Marquee Wedding Magician

What a magician actually does at a marquee wedding

A marquee wedding is a garden party with a dinner in the middle. The ceremony is often somewhere else, a church or a register office, and then everyone arrives at the marquee for drinks on the lawn, dinner under canvas, and dancing in the same tent later. Because the marquee is a blank space, the day depends entirely on the people in it. There is no bar to prop up, no library to wander into, no hotel lounge. Guests stand on grass and talk. That is exactly the situation close-up magic is for.

It also travels light. A magician needs no stage, no power and no PA, which matters in a field where the generator is already running the kitchen and the band and nobody wants another cable across the grass. He performs in the drinks area, at the tables and in the gaps, and carries everything he uses.

Where the magic goes on the day

Arrival drinks on the lawn (60–90 minutes). The big one. Guests arrive in dribs and drabs, the couple are away with the photographer, and the first hour is standing on grass with a glass. A magician moving between the groups turns that hour into the part of the day people talk about. The wedding breakfast. Tables of eight to twelve under the marquee. Table magic between courses. Marquee catering can run to time or it can not, and a good magician reads the service and works around it. The turnaround. This one is specific to marquees. If dinner and dancing are in the same tent, the tables are cleared and the floor is made while the guests are sent outside or into a smaller tent. It is a real gap of 30 to 45 minutes and most couples forget it exists. If you book past the breakfast, this is where the extra time goes. The evening. Once the band starts, it is done. Close-up magic and a live band do not mix.

Things worth planning for

• Wind. Marquee sides get rolled up on a warm day, and cards blow. The magician works with his back to it or in the lee of the tent. Do not be surprised if he chooses his own spot.
• Wet grass. Guests in heels drift to the hard standing. The magician goes where the groups are.
• Light after dark. Marquees are bright by day and can be dim by evening. That is fine for the breakfast, and the evening belongs to the band anyway.
• More than one space. A marquee at a house often means drinks on the terrace, dinner in the tent and a bar in a second tent. Tell the magician the plan and he will be where the guests are.
• A plate of food. For a full-day booking, a meal in the catering tent is the normal arrangement.

Country houses and gardens on this site

Several of the houses and gardens on this site host weddings in their grounds. If your marquee is at one of them, the magicians who cover that county are on its page.

• Elmore Court (Gloucestershire)
  A country house with gardens; the terrace and lawn are where the drinks happen.
• Iscoyd Park (Shropshire)
  Exclusive-use house with grounds for the drinks reception.
• Thornton Manor (Cheshire)
  Orangery, gardens and drawing rooms; guests spread out, which is what a magician is for.
• Cliveden House (Berkshire)
  Estate weddings with the terrace and gardens in play.

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 marquee weddings

Does a magician need power or a stage in a marquee?

No. Everything he uses is in his pockets. He needs nothing from the marquee, the caterer or the generator.

What happens if it rains?

The drinks move into the marquee or the house, and the magician follows the guests. Nothing about his set changes.

Will card magic work outside in the wind?

Yes, with a little care. He works with his back to the wind or in the lee of the tent, and picks his spot on the day.

There is a gap while the marquee is turned around. Can he cover it?

Yes, and it is the best use of a longer booking. It is the one part of a marquee day where guests are simply waiting.

How much does a marquee 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, outdoor weddings, barn weddings. Or read what a wedding magician actually does.