Reception Entertainment: Let the Games Begin

Ideas & Inspiration

Reception Entertainment: Let the Games Begin

Pioneering and imaginative, Seattle couples go the extra mile to seek out (or invent) creative ways to make their wedding celebrations one-of-a-kind affairs. To wit, reception itineraries have evolved beyond just DJs and dancing; couples are opting to put on a show and delight guests with memorable entertainment that helps keep the party going well into the night. The right addition can celebrate a couple’s unique interests, indulge a lifelong wish or give guests fun ways to mingle (friendly game of croquet, anyone?). With a city as innovative and quirky as Seattle, it’s no surprise there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to out-of-the-box activities.

Set a carefree tone for your warm-weather reception with games for guests to enjoy while they’re not dancing. Seattle couple Caitlyn and Mike Shim set up classic lawn games—croquet, a beanbag toss and bocce ball—that added a whimsical element to their August reception on the banks of Hood Canal. Buy and personalize your own set of games (like they did), or hunt down a venue that has them on site—Novelty Hill/Januik Winery in Woodinville has its own bocce ball court. Avid gamers and recreational players alike will flip for GameTruck, a mobile multimedia lounge equipped with gaming systems such as Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. The onsite “game coach” can direct your guests through tournaments or special races and even give them a chance to play hot new games. (The truck has access to game previews from time to time.)

If you’d like to focus on your future as husband and wife, it might be wise to have someone on site who can foretell it. Pike Place Market–based fortune-teller Sheila Lyon creates a memorable moment by reading your palms in a public presentation. Lyon can also read fortunes for guests throughout the evening or entertain them by telling fortunes based on the type, shape and filling of the treat they choose from a big box of chocolates. Or, for something truly novel, ask Jilly Eddy to perform lipsology, the act of reading personality characteristics and more from a lip print. (She’s the self-declared world’s first lipsology expert.) Friends and family put on lipstick, smooch a kiss card (that’s personalized for your event), and then learn what their lip print divulges.

Add an extra dose of magic to the evening with celebrated wedding magician Nash Fung. From performing magic tricks as guests mingle during cocktail hour to creating some custom magic for you and your spouse, the friendly magician can pull from the 14 years of tricks he has up his sleeve to cater to the tone of the event.

Or, add a touch of fantasy with a captivating performance full of intrigue. The fire dancers from downtown-Seattle-based Pyrosutra have performed at the half-time show for the Seahawks, intimate cabaret-style parties, the Winter Olympic Games, and the list goes on. So, it should be no surprise that they can craft a performance for your event that will add wonder and beauty. The Shanghai Pearl can give your reception a dash of cheeky glamour. This talented burlesque performer is able to create background atmosphere (for example, she recently posed as a mermaid atop a raw shellfish bar at a reception designed by True Color Events) and is also available to perform a dazzling, vaudeville-style show chock-full of personality and pageantry. From aerial performances to world-class cirque acts, to a pair of comedians who pretend to be the bride’s cousins from New York (zany characters who will get your guests laughing), Vashon Island–based EnJoy Productions pulls from more than 20 years of experience to wrangle talent from around the country to make your wildest request a reality.

It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but a hand-painted image of your wedding day made in real time? Priceless! Artist Sam Day adds an enchanting element to the night by painting the celebration while it takes place around him. He recommends that you station him (and his 30- to 80-inch-long canvas) in a place where he can watch the reception happen; guests can step behind him to observe the masterpiece come together throughout the night (he’ll finish by your last dance). Or, send guests home with a personalized favor by hiring Over the Line Productions to draw five-minute caricatures during the party. The artists can create themed caricatures (like a superhero or characters from romance novel) to complement your event or a large-scale “sign-in board” caricature of you and your spouse that can act as a guestbook for guests to inscribe with messages.

These days, the most popular way to capture your zany friends in all their glory is with a modern-again photo booth. With lots of local photo booth services to choose from, you can opt for the custom package or special service that fits your group to a tee. For example, 321 Foto offers a guestbook package that yields customized double strips of images so your guests have one set to keep and one to add to a photo guestbook. If someone loses their copy—or wants a copy of a big group shot—no problem, they can print a digital copy for free from your event’s online album. Meanwhile, Happy Snap Photobooth is a digital experience that can fit as many as 10 people in one shot with backdrops, mustaches on sticks (this year’s prop du jour) and more customizable fun. An on-site attendant will be available to offer pose ideas, encourage prop use and print photographs. Prefer video to stills? Catch your friends and family gesturing, playing with costumes, or otherwise monkeying around, in pocket-sized color flipbooks (which are made on site in minutes) from Flipped Out Productions.

Resources

321 Foto
Packages start at $1,075
360.878.7622

EnJoy Productions
Custom shows vary
206.463.0002

Flipped Out Productions
$400 hourly rate
425.433.8344

GameTruck
Starts at $299 for two hours, $99 for each additional hour
206.422.4514

Happy Snap Photobooth
Packages start at $750
425.512.8406

Lipsology
$375 flat rate
206.937.6510

Nash Fung
Packages range from $400 to $1,000
425.772.9411

Over the Line Productions
Caricatures start at $150 an hour; packages with a sign-in board average $375
206.925.3729

Pyrosutra
Solo performances start at $350; duets at $700 (up to $1,500 for five performers)
530.797.6788

Sam Day
Ranges from $2,500 to $9,000
206.382.7413

The Shanghai Pearl
Ranges from $250 to $1,200
262.757.8747

Sheila Lyon
Ranges from $250 to $1,000
206.713.8506

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