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Wedding Entertainment – Five alternative wedding entertainment ideas

alternative wedding entertainment ideas

Wedding entertainment is great – that should be the case, but all too often many newlyweds overlook the true importance of wedding entertainment, often opting for a cheap DJ and a semi-professional singer. To really wow your wedding guests you need to offer entertainment that will actually entertain. Here are five great ways to truly entertain your guests:

Hire a fairground

This may sound like a very extravagant wedding entertainment option but this is really not the case. Fairground companies are now offering married couples to-be the opportunity to rent out dodgems, helter-skelters and carousels. Hiring out a fairground is now an affordable way to give your guests a fun day and what better way to celebrate your first day of marriage than a ride on the dodgems. Hiring a selection of fairground attractions for your big day can now cost as little as

Invite some look-alikes

Why not make your wedding a star-studded affair by inviting some A-list celebrities. Ok, they may not be actual celebrities, but you can now hire out some seriously realistic look-alikes for your wedding day. Many look-alike agencies now exist enabling you to invite the likes of Brad Pitt, David Beckham and Britney Spears to your weddings. Hiring look-alikes will give your guests the chance to pose for pictures with their favourite celebs and definitely provide a few giggles. Look-alikes don’t come cheaply, renting out a David Beckham look-alike will set you back £645.

Hire a professional DJ

Ok, I may have previously mentioned DJ entertainment as quite weak, but there is a difference between hiring the local DJ and hiring a professional wedding DJ services. A professional DJ will ensure you have a musical playlist in accordance with your musical tastes and provide lighting and other disco equipment that will be sure to get your guests up and dancing. When looking for a wedding DJ look at their previous experience and look for testimonials from previous couples who have used their services.

Hire a caricature artist

Why not employ the services of a caricature artist, they can mingle amongst your guests during pre-dinner drinks and create some really funky pictures that will be sure to create some laughs. Why not get the guests portraits framed by workers from your venue and hand the portrait out before the guests leave (possibly with a piece of cake). This way your wedding will live on in the memories of those who attended the ceremony.

Create a casino

For many years now couples have been hiring “fun casinos” to bring a bit of edge to their wedding day. Fun casinos enable guests to experience the real casino feel, but not lose any money (you can offer prizes out to your guests if you wish). Casinos are a great source of entertainment for your wedding; combine a casino with a professional DJ and a James Bond look-alike you are guaranteed to have a wedding that your guests will remember.

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Happy Bridesmaids, Happy BRIDE!

Don’t worry!  All you have to do is shorten it, and you can wear it again!

If you have ever been asked to be a bridesmaid, your first thought might not be of gratitude or excitement, but of the dreadful possibilities of Bridesmaids Dresses that you may be required to wear!  Not long ago, it was common for the bride to select the same gown for all of her bridesmaids, with the unspoken belief that the Bridal Party was never to outshine the bride on her wedding day.  Nowadays, times have changed!

Mori Lee Bridesmaid Dresses

Make it an Event to Remember for your Bridesmaids as well!

With recent weddings becoming more and more sophisticated and stylish, today’s brides are often pursuing a more fashionable and affordable approach to the dressing of their Bridal Party.  By simply first choosing the color and fabric, many brides are allowing their attendants to choose their individual Bridesmaids Dresses based on these simplified guidelines.  Gone are the days where each bridesmaid is expected to dress exactly alike, regardless of body shapes and sizes.  By focusing on your bridesmaids’ enjoyment and excitement of feeling pretty as well, you may save yourself a great deal of unnecessary stress and worry in the process!

Jasmine Bridesmaid Dress

Remember Why You Asked These Wonderful Women in the First Place!

As your wedding day draws ever closer, your nervousness may increase, your frustrations may rise, and your stress levels may soar!  But through it all, your girlfriends are going to take care of you, helping you through the wedding preparation, from the sending of the invitations to the planning of your final exit from the reception!  Don’t forget to repay that friendship by choosing to dress the Bridal Party in the most flattering and affordable manner!

Bridesmaid gown from Alfred Angelo

Get Them Dressed and Keep Them Happy!

