10 WAYS to rock your RECEPTION
Throw a party they'll never forget with these bonus acts and fun features
1.Stamp duty
The coolest trend since moustaches on sticks? Temporary tattoo stations. The creative couple behind dorisloves.co.uk came up with the idea for their own wedding and can now bring their magical booth to you, with a set of designs including hearts, stars, animals, and yes moustaches – plus a custom wedding logo or your own artwork.
2.The magic touch
Modern magicians don't need wands to pull off the impossible, just a great repertoire of illusions and a bespoke trick personalised for your wedding. Josh Brett of Deceptive Arts recommends a two-hour booking, when your pro works the room with one-to-one performances. "It's not necessary to announce that you have a magician, you can make it a surprise," he says. "And it's best to schedule it during the drinks reception or after dinner, when people are standing up and mingling." deceptive-arts.co.uk
3.Picture this
Sure, everyone will walk away from your wedding with iPhone snaps but what about something more permanent? Silhouette artist Mark Conlin will cut two portraits of each guest – one as a keepsake favour and one for you to place in a special album or guest book. Or book a caricaturist, for comedy sketches that will get everyone laughing. theshadowcutter.co.uk
4.Sweet talk
For that kid-in-a-candy-store experience, nothing beats a sweetie bar where everyone helps themselves to an assortment of treats, from candies and caramel apples to cake pops. "We choose approximately 5-10 types of sweets to display and buy around 3-8 kilos of each," reveals Janet Marsh of Sweetie Factory. "This may seem a lot,but a display overflowing with sweets gives that wow factor effect, rather than feeling like it's just been thrown together at the last minute." sweetiefactory.co.uk
5.Get a living statue – a focal point guests will be desperate to have their photos taken with, thelivingstatue company.com
6.Toast of the town
Toastmasters are synonymous with red jackets and tradition, but they can also inject a dose of fun into your event. Jonathan Waterman of The Complete Toastmaster co-ordinates aMr&Mrs quiz game as an activity after the cake-cutting. "I email the bride and groom 10 questions each, then choose the best six or seven," he explains. "It's a real icebreaker with lots of guest participation that puts everyone in a party mood." thecompletetoastmaster.co.uk
7.Jump in
It's your party and you can have a bouncy castle if you want to! The good news is, you don't have to go for theme-busting cartoon prints and loud colours straight out of a toddler's birthday either. The 'classy castle' from vowedandamazed. co.uk comes in wedding-perfect duck egg blue and white.
8.Get lucky
Whether you're throwing a Gatsby themed do with vintage-look croupiers or want to add a hit of Vegas glamour, a casino area is a sure-fire way to make your wedding stand out. Cathy Prested of Funky Casinos (who helped the stars from JLS and The Saturdays try their luck at Rochelle and Marvin's wedding) recommends two tables for every 50 guests and says roulette and blackjack are the most popular. funkycasinos.co.uk
9.Snap happy
Shake up the photo booth trend with a vintage pop-up photographic studio by thephotoemporium.com. Various backdrops and props – anything from gingham curtains to tropical beach-scapes to picket fences and ivy – disguise the equipment so guests can snap their own group shots with a clever foot pedal.
10.Circus sideshow
Turn up the heat at your reception with a fire show featuring circus-style fire-eaters, jugglers and dancers from jugglinginferno.com. (Venue not so keen on indoor fireworks? Sub in a choreographed glow show for the same impact with less of a burn.)
