Great wedding entertainment isn’t about spending the most. It’s about spending in the right place for your guests and your venue. Here’s an honest look at what you can do at three different budget levels, including where we think the money is worth it and where it isn’t.
First, work out what your guests actually need
Before you look at a single supplier, think about the people coming. A crowd of dancers needs good music above everything. A family-heavy wedding with lots of children and grandparents needs things people can do sitting down or in small groups. A small, chatty dinner party might need very little at all.
Then think about the gaps in your day: the drinks reception, the room turnaround, the lull after evening food. That’s where entertainment earns its keep.
Low budget: free and DIY ideas
If money is tight, you can still give guests a great day with a bit of effort.
- A carefully built playlist. Ask your venue what sound system they have. Build separate playlists for the drinks reception, the meal and the evening, and ask a reliable friend to look after it.
- Borrowed lawn games. Many venues have giant Jenga or croquet sets. Friends often have them in the garage too.
- Table games during the meal. A wedding quiz about the two of you, or a “find the guest who…” sheet, gets tables talking.
- Disposable cameras or a shared photo album app so guests capture the day from their angle.
- A sing-along or a party trick from someone who’s always up for it. Every family has one.
The honest bit: DIY entertainment takes planning and someone to run it on the day. If you go this route, give one friend the job and make sure it isn’t you.
Mid budget: the biggest impact per pound
A professional DJ
If you’re going to spend on one thing for the evening, make it music. A good DJ reads the room, keeps the dance floor full, handles announcements and takes a lot of pressure off you. Our sister company EventsDJ offers a five-hour Evening DJ package that covers a typical wedding evening.
A self-service photo booth
Our Party Pod is unstaffed, so it costs less than a staffed booth, but guests still get prints every time, in colour or black and white, with your choice of backdrop. It’s dropped off during the day and runs all day, from the drinks reception to the last dance. It’s available within 15 miles of our base in Swillington, Leeds, or further afield when booked with an EventsDJ DJ.
If you’d rather go digital, the Digital Pod lets guests share photos straight to their phones and adds an online gallery, but doesn’t print.
The honest bit: a self-service booth relies on guests getting stuck in themselves. Most do, happily. But if you’ve got a shy crowd or want someone looking after the booth all night, a staffed booth is worth the step up.
Higher budget: the luxury touches
A staffed photo booth
Our Glam Booth gives Kardashian-style black and white photos with flattering beauty lighting, and there’s also the hand-crafted oak Vintage Booth. Both come with a friendly attendant all evening, three hours as standard, unlimited photo capture with prints every time, personalised print designs, an online gallery and a gift box of prints for you at the end of the night.
The attendant is the difference. They encourage the shy ones, help groups fit in the frame and keep things moving when there’s a queue.
A sax player
A sax player adds a real sense of occasion to a drinks reception or alongside a DJ set. EventsDJ can add one to your booking, priced on enquiry.
Cold spark fountains
For a first dance moment that looks spectacular in photos, cold spark fountains are available as an add-on to an EventsDJ booking, operated by Wayne.
The honest bit: you don’t need everything on this list. One or two well-chosen extras will make more of an impression than five things competing for attention.
Ways to make any budget go further
- Book a DJ and booth together. Our Wedding DJ & Photo Booth package saves you money compared with booking separately. Couples who book the Vintage Booth or the package can also upgrade to the Glam Booth.
- Use booth prints as favours. Guests take home a personalised print, so you may not need separate favours.
- Time things well. Three well-placed booth hours beat five badly-placed ones.
Our guide to photo booth hire explains what affects the cost.
FAQs
What’s the cheapest photo booth option?
Our self-service Party Pod. It runs all day and includes prints every time.
Is a DJ or a photo booth more important?
For most weddings, the DJ, because music shapes the whole evening. A booth is the best extra once the music is sorted.
Do we need entertainment during the meal?
Not usually. Background music and table games are plenty.
Tell us your budget and we’ll tell you honestly what we’d recommend. Request a quote or use the form below.
