Blog

26/02/2025

Unforgettable Evening Entertainment Ideas for your Big Day in the North East

Your wedding day is probably the biggest party and most memorable day of your life, and ensuring your guests have an incredible time is almost as important as saying "I do." Evening entertainment plays a key role in keeping the energy high, keeping your venue full until the last minute and creating lasting memories. If you're tying the knot in North East England, you’re in luck—this region offers many unique entertainment options to make your wedding night unforgettable.

1. Live Bands and DJs
A high-energy band or an experienced DJ can set the perfect mood for your evening celebrations. In our opinion, nothing beats live entertainment- pre set playlists just can’t read a room and keep a dance floor full like an experienced entertainer. Whether you love indie, pop, rock, or jazz, Northumberland is home to fantastic local bands and DJs who can tailor their setlist to your preferences. Look for experienced wedding performers who know how to keep the dance floor packed all night long. (We believe in getting your money’s worth from your venue and every vendor- well utilised space please!). Some of our faves (as well as US for a live singer with a disco set up) are:
The Disco Co: https://www.thediscoco.com
Ami Vaziri: https://www.instagram.com/amivaziri?igsh=a3JyOGM4dXhidm9v
Your School Disco: https://www.alivenetwork.com/bandpage.asp?bandname=Your%20School%20Disco

2. Your First Dance/ Wedding Party Choreography/ Flashmobs
For a truly interactive and engaging experience, consider involving your wedding party in some dance floor fun alongside or right after your first dance as a married couple- it’s not for everyone, but a fun routine involving bridesmaids and groomsmen, a ‘flash mob’ of sorts, or a relaxed, less traditional first dance which captures your unique humour and story as a couple can be a great way to make yourself and everyone else feel relaxed, and encourage those ‘hard to get up guests’ onto the floor. Having something that isn’t attempting to be a serious or professional dance, but is choreographed to suit you as an individual really takes pressure off and helps you feel prepared and relaxed about what can be a nerve racking moment. Tell us what music, styles, and vibe you would like and we’ll get cracking creating something perfect for you: https://westhendanceparties.co.uk/contact-us/

3. Fireworks Display/ Sparklers
Nothing says celebration quite like a breathtaking fireworks display. Many North East venues offer fireworks packages, allowing you to end the night with a spectacular show. If your venue permits it, a fireworks display over the stunning landscapes of the region will leave a lasting impression on your guests. Too much for you? Opt for some simple and classy sparklers- if having a photographer present after dark, some absolutely stunning images can be captured. (Also some laughs can be had when people spell out naughty words with the sparklers and surprise you with the pictures later… but we didn’t suggest or do that to anyone, of course😉).

4. Magicians and Illusionists
For a touch of mystery and wonder, a professional magician can keep guests entertained during the evening. Whether performing close-up magic at tables or putting on a full-scale show, a skilled illusionist can add an element of surprise that will delight your wedding guests. As well as the evening, this idea also works well in the day; in between the ceremony and wedding breakfast for example. A talented magician will also use their tricks as a way of bringing different parties and groups who may not know each other well together, and help break the ice. Our Northumberland based recommendations:
Paul Lytton: https://www.northeastmagician.co.uk
Paul Innes Magician & Entertainer: https://www.paulinnesmagicman.com/gallery/

5. Silent Disco
A silent disco is a fantastic option if you have a venue with noise restrictions or if you want to offer a unique party experience. Guests can switch between different music channels on wireless headphones, ensuring there’s something for everyone to dance to. It’s an interactive and amusing way to keep the celebrations going into the night.

6. Interactive Food and Drink Stations
Keep your guests entertained and well-fed with fun food and drink experiences. Options such as cocktail-making stations, gourmet street food trucks, and DIY dessert bars add an interactive element to your evening while satisfying late-night cravings.

7. Photo Booth and Selfie Stations
Capture hilarious and heartwarming memories with a themed photo booth or a stylish selfie station. Many companies in the North East offer vintage, rustic, or modern setups complete with props, instant prints, and digital downloads. We personally used and recommend AG Events, as they not only provided this for our West Hen Wedding, but also offered us a package which including uplighting for our venue, as well as a DJ and cold sparks (which really elevated our first dance and made the pics and videos of it incredible). Find them here:
AG Events https://www.agevents.co.uk

8. Comedy Acts, Drag Acts or Impersonators
Inject some humor into your wedding with a stand-up comedian, Drag Artist, or a celebrity impersonator. Whether it's a surprise act between the meal and dancing or a full-on comedy performance, this is a surefire way to get everyone laughing and engaged. It’s extra fun if it’s kept as a surprise for your guests! We have seen ‘Amandah Hart’ in action at a friend’s wedding and highly recommend!
Amandah Hart
https://www.facebook.com/share/19NpeB1HGa/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Final Thoughts:
Whatever style of entertainment you choose, the key to a successful wedding evening is making sure it reflects your personality as a couple, and having a good number of guests to size of the dance floor/ venue ratio. If you have 20 guests in a 200 capacity space, it will feel bare no matter how great the entertainers are, so do consider this when choosing venues! North East England has no shortage of incredible entertainment options, from live music to interactive experiences. With the right choices, you can be sure your wedding night is an unforgettable celebration for both you and your guests.

22/01/2025

How to best capture the moment of your first dance- helping your photographer/ videographer to help you!

