo-Mazzini aggress. “The internet offers many options to help find unique entertainment for weddings.” She recommends looking at wedding websites or using online search engines to research ideas. Family and friend recommendations are also a great way to find someone to suit your entertainment needs. Brides should work with a wedding planner to coordinate their wedding entertainment because often planners have great contacts and resources, as well as can offer and help brainstorm ideas.
Performance time varies according to the entertainment. Most wedding coordinators recommend 30 to 45 minutes for dancers and theatrical performances, and having someone like a cigar roller for about three hours of the reception.
“Because weddings have become longer now, it is important to fill up the gaps during the wedding and make it fun,” says Barrionuevo-Mazzini. “Ninety percent of my clients don’t want time to drag on, they want their guests to be entertained the whole time they’re there. During those hours, guests want to find new things to do.”
Many weddings now feature entertainment specifically for children, separate from the adult entertainment. This often includes activities such as art stations, balloon shaping, and face painting.
“Other entertainment themes that are becoming more popular are casino parties,” says Gerlach. “One wedding that I worked on in particular had fortune tellers, belly dancers, card dealers, and gambling – although they did not play for real money. Another had an old-fashioned photography booth.” And yet another one of her brides ordered custom-made fake tattoos of each guest’s name. “They had them at the bar, and by the end of the night, everyone had their name tattooed somewhere on their body,” says Gerlach.
Many couples still use more commonly known entertainment like ice sculptures and fireworks at their weddings, but now they add something more unique and lively. For example, they include margarita and cotton candy machines and Polynesian dancers to spice things up.
“I think this trend will definitely continue to grow,” says Barrionuevo-Mazzini. “No one wants the typical wedding; everyone wants their wedding to be better than the one they just went to. People are always trying to outdo each other in finding new and creative ways to entertain guests, so that the guests will continue to talk about it way after the wedding.”
Whatever you choose, be sure to pick entertainment that has special meaning to you and your fiancé, not just something that you think will be fun for your guests. Your wedding, after all, is for you to enjoy as well.