Guides for Brides logo
Fairs & Events Planning Tools

Wedding Magicians and other entertainers


John Maddaford
John Maddaford Updated:
25th of July 2022

Hiring a magician can make your wedding a truly special occasion for all your guests, providing excitement and enjoyment for everyone present. If you have a magician at your wedding, everyone can have their own "magic moments" to remember, adding to their special memories of the great day. The following information has kindly been supplied by George Symes Magician...

Choose a wedding magician to suit the style of your wedding and the size of the venue and audience - do you want "mix and mingle" magic as your guests arrive at the venue, or a spectacular stage performance, or do you prefer a table magician to entertain smaller groups of guests by moving around the room? Perhaps you would like to have the bride and groom, or some other guests of honour, taking part in the magic themselves?

Having a wedding magician to entertain your guests while the photographer is at work can be a very successful way to keep the celebrations going without anyone feeling "left out of the picture" Magic can also provide the perfect interlude between the wedding breakfast and evening festivities.

Close-up magic is a fantastic way to involve your guests and make each of them feel special, as the magic unfolds right under their nose, or even in their hands! By circulating from table to table, your wedding magician can ensure that every group of guests is entertained in turn, and this can be especially good for breaking the ice on a table where the guests don't know each other well.

Depending on the style of venue, and the type of wedding celebration you are throwing, you may prefer close-up magic to stage, or vice-versa. Maybe you even want both! It is important to be able to explain exactly what you are looking for, as some magicians only perform some types of magic.

Equally, are you searching for a suave, sophisticated sleight-of-hand artist; a down-to-earth street magician; or a magician that also offers clowning and balloon models? Approaching the right magician will ensure the tone of your wedding is exactly right for you. Do not feel uncomfortable about ringing or emailing a magician to ask about their performing style. After all, you don't want to book somebody inappropriate for your special day.

We all know that weddings are stressful times, and you may not know exact numbers of guests. However, when booking a close-up magician especially, it is important to have a rough idea of how many people are attending.

Many magicians charge by the amount of time they are performing, and knowing the number of guests will better allow them to give you an estimate. After all, if you only have 30 guests, one hour may be appropriate...if you have 100, you may well need to book them for longer.

The 'rule-of-thumb' with close-up magic, is that for everybody to see some magic, there should be 1 magician per 100 guests. However, if you are struggling to find a second magician for those big occasions, all magicians should be able to suggest additional magicians.

When booking stage performers, it is still important to know the number of guests, as some of their material may be difficult to see at the back of a larger crowd. They should be able to accommodate any size of audience, provided they know beforehand.

Magicians, fireworks and much more...
John Maddaford

About the author


John Maddaford

John has been a pivotal member of the Guides for Brides team for 15 years. Over the years he has built relationships with a number of wedding entertainment suppliers including, but not limited to: discos, DJs, live bands, magicians and the totally unique. He is the best person to contact for supplier recommendations in your area.

Search for entertainment & photo booths near you


  • All Locations
  • Overseas