DRINKS RECEPTION MAGICIAN
IN YORKSHIRE
You enjoy the photographs. I'll make sure your guests are having just as much fun.
The drinks reception is one of my favourite parts of a wedding to perform at. The ceremony is over, the drinks are flowing and everyone is ready to relax and enjoy themselves.
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It's also normally the point where the two of you disappear with your photographer, leaving a room full of people who might not all know each other particularly well.
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That's exactly why magic works so brilliantly here.
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While you're off having your photographs taken, I'll mingle with your guests, moving naturally between groups and creating the kind of reactions that very quickly get people talking. There's no formal performance, no announcements and nobody has to stop what they're doing to watch. I simply become part of what's already happening.
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The magic is obviously important, but during a drinks reception it's what happens around the magic that I really love.
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People laugh together. Someone calls their friend over to see what they've just seen. Two groups who didn't know each other start talking. Before long, the whole thing takes on a life of its own.
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That's what I mean when I say I don't simply perform magic at weddings. I specialise in what magic can do for them.
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A BRILLIANT ICEBREAKER WITHOUT FEELING LIKE AN ICEBREAKER
Weddings bring together all sorts of people. Family from both sides, old school friends, work colleagues, university friends and people who may have never met before that afternoon.
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You could organise an icebreaker for them.
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Or I could make somebody's wedding ring disappear and save everyone the awkwardness.
That's the beauty of close-up magic during a drinks reception. It gives people an immediate shared experience without ever feeling organised or forced.
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I'll join a group, perform for a few minutes and then move on. What I'm leaving behind isn't just a group of people wondering how something happened. They're laughing about it, discussing it and usually telling somebody else they need to go and find me.
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By the time you return from your photographs, those separate little groups of guests often feel much more like one wedding party.
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A Natural Icebreaker for Guests
One of the biggest challenges during a wedding drinks reception is that many guests are meeting for the first time.
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Friends, family and work colleagues from completely different parts of your lives are suddenly brought together in the same room.
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Close up magic breaks the ice naturally.
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Guests immediately have something to react to, laugh about and talk about together. Within minutes, groups begin mixing more comfortably and the atmosphere becomes far more relaxed and sociable.
GO AND ENJOY YOUR WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHS
This is a bigger benefit than it might initially sound.
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I've worked at enough weddings to see couples cutting their photographs short because they're conscious that they've been away from everyone for too long.
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You really don't need to worry about that.
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You've spent a lot of money on your photographer and these are photographs you're going to have for the rest of your life. Go and enjoy having them taken.
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I'll take care of everyone else.
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★★★★★
“I didn't want to leave to get my photos done.”
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“We booked Mark for a 2 hour slot to fill the gap while I went to get photos done by the lake. I don’t know what I expected but it wasn’t that. I didn't want to leave to get my photos done, I was too busy enjoying seeing my guests faces as Mark blown their minds. Mark, your people skills and knowing how to read a room was impeccable. The magic was another level and it was the best addition we had on our day. Thank you so much”
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Cheryl Keating
WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY?
Honestly, not very much that you need to worry about.
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Once the ceremony is finished and the drinks reception gets underway, I'll start working my way around your guests. I don't need a stage, microphone, special area or everybody gathered together.
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After more than 20 years of doing this professionally, I'm pretty good at reading a room. Some groups will want to see absolutely everything. Others might be deep in conversation and I'll catch them later. Your eight-year-old nephew might decide I'm his new best friend and follow me around for an hour. It happens.
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The important thing is that the performance fits around your wedding, rather than your wedding having to accommodate the performance.
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I'll also work around your photographer, venue team and whatever else is happening. If timings move, that's fine. Weddings do that.
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You shouldn't need to manage me at any point.
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IS TWO HOURS ENOUGH?
For a typical drinks reception, yes.
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Two hours gives me plenty of time to work around your guests without racing from group to group, and it fits naturally into the time between your ceremony finishing and everyone sitting down for the wedding breakfast.
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My two-hour drinks reception experience starts from £495.
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If you're having a particularly large wedding, a longer drinks reception or you'd like me to continue entertaining everyone during the wedding breakfast, my half-day experience may make more sense.
You don't need to decide that before contacting me. Tell me your timings, venue and approximate guest numbers and I'll tell you what I'd recommend.
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If two hours is enough, I'll say so.
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SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU
There is one part of every wedding that I don't perform while you're away having photographs taken.
That's because I need both of you for it.
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Every wedding booking includes a private performance exclusively for the two of you, away from everybody else.
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It's completely different from what your guests will see and ends with a unique keepsake for you to take away.
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Wedding days go ridiculously quickly. I love the fact that amongst everything else happening, I can give you a few minutes together and leave you with something that will always remind you of them.
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DISCOVER YOUR PRIVATE PERFORMANCE
WHY HAVE MARK AT YOUR DRINKS RECEPTION?
I've performed professionally for more than 20 years and have now been part of more than 1,700 weddings. I'm an Associate of The Magic Circle with Silver Star and a multi-award-winning Wedding Entertainer of the Year.
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I'm enormously proud of all of that, but it's not really what you'll notice when I'm at your wedding.
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What you'll notice is that I know how weddings work.
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I know how to approach different groups of guests without making anybody uncomfortable. I know how to work alongside photographers and venue teams. I know when people want another trick and when they'd rather carry on with their conversation. And if your carefully planned timings suddenly become slightly less carefully planned, I'll adapt.
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You don't need to organise any of that.
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You can just enjoy your wedding.
Frequently Asked Questions – Drinks Reception Entertainment
Do we really need entertainment during the drinks reception?
It’s not essential, but it makes a noticeable difference. This is the part of the day where guests are most likely to feel unsure or disconnected.
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How long should drinks reception entertainment last?
Typically between 1-2 hours, depending on your timeline and how long photographs take.
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Will this take away from the atmosphere?
No, it enhances it. Everything is designed to feel natural and blend into the day.
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What if guests don’t want to take part?
There’s no pressure at all. Guests can engage as much or as little as they like.
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Does this work for both indoor and outdoor receptions?
Yes, close-up magic is flexible and works in any setting.
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How far in advance should we book?
Dates across Yorkshire book up quickly, so it’s always best to enquire early.
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