Entertainment

• Disk jockeys and bands aren't the only forms of entertainment for your reception. It's all about keeping the guest engaged with whatever form of entertainment you decide to use. You can hire a magician to perform a magic show, enlist the services of a professional dance team or hire a local stand-up comedian. Ask the entertainer to focus his material around the fact that he's performing at a wedding. For example, if you hire a comedian, ask that he tells jokes about marriage and dating.
  
  

Slide Show

• Incorporate a slide show of the happy couple prior to their big day. Every couple has a story to tell, and this is a great way to tell it without saying one word. Gather as many pictures as you can find, including pictures from various dates, vacations, birthdays and celebrations, and photos of mutual friends and families. Create a slide show on your laptop using iPhoto or PowerPoint. Include funny captions, background music and narratives of stories behind some of the pictures. Rent an LCD projector. Connect your laptop to it, and play the slide show.
  
  

Dancing Competition

• Have a dance competition at your reception, but keep it limited to four performances. When you send out your invitations, include a little note about the competition. Make each guest aware that only the first four people to respond with interest will be accepted into the competition and those accepted will be contacted to go over the details at a later time. Get the rules together and figure out whom the panel judges will be. Call each contestant, explain the rules and get the name of song he wants to dance to so the DJ will have it available. Sit back and enjoy your guests and the show on your wedding day. Offer various prizes to the dancers for their participation. These prizes can be in the form of gift certificates, cash, trophies or bragging rights.
  
  

Karaoke

• Have guests serenade the bride and groom with some popular love and wedding songs. Ask whoever is providing the entertainment to bring the necessary equipment to sing karaoke. Allow the quests time to sign up and choose the song they want to sing to. There will definitely be performances that guests will talk about for years to come.