Are you not entertained?!

11th March, 2024

Choosing your wedding entertainment is such an important part of your big day.

Of course your guests are there to share the joy as the happy couple profess their love for each other, with your wedding ceremony, wedding speeches, first dance and cake cutting, but how do you keep your guests happy and entertained between the main events of your special day?!

Wedding guests’ happiness is one of the most important parts of wedding planning, according to couples, so choosing the right wedding entertainment to make your day memorable, and keep your guests smiling and happy can sometimes be a daunting prospect.

Thankfully, over the years our lovely couples have had some fabulous ways to keep their guests entertained. We wanted to provide a bit of wedding inspiration by sharing with you some of the fantastic entertainment ideas to keep your guests occupied and happy, at your Tipi Wedding or Sailcloth Marquee Wedding.

In our wedding entertainment ideas blog we will be covering everything from garden games, to fire dancers and may even have an Alpaca or two thrown in for good measure!

Garden Games

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids.

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

wedding entertainment ideas

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Egg and spoon races, tug of war and space-hopper races are a hilarious way of getting all your guests involved, and they usually attract quite a bit of an audience, cheering on their favourite teams! Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

If you want your garden games to step it up a notch and really get everyone involved, perhaps adding a bit of a competitive edge will get the job done. Will they be cheering for Team Bride or Team Groom!?

While its all fun and games, do always be aware of your surroundings while races, especially if you’re a bit of a competitive bunch! Our Groom, Adam got a little bit more than a pint for winning this race, but thankfully not a concussion!

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

Wedding entertainment - race for the beer! Lake District Tipi and Sailcloth Marquee Wedding Venue - Bower House Inn

If you’re after a more relaxed, but still competitive Garden Game, croquet is a great option for keeping your wedding guests entertained.

Tipi Wedding at Low House, Armathwaite on the perfect lawn, with wedding guests playing croquet

Tipi Wedding at Low House, Armathwaite on the perfect lawn, with wedding guests playing croquet

Fancy a Swim?

Perhaps one to try before any alcohol starts flowing, but a great, refreshing way to start your wedding day off! Going for a wild swim in a safe body of water is a perfect way to wake you up on the big day, and be assured, if you have any pre wedding jitters, you will swap these for shivers if the water is a bit nippy!

Wedding in Cumbria - Wild Swimming for Wedding Guests - Silverholme Manor, Lake District Cumbria

Wedding in Cumbria - Wild Swimming for Wedding Guests - Silverholme Manor, Lake District Cumbria

Wedding in Cumbria - Wild Swimming for Wedding Guests - Silverholme Manor, Lake District Cumbria

Musical Interval

Some parts of your wedding day can be a little bit hectic; the dash from the church to your tipi wedding reception, getting all your different groups of wedding guests primed for the group photos behind the sailcloth marquee, everyone finding their seats. So it is nice to have a wonderful musical interval, with some beautiful calming music to listen to and allow your guests to have a breather with a classical quartet. Or perhaps a steel drum band, to allow your guests to be transported to a sunbed on a tropical island, with a cocktail in hand!

Steel drums, wedding music, tipi wedding cumbria, sailcloth wedding hire cumbria

String quartet for tipi wedding in cumbria, lancashire and north of england

Scottish Piper for Scottish Tipi Wedding. Outdoor wedding

Enjoy the beautiful sounds of the piano in your tipis and sailcloth tent with the twinkly fairy lighting

Having a wedding singer makes the perfect musical entertainment option as your guests can watch and listen intently or enjoy the voices and music as wonderful background music

Steel drums, wedding music, tipi wedding cumbria, sailcloth wedding hire cumbria

But it doesn’t necessarily need to be relaxing! Perhaps your music interval is aiming to be the perfect Segway to get your guests onto the dancefloor having a boogie? Lets get this party started!

Tipi wedding hire with drum dancing band to get the party started

Get the party started with live singers! Wedding guests love a good live act to keep them entertained

Its a jolly holiday with a big brass band! So entertaining with skilled musicians keeping your guests in the party spirit

Its a jolly holiday with a big brass band! So entertaining with skilled musicians keeping your guests in the party spirit

Tipi wedding hire with drum dancing band to get the party started

Tipi wedding hire with drum band to get the party started

Tipi wedding hire with drum band to get the party started

Tipi wedding hire with drum band to get the party started

Or…. if you’re feeling brave… why hire in entertainment and just go for it yourself?! Sam and Parisa took to the dancefloor with their Groomsmen and Bridesmaids for their tipi wedding, and did a fabulously choreographed first dance, which got everyone up onto the dancefloor and had everyone in stitches!

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

First dance ideas! Making a fabulous performance for their tipi wedding at Low House Armathwaite

He put a ring on it!

Guests of the Fluffy Variety!

If you would like someone else to take the shine for little a while, another popular choice is to invite some extra, fluffy guests along to your wedding day! Not only perfect for a photo opportunity, kids and grown ups alike will love a little ‘pets corner’, or enjoy taking a llama or alpaca for a little wander!

