4 One-of-a-Kind Ways to Surprise and Delight Your Wedding Guests
The best Big Day entertainment twists relate back to the couple, advises Allie Beik of Polka Dot Events.
Biddy Bee at planner Allie Beik’s union / Photograph by Redfield Photography
Of course, Big Days are about the couple and their love story. But you certainly want to ensure your guests have a good time, too. That’s where wedding entertainment comes in — and the options for one-of-a-kind ideas are seemingly endless here in Philadelphia. Here are four unique wedding entertainment options to delight your attendees, and ensure you have plenty of fun, too.
Photograph by Redfield Photography
When Allie Beik of Chestnut Hill-based Polka Dot Events wanted to stage a surprise at her Globe Dye Works nuptials in 2021, she knew exactly whom to book. She asked her best friend Nick Biddle, better known as drag performer Biddy Bee, to be the “flower girl.” (See Beik’s full celebration here.) Wedding twists are nothing new — Beik’s favorite is an embroidery station for baseball hats that she’s working on for an upcoming shindig — but the best ones relate back to the couple’s story.
Cocktail dice by Spirit Forward / Photograph by JPG Photo and Video
“Anytime you’re leading guests somewhere — the cocktail hour, the reception, the after-party — is an opportunity to have a surprise moment along the way,” says Beik.
Enlist Spirit Forward for drinks with a twist (guests roll a special pair of dice and design their own libations), or set up games if you like friendly competition.
Connect Four at an American Swedish Historical Museum wedding / Photograph by Rachel van Anglen Photography
Another option? Big Day Event Illustration will create digital sketches of guests — an activity best staged during cocktail hour, so artists have ample time.
Big Day Event Illustration’s portraits / Photograph courtesy of Cescaphe
But proceed with caution for elaborate activities like bounce houses. “Anything that can result in injury should be carefully considered,” advises Beik. We’ll toast to that.
Published as “Surprise and Delight” in the winter/spring 2023 issue of Philadelphia Wedding.
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