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wedding entertainer

So your wedding has been postponed! It a strange time,  everything suddenly has gone in a different direction and it feels completely out of your control.  If you had your date affected by Covid-19 lockdown here are some ideas just to help YOU get back on track and in-control and stay positive.  

Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He doesn’t seem to be breathing and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps, “My friend is dead! What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. I can help. First, let’s establish that he’s dead.” There is a silence; then a gun shot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says, “OK, now what?” 

 This was researched and found to be the worlds funnest joke by Richard Wiseman!! ….  but what’s it got to do with this subject…probably not much but its a great joke and hopefully made you smile. 
That’s Step 1.  Smile…and Don’t panic!

First of all establish the facts, do you need to cancel?…  If you haven’t already, give your venue a call and  keep in touch with them.  At some point we WILL get back to normal and some dates may not be affected.  Don’t try and rearrange things if you do not need to.  Speak to your venue and take their advice on this as they are the professionals and will be working closely to government guidelines.  

OK,  so it’s definitely not going to happen on your date and you have established the facts. 
Step 2…Accept that its got to change… don’t stress about it but visualise your new wedding being Bigger and Better than before!    Every supplier and venue across the country is in the same situation and also so are many other brides.  Everyone knows the deal and hopefully will be on your side!    So Let’s  make it Bigger and Better than before!!  

Just to clarify, this point.  It doesn’t have to be bigger with more guests and busier. Better doesn’t mean that it wasn’t already great (your day will always be important to you and so totally amazing!)  It’s almost a metaphor to get us in the right positive frame of mind and to renew our enthusiasm about several more months planning when you might be just ready to party.  Better just means we have time to check every details cross the “T”S and dot the “i”s.  So lets get thinking and visualising about making it Bigger and Better in those terms and it will be an Amazing time both the re-planning and the day itself!

Let’s find a new date!   This may feel like starting again but as I mentioned above Don’t Panic!!!  You are actually a long way down the line and have already done most of the hard work.  Have a chat with your venue and work out some options.  Work out availability and find 2 or 3 different dates.    Do you want to move to around Sept or October or go for a full 12months and have the same week next year?
 

Increase your options further.  Think about maybe a weekday wedding.  Perhaps a Friday or maybe even a Monday.  Again, thinks Lets make it bigger and better!  A weekday or a Friday will give you more options and you are more likely to be able to get availability on these dates for suppliers and venue.  You might also find that your venue has a better deal on these dates. If your budget is already set then why not use the difference to do a pre-wedding party for family and closer friends!! Make a weekend of your wedding!  

Also think about a winter wedding.  Late October, November or even December (but avoid second week December – its the busiest week of the year!!)   These days in October and November are actually great times to have a wedding, its a quiet time of year and sometimes people want a good excuse to have a party and a pick me up!  There are lots of theming ideas like, Halloween or Bonfire Night (Maybe swap the evening buffet for a Jacket Potato & Soup (outdoors catering), roast chestnuts, add some fireworks or even sparklers if your budget is not huge  and you got an awesome evening!    If you want to take the party outside  maybe think about a Silent Disco!!  check out https://www.silentnoizeevents.com 

Also think about the dates in-between Christmas and New Year!  Again, it’s non-peak and at a time where people are available, ready to party and at the same time midweek!!

By thinking a little outside the regular options you may find availability for your suppliers easier and it could be a case of just rearranging everything to just another date.  This might be a chance to upgrade a package with your suppliers as you are now looking at a non peak date.  They are most likely to be really glad to fill that date and might offer an upgraded package at no additional charge in return. 

A quick word on suppliers here.  Many suppliers to the wedding industry are smaller businesses or sole traders.  Currently,  for us our work has stopped, which of course is not great for the bank accounts although many professional suppliers are keeping positive, taking time to restock and replenish and are looking forward to working again to be part of your day.  This is a great time to chat to them and work with them to get a great deal and build a rapport with them.   A good supplier will be ready to work with you and your situation.  If they start making unreasonable requests about deposits or rebooking fees then you might have just worked out whether they are suitable for you!  

So you have some dates, at this point but  don’t choose one just yet.  Drop an email to your suppliers and get responses of who is available on what date.    

If there is a date when everyone is available then job done!!   If you have suppliers that are not available,  work out the date that you have the most suppliers that you really want to be there!  What suppliers do you really want at your wedding?  This might not always be the order of necessity like when you first booked.  For example quite often I am booked because couples know me and like what I do and how i do it.  Where as they might not know another supplier on the same level or need “them” to actually be providing that companies service.    

