Castle Wedding Magician

What a magician actually does at a castle wedding

Castle weddings are grand, and grand has a cost: distance. The ceremony is in one room, the drinks are on a terrace or in a courtyard, the breakfast is in a hall on another floor, and the photographs take longer than anywhere else because there is so much to photograph. Guests spend more of the day standing in impressive rooms waiting to be told where to go next. A magician gives them something to do while they wait.

There is a second thing castles do: they make people formal. Guests who do not know each other stand in polite circles. Close-up magic is the fastest way through that. It is performed for six to ten people at a time, and within a minute strangers are leaning in over the same card. The magician is not really the entertainment; the reactions are.

Practically, castles have thick walls, stone floors and rooms where a PA would echo for a week. Close-up magic needs none of that. No power, no stage, no set-up, and nothing to carry up a spiral staircase.

Where the magic goes on the day

The drinks reception (often 90 minutes or more). Longer at a castle, because the photographer wants the battlements, the gatehouse and the lake. The couple and their families disappear for a long time. This is the main slot. The magician keeps the terrace or the hall alive while they are gone. The wedding breakfast. Round tables in a great hall. Table magic between courses. High ceilings and long service usually mean the gaps between courses are generous. Between the breakfast and the evening. Guests often move to another room while the hall is turned around. Worth covering if you have booked past the meal. The evening. Hand over to the band.

Things worth planning for

• Rooms. Castles have several. Tell the magician which rooms are in use and when, and he will move with the guests rather than wait in one.
• Stairs and distance. Let the drinks reception run a little long. Guests take time to move between spaces.
• Photographs. Ask the photographer how long the couple will be away. That is how long the magician's main slot really is.
• Light. Great halls are often candlelit by evening. Fine for the breakfast.
• Weekend weddings. If the castle is yours for the weekend and guests are staying, an appearance on the Friday evening or at Sunday brunch is possible. Ask.

Castle and palace venues on this site

Each venue page lists the magicians who cover that county.

• Peckforton Castle (Cheshire)
  A Victorian castle with a great hall, a courtyard and grounds. The photographs take a while; the drinks reception is long.
• Allerton Castle (North Yorkshire)
  Gothic revival, with a great hall for the breakfast and rooms to spread into.
• Combermere Abbey (Cheshire)
  Gothic abbey rather than castle, but the same shape of day: grand rooms, long photographs.
• Blenheim Palace (Oxfordshire)
  A palace: state rooms and a long walk between them.
• Hampton Court Palace (London)
  Tudor courtyards and formal rooms; guests move a lot.

What it costs

Prices include travel anywhere in the UK. The full price guide explains what moves a quote up or down.

Questions couples ask about castle weddings

Does close-up magic suit a formal castle wedding?

Yes. It is the fastest way to make a formal room informal, and because it is performed for one small group at a time it never interrupts anything. It fits a great hall as well as a marquee.

Our castle has several rooms. Where does the magician perform?

Wherever the guests are. Give him the running order and the rooms in use, and he moves with the day.

The photographs are going to take a long time.

Good. That is the slot. The magician keeps the rest of the guests entertained while the couple and the families are away.

Does he need power, a stage or a table?

No. Everything he uses is in his pockets. He needs nothing from the castle.

How much does a castle wedding magician cost?

From £495 for the drinks reception, £595 for the drinks reception and table magic, and £895 for award-winning and television magicians. Travel anywhere in the UK is included.

See also: country house weddings, luxury weddings, winter weddings. Or read what a wedding magician actually does.