Tell your photographer that you have a set routine and offer to show them any specific lifts/ dips moments you’d like them to catch. Usually you'll have some kind of consultation call with the photographer about how the day will run (they often know better than you, having done many many weddings), and this is the perfect chance to communicate with them what you'll be doing in your first dance. In our experience, they're often excited to hear there will be a set routine and moves, as it makes more exciting work and images for them than an awkward shuffle!

It’s standard that your photographer will take you both away from guests for couple pics. (This usually happens between the ceremony and before the wedding breakfast, when venues are turning rooms around and getting meals ready- if you're running your day that way). This is a great opportunity to play your first song on your phone, and get moments of the dance shot in a cool, different location- bonus that the extra practice in your actual outfits helps calm your nerves and make any small adjustments you want to make you move comfortably too!

Do you happen to be having cold sparks as part of your events package or disco? Dry ice on your dance floor? Special lighting, cute backgrounds or letters you've hired etc? Inform any vendors of special moments in your dance/ first song music that they could have those sparks sparking or stuff well placed for that wow factor. This will really elevate your dance for guest watching, and your images/ footage. Catch those vendors on the day, or chat to them before about where you'd like things placed for this, and again, clue up the videographer and photographer about where you plan to be for certain moments, and what effects they can be capturing. (Of course they're often going to see fabulous things they won't, but hey, we pay a lot of money for these services, why not get the best out of them?).

Finally, do not worry if you forget something or anything 'goes wrong' in the moment- remember nobody knows this dance except from you (and us- but we aren't judging). Trust that you’ve already done the work and you’ve got this- remember to enjoy the moment, dancing is never all that serious, and look your partner in the eyes and love them like you do! The crucial sparkle to a fabulous first dance pic!

Remember we offer a brilliantly effective and easy to follow 'First Dance Package', and send out monthly tips completely free of charge to those on our mailing list- simply email us at [email protected] and let us know you'd like our advice 🙂

24/12/2024

HEELS V FLATS FOR YOUR FIRST DANCE & WEDDING DAY

We always say it boils down to what reflects your personality, but often people who do feel comfy wearing heels don’t often do too much dancing, and especially partner dancing in them.

A great option we've seen many brides find successful (and more comfortable) is to start the day in heels, do their first dance, and change into flats at some point as they head into the evening celebration where more dancing and meandering around happens!

This way, you get the benefit of your dress looking it's finest (most are cut in a way that look great with heels), you've likely had the bulk of your professional photos taken in your special shoes, and you've done your first dance, but also don't get sore feet from an entire day. (Wedding days are glorious, but let's not lie- they're long!)

Whether you decide on flats, heels, or a combination of both, a professional dancer can certainly help you with tips, tricks and techniques on how to use and work your feet and legs to look, and most importantly feel comfortable in your choice of footwear and style of dance. Another element to consider is physical safety! Even those who wear heels for a quick pose and wander around may not have the ankle strength to pull off sophisticated moves without risk of injury to themselves (or even the shoe haha). The truth is, a lot of it is about 'placement' of the weight in the feet and ankles.

Having said all that, there is absolutely no reason to fear, and this is not a mammoth task! 'Practice makes perfectly prepared goodness' and all it takes to get your feet and legs ready for dancing in heels is a) some short and simple preparatory exercises, and b) practice dancing in your actual intended shoes (or as close to them in style as possible).

We have created a video of some extremely simple, achievable and easy to follow foot exercises you can access for completely free- simply email us at [email protected] or head over to our instagram and check out our latest reel where the exercises feature. https://www.instagram.com/p/DD9jPGmox5J/

20/11/2024

TOP 5 TIPS TO GO FROM 'FIRST DANCE STRESS' TO 'FIRST DANCE YES!'

When speaking to couples on their consultation call about their first dance, I have realised that people are often overwhelmed with all the wedding planning tasks that need done, and in regards to their dance, the pressure of 'looking good' or 'not being able to dance'. Over time I've realised I end up sharing the following tips with everyone, so though it would be useful to 'put pen to paper' as it were and share them for the world to see... here goes!

1. Choose music that you love, but that also has a nice tempo dance to. We suggest around 100bpm- this means to dance ‘slow’ feels natural, but for those more confident or wanting to add variety, moving at a ’double time’ pace is very achievable. (You can google the BPM of your chosen song and give it a go- you’ll see what we mean).

2. Keep it simple. Unless you’re a professional ballroom dancer, no one is expecting you to look like one! This is simply about you two having your first dance as a married couple. Everyone in the room (hopefully) loves you! Avoid the ‘awkward 2 minute sway’ by throwing in simple but effective things. Favourite go to’s are a ‘dip’, an easy spin out- spin in, stepping across one another, and a good old ‘stand and present’ the bride. You can then awkwardly sway between and no one will notice! Haha!

3. Struggle to learn a lot of steps? No problem- do a verse and chorus, then gesture to your loved ones to get up and join you on the dance floor! (You can even pre- ask people to join when you do this, or put your bridesmaids and groomsmen to work by telling them when in your song you want this to happen, and getting them to get everyone up).

4. See this as an opportunity to do a fun activity as an engaged couple- dates if you will! not as a scary thing you have to do. Life can be so busy in this modern 24 hour fast paced society, and even while wedding planning we can forget to show our loved ones attention. Just give all your attention to your partner in your dance, and enjoy the moment <3

5. Hire someone to help! We have lots of experience in first dances and make sure to make you comfortable and confident in what you’re doing, no matter what your ability or experience is. We have an eye for what moves are going to look good on you within a few minutes of practice, have so many tips to help, and will send you tutorial videos and be on the other end of the phone to support you on this mission for a lovely first dance!