Fluffy wedding guests, alpacas at weddings, alpacaly ever after

Create your own pets corner and have a pretty pot bellied pig at your tipi or sailcloth wedding to make your wedding guests smile

Fluffy wedding guests, alpacas at weddings, alpacaly ever after

Create your own pets corner and have a baby Highland beastie at your tipi or sailcloth wedding to make your wedding guests smile

Create your own pets corner and have a baby Highland beastie at your tipi or sailcloth wedding to make your wedding guests smile

Create your own pets corner and have a baby Highland beastie at your tipi or sailcloth wedding to make your wedding guests smile

Fluffy wedding guests, alpacas at weddings, alpacaly ever after

Fluffy wedding guests, alpacas at weddings, alpacaly ever after

If you're feeling braver, why not upgrade your alpaca to a llama for your fluffy wedding guests!

If you're feeling braver, why not upgrade your alpaca to a llama for your fluffy wedding guests!

The Kids are Alright

Keeping the little ones entertained at a wedding isn’t usually difficult in a tipi or sailcloth. There is plenty of space for them to run around and tire themselves out, and of course do some sliding on the dancefloor! But it is lovely to make them feel included and welcome. Of course a lot of the ideas I have previously mentioned, are perfect for the little ones, but some of our couples have gone above and beyond, providing kiddie craft buckets, activity books, and we even had one couple who had a photograph scavenger hunt, where the kids took photos of the items on the list on an instant camera!

The beauty of having your wedding in a Tipi or Sailcloth Marquee is that you are just a hop, skip and a jump away from the great outdoors, and on a lovely sunny day, the outside makes a perfect play area to keep your guests occupied, whatever their age! From old to young, wedding guests love the opportunity to be silly and act like big kids

Why stop at activities and colouring in just for kids, the grown ups love it too! And a lot of our couples tie this in to a fabulous memento of their wedding day. We have had guests creating a lovely ‘Up!’ style image with their coloured finger prints turning into lots of balloons, lifting a bicycle, as well as guests that colour in a giant picture full of lots of special things relating to the happy couple.

One for the grown ups!

Is it really a party without beer-pong?

Strike a Pose

EVERYONE loves a photobooth! Silly shots a’ plenty once the tipi bar has been visited a few times. There are so many different options when it comes to photobooths! There are some amazing companies who provide a full booth set up, with an attendant to take your photos. There are mirror booths which give your guests a countdown and take the photos automatically, and there are good old DIY photobooths with a polaroid camera. Polaroids also give a great way to remember the day, where guests can take a silly photo and write a ‘good luck’ message to the happy couple, and attach to a peg board.

Do you need any s’more?

If you’re looking for more ideas, you cant go far wrong by including a fire pit for your tipi wedding, they also look amazing in our sailcloth marquees, or can be positioned outside if you prefer! Not only do they create an amazing, cosy atmosphere, they are a great addition to keep your guests entertained, and also fed! We love a bit of marshmallow toasting in the tipis and sailcloth marquees, and why not step it up a notch and go the whole hog, with some Graham crackers and choccies for a full s’more experience. These also make great wedding favours, so your guests can use and enjoy them later on in the evening!

Wedding Ring of Fire!

Have your guests wowed and thoroughly entertained, and perhaps a little on the edge of their seat, with a fire dancer!

Going out with a bang

When you want to shout it from the rooftops that you have tied the knot, why not light up the sky with a gorgeous firework display? A lovely way to end your special day, or a great way to welcome your evening guests to the party! As a lot of our tipis weddings and sailcloth tent weddings are in the countryside, giving locals and farmers a heads up if you’re planning a fire work display is often very much appreciated, and always check if there are any noise restrictions at your venues so your display goes without a hitch!

If fire works aren’t your thing, then sparklers could be a perfect option to get all your guests involved!

We hope this has offered you a little wedding inspiration for your own Special Event Please get in touch if you would like anymore ideas.

To enquire about having or Tipi Tents, Sailcloth Marquees and Furniture Hire for your own Special Event, please complete our online form at:

Contact – Special Event Tipis

We look forward to hearing from you and would love to help with your Special Event!

With special thanks to our fabulous wedding photographers featured in this Blog:

Camilla Lucinda Photography

Love and Luna Photography.

Lena Sabala Photography

Jenna Carpenter Photography

Jenny Jones Photography

Bridgette Ibbotson.

Helena Charlotte.

Sarah Longworth.

Niki M Photography

Joshua Wyborn Photographic

Nigel John Photography

Natalie J Weddings.

Stott & Atkinson.

The Kitcheners.

Mark Williamson.

SPECIAL EVENT TIPIS – TIPI HIRE AND SAILCLOTH TENT HIRE IN CUMBRIA, NORTHUMBERLAND, SCOTLAND, LANCASHIRE AND THE NORTH OF ENGLAND