Here are some simple tips to keep this sometimes arduous process stress free:

  1. Plan in advance and provide ample opportunity for your Bridal Party to prepare for the event by scheduling fittings a minimum of four to six months before the ceremony.  Bring your Bridesmaids along to shop with you, perhaps having some fun along the way by trying on different styles of Bridesmaids Dresses, both elegant and silly!
  2. First begin by deciding on color and length.  Depending on the season or time of day for the ceremony, the degree of formality may vary.  For an evening wedding, perhaps a floor length silk sheath is appropriate.  For a summer event, perhaps a tea-length sheer design would be more suitable for a sunny afternoon. Tradition dictates, however, that when the bride is wearing a longer gown, the attendants should not wear shorter Bridesmaids Dresses.
  3. Remember to choose a style and fit that will enhance the figures of all of your Bridal Party.  A fuller-figured bridesmaid may not feel comfortable in a strapless cocktail dress, for example.  Be compassionate.
  4. Be considerate of your Bridal Party’s budget.  Bridesmaids usually pay for their own Bridesmaids Dresses.  So, a recommended cost might be below $200.  Less money is even better, since your girlfriends will also be spending money on Bridal Showers, Bachelorette Parties, and wedding gifts.

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The hottest wedding fashion tips

Just like high street fashion, wedding fashion trends also change year in year out. There is lots of advice available for the bride and the groom on the latest trends and what to wear but what about the rest of the wedding party?  New styles and trends are popping up on the high street all the time and they often make an impression on wedding fashion as well.  Some weddings will have a theme or a dress code to help to guide you, but even when they do it’s hard to keep up with how to make sure your outfit fits the theme but is still in trend.  If you need some ideas on what to wear on the big day then look no further than our wedding fashion guide.

wedding dress by Mori Lee

Parents of the Bride or Groom

The parents of the bride and groom usually get quite a free reign on what they wear to the wedding.  If there’s a theme or dress code then make sure you adhere to it when choosing your outfit.  The mothers of the bride and groom should think timeless elegance when shopping for the perfect oufit.  There’s a fine line between demure and frumpy, make sure you’re getting it just right.  Make sure that if you’re wearing a dress or skirt that it’s just the right length, knee length at the shortest is most suitable.  This season mother of the brides will be most on trend if they go for a simple, single coloured dress, skirt and top or trousers and top combination in pastels or neutrals.  Subtle florals, ruching and pleats and a touch of lace are also popular with designer wedding fashion trends and will look great on the mother of the bride or groom. Popular designer John Charles mother of the bride collection ticks all the boxes for being on trend.

The fathers of the bride and groom should go wearing either a tuxedo or a smart suit, they shouldn’t be wearing identical outfits to the groomsmen, but it is best to try to fit in with the style or theme of the groomsmen.  If the groomsmen are all wearing black suits, white shirts and purple ties then the fathers of the bride and groom should preferably also wear a black suit but then choose whatever coloured under shirt, tie and other accessories that they feel comfortable in.

Groomsmen

The groomsmen are usually all dressed in the same or similar outfits.  The contemporary black tie get-up is a timeless classic with either a tie or a bow tie.  Three piece suits are also popular and provide something a bit different from the classic black tie look.  Three piece suits are popularly given a modern twist with a skinny tie.  Popular colours are pastel summery candy hues like mint, baby blue, peach, aqua and gold.  Add a splash of colour to a classic three piece suit with a pastel shirt or a subtle pastel floral print shirt for a summertime wedding (we said subtle, don’t turn up dressed like Laurence Llewelyn Bowen).  Vintage style brogues are on trend for 2013, add a twist to your outfit with two-tone or patent vintage brogues.

Bridesmaids

As mentioned in groomsmen trends, pastel summery candy hues especially mint green are hot this year. Another colour trend this year that bridesmaids would look great in is ombre graduating shades of the same colour.  Either an ombre style dress or perhaps each bridesmaid could wear a different shade of the same colour from dark to light. Flattering draped Grecian style dresses, one shouldered dresses, peplum dresses and dresses with illusion necklines are also popular trends for bridesmaids.  Lace is also still in trend, teem lace with pastel hues for a beautifully soft, feminine vintage style.

Flower Girls and Page Boys

Flower girls and page boys’ outfits are often in theme with the rest of the wedding party.  In trend for flower girls in 2013 are loose bohemian style white and pastel dresses teemed with hippie-esque flower headpieces and loose wavy hair.  Romantic styled Peter Pan collars and flower appliqués are popular in children’s wedding fashion designer Nicki Macfarlane’s The Swan Collection and also Oscar de la Renta’s children’s Collection.  Monsoon and John Lewis have some lovely flower girl and page boy outfits at high street prices.  Page boys can be in trend this year with pastel coloured shirts, pale grey waistcoats and smart matching trousers and tie or bow tie.

Author Bio

Sarah Hewitt is a new blogger who blogs about anything and everything. You can contact her via her Twitter page