Country House Wedding Magician

What a magician actually does at a country house wedding

A country house wedding is usually exclusive use. The house is yours from the morning, guests arrive for a ceremony in the orangery or the garden, drinks are on the terrace, dinner is in the dining room or a marquee on the lawn, the dancing goes on until late, and many of the guests are staying over. The day is long, the house has a lot of rooms, and people wander. That is the challenge. With a bar, a library, a terrace and gardens all open, guests scatter, and the drinks reception can feel thin even with 120 people there.

A magician pulls a country house day back together. He works the terrace and the drawing room, finds the groups that have wandered off, and gives people a reason to gather. Close-up magic is performed at arm's length for a handful of people at a time, so it fits a drawing room as well as a lawn, and it needs no power, no stage and no set-up. There is nothing to spoil a Georgian room.

Where the magic goes on the day

The drinks reception (90 minutes or more). Terrace and gardens, guests spread out, and photographs that take a while because the grounds are the point. The main slot. The wedding breakfast. The dining room or a marquee. Table magic between courses. The afternoon lull. Exclusive-use days often have a gap after the meal, before the evening guests arrive, when people sit in the lounge with coffee. A magician working the lounge is a good use of the end of a longer set. The evening. The band. The next morning. Houses where guests stay sometimes book something for the Sunday. Magic at a long breakfast table is unusual, and it works.

Things worth planning for

• Rooms and gardens. Tell the magician which rooms are in use and where the guests will be. He moves with them.
• A marquee on the lawn. See the marquee page. The gap while it is turned around for the evening is real.
• Photographs in the grounds. Long. Allow for it.
• Dress. A country house wedding is usually smart, and the magicians on this site dress for it. Say if it is black tie.
• A plate of food. For a full-day booking, a meal is the normal arrangement.

Country houses and estates on this site

Each venue page lists the magicians who cover that county.

• Cliveden House (Berkshire)
  An estate on the Thames with a terrace and formal gardens.
• Hedsor House (Buckinghamshire)
  Georgian manor, exclusive use.
• Stoke Park (Buckinghamshire)
  Palladian mansion with grounds.
• Babington House (Somerset)
  A relaxed country house where guests spread through the rooms and the garden.
• Elmore Court (Gloucestershire)
  A family-owned house with gardens and its own venue for the party.
• Iscoyd Park (Shropshire)
  Exclusive-use Georgian house with grounds.
• Thornton Manor (Cheshire)
  Orangery, gardens and drawing rooms.
• Wynyard Hall (County Durham)
  A grand estate house with terraces and a lake.
• Syon Park (London)
  A stately house with the Great Conservatory for the drinks.

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 country house weddings

Guests scatter across the house. How does the magician handle that?

He goes to them. Give him the rooms in use and the running order, and he finds the groups rather than waiting for them to come to him.

It is an exclusive-use weekend. Can he come on the Friday or the Sunday?

Often, yes. Say what you have in mind when you enquire and we will find someone who can.

Does the magician need anything from the house?

No. No power, no stage, no table. Everything is in his pockets.

Is close-up magic smart enough for a formal house?

Yes. It is quiet, it is performed for a few people at a time, and it never interrupts. The magicians dress for the room. Say if it is black tie.

How much does a country house 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: castle weddings, marquee weddings, luxury weddings. Or read what a wedding magician actually does.