Winter Wedding Magician

What a magician actually does at a winter wedding

Winter weddings are indoors and dark early. The light goes at four, so the photographs are short and mostly done before the ceremony or straight after it. The drinks reception is inside, by the fire, and it is long, often the longest part of the day, because there is nowhere to wander outside. Guests sit in lounges and stand at the bar with a long afternoon in front of them. That is where a magician earns his fee. The winter drinks reception is the biggest indoor gap in the whole wedding calendar.

Winter also changes the mood: candles, fires, a tree in the hall, mulled wine. Close-up magic suits it. It is performed for six to ten people at a time, close, in low light. A card fanned by candlelight reads better than it sounds. And it needs no power, stage or PA, so there is nothing to spoil a candlelit room.

Where the magic goes on the day

The drinks reception (90 minutes or more, indoors). The main slot. The wedding breakfast. Candlelit tables. Table magic between courses. Winter menus are often longer, with a cheese course, which means more gaps. The evening. Fireside first, then the band. Christmas and New Year weddings. These run on party timings: a later ceremony, a longer drinks reception, and a room that already feels like a celebration. A magician fits the mood. Book early. The last two weeks of December are busy for every supplier.

Things worth planning for

• Availability and price. Winter is off-peak for most magicians. There is more choice, and some will quote lower for a weekday or a January date. Ask.
• Weather and travel. Give the magician the same snow plan you give the photographer. The magicians on this site list the counties they cover for a reason.
• Light. The room is dim by four. Fine for close-up magic; not fine for a stage act.
• Fewer rooms. Guests stay in one or two rooms in winter, which makes it easier for the magician to reach everyone.
• Children off school. A Christmas wedding usually has them. Worth keeping them entertained.

Winter venues on this site

Any of the castles, houses and hotels on this site work in winter. These are the ones with the fires and the halls.

• Peckforton Castle (Cheshire)
  A castle in winter: great hall, fires, candlelight.
• Combermere Abbey (Cheshire)
  Gothic abbey; made for a candlelit breakfast.
• Allerton Castle (North Yorkshire)
  Gothic revival great hall.
• Wynyard Hall (County Durham)
  Grand rooms and a long indoor afternoon.
• Thornton Manor (Cheshire)
  Drawing rooms and the Orangery.
• The Ned (London)
  A 1920s banking hall; big, warm and indoors.
• Claridge's (London)
  Art Deco rooms; a winter wedding that never has to go outside.

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 winter weddings

Is a magician a good idea for a winter wedding?

Yes, more than for a summer one. The winter drinks reception is indoors and long, because there is nowhere else to go, and it is the biggest gap in the day. That is exactly what close-up magic fills.

Will it work in candlelight?

Yes. Close-up magic is performed at arm's length and reads well in low light. Very dark rooms are the only problem, and the magician works the better-lit areas.

Is it cheaper to book a magician for a winter wedding?

Often. Winter is off-peak, so there is more choice, and some magicians quote lower for a weekday or a January date. It is always worth asking.

We are getting married at Christmas. Will anyone be free?

Book early. The last two weeks of December are busy for every supplier, magicians included. Enquire as soon as you have the date.

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