13 Things to Know About Hiring a Wedding Magician for Your Big Day
13 Things to Know About Hiring a Wedding Magician
Do you dream of having a wedding that is memorable and unique? Look no further! Check out 13 things to know about hiring a wedding magician for your big day.
Almost everyone imagines that his or her big day will be as magical as a Cinderella story.
People seldom, however, think that their weddings will quite literally be magical. At least not until they find out that they can hire a wedding magician for their special day.
Of course, hiring a magician can be as stressful as planning every other aspect of the wedding. From background checks to planning the magic act, there are a lot of things to think about.
So where exactly should you start your search for a competent magician?
Stick with us and you just might be watching a magician wow your guests on your wedding day.
Getting in Touch With a Magician
The day-to-day hustle can easily overwhelm even the best multitasker. If you add wedding preparations to that daily grind, your stress levels will no doubt skyrocket.
Not only that, but getting in touch with a wedding magician could be hard even on your best day, as they will most probably be working when you’re not.
What, then, should you do?
First and foremost, we recommend enlisting the help of your wedding planner as soon as you can. And, yes, you probably should have one if you don’t already.
If you can’t meet with the magician face-to-face, you must be open to other means of communication. Try video chatting or emailing him or her to start.
Credentials
What exactly do a magician’s credentials look like? After all, no one majors in magic in college. Magicians are simply those who have mastered “illusions of the mind.”
Despite that fact, there are ways to spot a “certified” magician. You can usually identify a legitimate magician by going through an established guild of some sort, for example, Lewis is a member of “Equity – Performers Guild” and “Plymouth Magic Circle”.
As you do with all businesses, you should check out the reviews that the business has received. Are the reviews primarily positive? Is the company reliable?
These are questions you’ll want to ask yourself before hiring a magician to perform at your wedding.
Experience with Weddings
Magic may be magic, but entertaining a wedding crowd requires more than a typical magician may offer.
A wedding crowd is different from, say, the crowd that would be present at a small child’s party. Consequently, you’ll need to verify that your magician has actually performed at weddings before.
You’ll need to go beyond simple questioning. We suggest that you contact them or their agent and ask about past gigs.
References
After you’ve determined that your wedding magician is, in fact, a wedding magician, ask for previous wedding examples or images etc.
Yes, you’ve already contacted them and verified the truth of the magician’s words. Even so, no one is more open about a professional’s performance than his or her past clients.
You don’t need to feel weird about reaching out to strangers. Just tell them who you are and why you’re contacting them.
Ask them about the magician’s magic act. Then ask them about he or she conducted business.
Did they feel happy with the service they received? Was the magician late to the wedding?
Remember to jot down your questions beforehand. Doing so will make the “interview” easier.
Requesting Videos & Other Content
The vetting process still hasn’t ended. There is, after all, more to selecting a wedding magician than his credentials.
You need to see what this magician can do.
In order to do so, request a few videos and pictures. Take a look at them and decide whether or not you like what you see.
Is the magician humourous? Would the crowd that you’ve invited click with his act?
Having a Point of Comparison
Have you ever actually seen a wedding magician in action? If not, how can you actually decide whether or not the magician you’re working with is good at what he or she does?
That said, do a bit of research beforehand. Look up some acts online. Ask your friends and family members if they’ve ever seen a wedding magician’s act live.
Oh, and don’t forget to get in touch with some other magicians. You really shouldn’t feel bad about playing the field.
After all, you’ll only have so many wedding days. You have every right to want the best of the best for your special day.
Discussing Tricks Beforehand
Perhaps you feel a bit uncomfortable about “backseat driving.” You’re not the professional. Why should you have a say in the magic sequence?
To be blunt, it’s your wedding. If you don’t like a trick, you have every right to say so.
Furthermore, screening the performance is a great idea if you’re concerned about how the magic act will rub certain guests.
The discussion doesn’t have to be overly serious. Your suggestions don’t have to be extensive. Just sit down with the wedding magician and have a mature conversation.
Inquiring About His Or Her Costume
A performer’s costume admittedly seems a like a small detail in the grand scheme of things.
Many people would probably just be happy to book the performer. Still, what the wedding magician wears might end up being a big deal.
What if your wedding has a theme? What if the performer’s costume clashes with the scenery or decor? What if you just don’t fancy his usual costume?
This may sound a bit over-the-top, but you don’t have a wedding every day. Lewis wears suit and open collar shirt to enable him to blend into all situations.
Style of Magic
To the untrained eye, magic is magic. A magician saws his lovely assistant in half, the crowd goes wild, and everyone returns home with an interesting story to tell.
And, yes, that does include the assistant, assuming that the trick went as planned.
In any case, each magician’s style differs from that of the next. Why, though, does this fact matter to you?
Well, because you don’t want the magician’s style to clash with your wedding’s style. Your wedding’s style
Your wedding’s style will depend on several factors. One of those is the venue you work so painstakingly to select. Another is the time of day at which you have your wedding.
Having said as much, question the magician about his or her style of magic and ask how it fits into your plans. Close-Up, personal magic fits best at weddings.
Setting Boundaries
Your wedding should be one of the happiest days of your life.
Which is why the last thing you want is for the magician to begin his act and immediately cross a line.
Maybe the performer didn’t cross that line on purpose. Maybe he or she did. Regardless of his intentions, however, the fact remains that the drama could have been avoided.
You need only speak with the performer beforehand. Make sure that the tricks are age-appropriate. You should also make sure that they don’t make any of your guests physically or emotionally uncomfortable.
Timing the Act
The wedding magician probably isn’t the only act on your schedule. We don’t doubt that you have a speech or two planned, and a little fun on the dancefloor is not optional at any wedding.
Further still, attention spans may be short late in the night after some of the guests have tired themselves out. Some of them will doubtless have no patience for a magic act.
For this reason, you’ll want to select the best time for the act. Maybe your magician will entertain the guests as they eat. Perhaps he or she will do so after everyone dines.
And if you’re completely confused about where to place the act on your schedule?
Your wedding planner might be able to come to your rescue. Check out the “Wedding” page on LBMAGICUK to find out Lewis’s recommended time slots.
Setting the Stage for Your Wedding Magician
No, you don’t need a literal stage. You do, however, need to help make the magician’s performance a success. You can start by providing him or her with the necessary equipment.
Yes, the magician will no doubt show up with some equipment. Even so, the performer is allowed to ask for your help.
Especially since you’ll know the venue and crowd better than he or she does before the big day arrives.
In other words, be a friend. Your new friend just might make your wedding a bit more magical for your efforts.
Cost
We know what you’re thinking: The discussion about the cost should have come much sooner.
After all, what’s the point of getting all of this great information only to find out that wedding magicians aren’t affordable?
So are they affordable?
Well, there isn’t really an answer to that question.
To be sure, there are some high-end performers out there. That is to say, hiring Houdini himself will run you a pretty penny.
There are, however, some extremely cheap magicians on the market, and they’re not necessarily cheap because they aren’t good magicians. You honestly just have to play the field to find a magician you can afford, and that will provide the level of service and expertise that you require.
Conclusion
We’ve certainly given you a lot to digest here. From conducting a miniature background check to matching the magician’s style to your wedding’s, you’re going to have just one more sleepless night before that wedding comes.
And, not to be annoying, but we’ve also got a few other ideas about how to spice up your wedding…
But back to the magic.
If you’re still not sure about a magician for your wedding, take a look at what it is that they’re capable of. After watching all of those card tricks, you might just come over to the dark side.
And if you do, we’d like to be the first to know about it, so don’t hesitate to contact us. Magic is, after all, what we do!
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