If you do need to look for other suppliers then again – Don’t Panic!  You already know what you are looking for so it’s not like when you first started planning.  In fact, if you believe in the power of attraction then sometimes knowing what you want makes it drop into your lap! 

Ask your current supplier for a recommendations.  I quite often work with other magicians and I am usually quite fussy about who I work with and recommend. I know they have got to not only reflect  the standard of what I do but also compliment my style and ethos.  Many suppliers are similar in this aspect and will know many professionals in their own respective fields.  Also chat with your venue as they will have a list of recommended suppliers.  

Rearranging and the details!   Most suppliers will have their own systems and booking process,  a good supplier that really wants to be at your wedding will have already thought about how to deal with rearranging.  Quite often most of the details will remain the same and you just need to rearrange the date.  A simple email is the easiest way but if you want a full reconfirmation then a professional will easily be able to PDF a revised contract at the press of a button so just ask!!   

Of course let’s use this opportunity to make things Bigger and Better!  This situation has affected everyone and we all have stories to tell.  It’s a great time to chat again and build rapport.   Chat through some more options,  you may have some other ideas from when you initially booked or they might have new ideas that might work  well for you. 

Don’t forget to tell your guests!   How you do this might be again down to your budget or how elaborately you want to do this maybe make it fun, get creative.  You might want to just do a simple change the date postcard or do it digitally.   If you have lots of time on your hands at the moment why not try a video call!!  Again its a great way to brighten up your friends day and share!!  

So everything is rearranged, dates set,  suppliers confirmed its just a case of waiting now…which I totally understand can be a little frustrating as you might have spent a long time planning and were really building up to that date!   You don’t want to loose your excitement so keep looking for ideas things that you can easily add to your day.  Have you forgotten anything?  or what can you squeeze in to make it Bigger and Better!    

There might also be things that you didn’t think you could afford initially, so why not think about those things again and use the time to save a little and put it to one side each month.  Of course if you haven’t booked your daytime entertainment this is a great time to plan and maybe get some quotes and ideas ????!!  

Finally,  don’t forget yourselves!  You were really looking forward to your big day for so long,  its gonna be very odd when you do get to that date and its no longer your wedding date!!  So maybe plan something at home with your partner, something fun on your “wedding day”…and then make your promise to make your rearranged day Bigger and Better and of course Amazing!

We are going to have some amazing weddings and parties very soon!! So until then…and it wont be long!  Have fun, Stay Safe and see you very soon!!

Find out how to make it Amazing…get in touch today and tell me about your wedding plans. brett@amazingmagic.uk   www.amazingmagic.uk

Welcombe 2020…It’s wedding Fayre Season!!
Lets get Married !!! Wedding Fayre Season!

Welcombe to 2020! No its not a spelling mistake! (See below!) Just as things quieten down following the business of December and Christmas it is time to start to get organised as the wedding fayre season kicks in!

Its been busy right from the start of the new decade. First starting with a wedding fayre on first weekend of the year and a fayre every weekend since.

My routine is something like this…Maybe a busy Saturday or a gig on Saturday evening. Then a wedding fayre on Sunday. Monday look through and recall everyone I have chatted to on the day before. Send out some details and quotes if they have asked. A trip to the Magic Circle club night on that evening. Tuesday and Wednesday follow up ay other quotes, a bit or prop building and the usual distractions. Then from Thursday and Friday its thinking again about the next wedding fayre.

So when i think about January I usually think about chilling, recovering and getting things back in order! The reality is, the more time I have the more time I have to think about new ideas and getting creative. So I just get busier!!

This weekend will be a very nice wedding Fayre at the Welcombe Hotel in Stratford. on Avon I love this venue and already with just 6 weeks into the new year it is my second visit. The first was for a lovely corporate event in the second week of January!! So it truly has so far been a Welcombe 2020! Maybe see you there!!

A small Corporate Event at the Welcombe! Stratford Upon Avon

As for creative ideas, the next update will be a hand idea for helping to plan your event!! See you soon or at the Welcombe!!!

A Conversation at Yesterdays Wedding Fayre…


Yesterday I was at The Midlands Wedding Show.  This is a great show organised by Just Exhibitions  www.midlandweddingshow.com  There were over 250 brides and couples through the doors and it was great to be able to  chat to so many of them.  

