DISCLAIMER:  Before we begin this wedding reception entertainment post we’d just like to say that although we both have to pick a side here we both LOVE cartoons (as you may be able to tell!) and magicians… and tea… although that last one might be irrelevant in this particular argument (though not irrelevant to the writing process!!)

So this week we’re talking wedding reception entertainment and looking in detail at two forms of guest entertainment that always go down a treat yet are often overlooked. Table-side entertainers always work brilliantly at weddings but aren’t necessarily something you’d think about, so in this week’s Friday Fight-Out we’re shining the spotlight on two of our favourites:

Cartoonists Vs Magicians

In the Red Corner, well actually just still sitting at the foot of the stairs hoping to hear the shriek of an owl and see an envelope sealed with the crest of Hogwarts fly through the letterbox, the wand chooses the wizard and Dom chooses the magicians, it’s Dom “The Tog Bride”.

In the Blue Corner; apparently his expressions are so cartoon-like to start with that our Bride Vs Groom cartoonist got him spot-on at the first attempt, if you don’t agree that cartoons rule he’s going to set his mate Dennis the Menace on you, it’s Matt “The Gormless Groom”.

Dom: Everyone loves magic no matter what age they are! (And always get caught up in it regardless of how cool they’re trying to be! Close magic works particularly well table side and can involve whole tables at a time.

Matt: Cartoonists are also really entertaining to watch, and everyone loves seeing it gradually form into a full caricature and having a bit of a laugh along the way!

Dom: Magicians really engage their audience and are an amazing ice breaker, particularly on tables where people don’t really know each other! They get people talking and laughing and it really creates a sense of fun for the whole evening.

Matt: With a cartoonist you get to keep your finished cartoon and take it home with you which people really love! Guests love comparing their pictures throughout the evening and you often find them scribbling away afterwards trying to create their own cartoons!

Dom: Wedding photographers love magicians – you get such amazing expressions on all the guests faces as they watch in wonderment… it makes for some fantastic photos!

Matt: Ah yes, but if a cartoonist is making up the facial expressions you get great pictures anyway! They also make a great piece of decoration – get some clothes pegs out and hang them up throughout the evening to add a bit of personality to your venue and give something for everyone to look at!

Dom: Magicians somehow take you back to childhood – to that sense of amazement of not understanding how something works and encourages you to just have fun! As adults you don’t get to experience that sense of magic very often and a wedding is a great occasion to do it!

Matt: Well if we’re talking taking you back to childhood there’s nothing like a cartoon to do that job for you! Caricature cartoons are just great fun and allow you to gently take the mickey without overstepping the mark and help break down those barriers.

Dom: You just don’t like magicians because you couldn’t figure out how the heck he did that trick on you at the last wedding!

Matt: Actually it’s because he bent my coin! That was my Beano pocket money!!

Alright, break it up, break it up… right, for my next trick I’m going to need a comments section, a Twitter feed, a Facebook page and some willing volunteers with some varied opinions…