To generalise most of the conversations fall into the categories of either,  “No we haven’t thought about our entertainment yet..” or  “How does having a magician work at a wedding..”   with a few  “Yes we have already booked someone” or  “We love the idea, we are just looking for the right magician”.  However one conversation stood out for me yesterday along the lines “ We really like to have a magician because we know it works so well.  However, a relative recently had a magician and they were awful, the tricks were ok but it just was a little  bit flat and not very good.  So we want to make sure that we have the right person.”

We had a really nice chat about not just what I do but also about entertainment for events and weddings generally.   It was great to be able to chat about what for me is the most important part of supplying not just entertainment but a complete service, also what make the difference between get what you pay for and not getting what you don’t pay for.

I hear so often about the soaring costs of weddings, and often this is because people know how important it is to get the basics right or when you are able to see the benefits of a higher priced item such as table decoration or flowers etc.  But with entertainment it’s easy to think that a band is any band singing the same songs or a magician is just a guy doing tricks.   

I believe the quality in the product goes far beyond the tricks.  Although saying this a good percentage of the tricks that I  perform variations of have been used on  the “… Got Talent” shows across the world to secure places in the series finals.   So thats a fairy good start!   Ultimately  It’s the bottom line basics that make that extra difference and you should make sure you look out for when booking.   

A good booking system including plenty of wedding information to make sure not faux pas are made on the day plus good communication leading up to your day. 

Arriving in plenty of time to be ready to start  on time.  In my experience things can also start early as often as running over!!  

A smart appearance,  some magicians may try and stand out from a regular wedding guest but I believe smart, tie and suit is always the best option, particularly at a wedding.  After a short while if people are laughing and enjoying what it happening you soon get noticed as the entertainer.  

Of course Public Liability and membership of trade bodies go without saying…but i just did! 

Most importantly performing magic should always be entertaining and not about just bemusing an audience or talking through whats happening.  It should be engaging, fun to watch and be part of what is happening. 
That not only about the personality and charisma of the performer but also experience, likability and sense of humour.  

So if you are looking for entertainment make sure you are not just thinking about the trick or songs being played being a professional with experience goes far beyond that and it what will ultimately make you wedding Amazing!   

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Well we are finally getting from boxes to organised, in-between the chaos have been some really great gigs.  A corporate event for Morgan Sindal at the lovely venue of Coombe Abbey in coventry.  I even picked up a review on the facebook page! always a bonus.


The  highlight tho over the past week was a lovely wedding in St Albans.  The family had chosen a Barn Converted social club, which was really quite unique.  The family was lovely and also quite large as it was part Irish, the booking was described as multi-cultural!  The Catering was provided by a pig roast buffet!  Simple and effective and the sun shone and the day was amazing.

I was booked as a surprise magician by the father of the bride for his daughter.  When she first met me the bride was visibly stressed and having something she hadn’t planned could have been very awkward.  However, she soon realised how I  fit in and was already by that point getting great feedback from her friends and family who I had already been entertaining while she was having photos.  I simply let her know that I was there to help her enjoy the day let her friends be entertained while she go on with meeting everyone and enjoying her day.  She instantly relaxed which was a real pleasure to see happen.

Sometimes,  having the experience of having been at so many events its really easy to see the bigger picture and help guide things in the right direction.  I think that this was possibly one of those moments.  It just needed a the family to know or hear the words someone say something like “I got this! Its cool!”

So it was not the high expense wedding of a big 4 star hotel, but you wouldn’t know!  However, if you don’t have the hotel you may also miss out on a restaurant manager or Wedding coordinator to help things keep moving along or getting guests to the buffet in order or introducing the speeches!  There are several options to help this.  Maybe hire a toast master, this can be superb but sometimes may feel a bit too official unless you get the right one for the job.  Alternatively there is always the magician who  knows how to use a microphone, the order of the day and how to encourage guests to follow the order of the day and enjoy themselves!

I have seen the day happen so many times when I was asked to fill in these gaps it was a absolute honour to be able to step in and help.  This is also why I ask for all the timings of the day and names of important guests on my booking form.  The just in case  need to be prepared mentality!  You will always see the words on many a website for magicians; “A magician will bring your guest together and fill in the gaps  etc etc”  Yes there are lots of magicians capable of this but personally I take pride in being able to carry that tool kit that is ready for everything.  The tool kit labeled experience!  Being able to see the bigger picture, step in and help with what ever might be needed on the day and most importantly make sure what I do fits in perfectly on the day to make it 100% personal for the Bride and Groom  and professional.