Magicians at wedding fayres shouldn't prejudge reactions.

'Hi Dominic,

Many thanks for getting back so quick, and your agent has sent across the details.

Both very impressed yesterday, especially my fiancée who's a bit of a sceptic, so it would be fantastic if we could book you!'

I attended a wedding fayre yesterday. As with all the wedding fayres I do, I try to perform a magic trick to as many people as possible. I view it as a 'numbers game'. The more prospective clients I can show my magic to, the more potential bookings I could get. I always go about it in the same way:

I stand in front of my small table and stop everyone that walks past to show them a quick trick. I can usually tell within a few moments if there is interest beyond them simply being polite. It can feel like a bad sign and that your performance is not going to lead anywhere when the groom stops and the bride walks on by and starts looking at another stand. However, that's not always a signal that you won't be getting a booking from that couple.

A couple approached me and I stopped them to show them a trick. The bride walked on and started browsing through wedding dresses at the stand next to me. I didn't let that stop me though, as the groom seemed eager to see the magic.

Halfway through the card trick the bride returned and watched the finish with a bored expression, she seemed to be more interested in everything else in the room. It felt as though she was quietly waiting for her partner to finish up and join her on the bridal gown stand.

The couple didn't really react to the trick and politely took one of my business cards and moved on. I went straight on to the next couple that were passing and thought no more about it.

This morning I recieved an email from my agent to tell me that the couple had booked me. That really, really surprised me.

Don't prejudge reactions at wedding fayres

It's so easy to assume that a spectator isn't enjoying your performance at a wedding fayre if you judge it only by the way they react to your magic. That's not always the best way to gage how well you are doing.

There are a million and one things on a couple's minds at a wedding fayre. They are working through a checklist of things that are need for their day and there are other things to be arranged and researched.

The couple may not have even considered using a magician as part of their entertainment. People make their minds up very quickly if magic is something they would like at their party. Once that decision has been made, they instantly turn their minds to the price and when magic would fit into the timing of the day. That's a lot of things to think about which can get in the way of a good reaction.

It would have been very easy for me to have decided that this couple were not going to book me, and end the trick earlyand not hand out a business card or take their details. Luckily, I carried it through to the end and gave them a business card.

Do This:

Forget about prejudging. At a wedding exhibition make sure that you show EVERYONE a trick if you can. Even if they don't seem to be reacting as you want them to. You don't know them, or the pressures they are facing on the day. A lack of reaction could simply be caused by them thinking through the options.

Perform your best to everyone. You simply never know if they will book you.

Tips on Magicians and Wedding Fayres

by Dominic Reyes 1 Comment

Working a Wedding Fayre

By Dominic Reyes

I've watched many magicians work at wedding fayres and many of them make a very costly mistake.

Over the years I've attended hundreds of wedding fayres and have found them to be a great way to fill the spaces in my magic diary. Today, I only attend them if they have the right demographic for my fee's, or if I'm fronting for an agency and can pass the work on. However, they are an easy way to reach hundreds of cleints that are about to host the biggest parties of their lives. If you want to start off as a paid magician, they are a great way to build up steady work.

YOU SHOULD NEVER STAND BEHIND YOUR TABLE

It always amazes me to see magicians standing behind a 6' table waiting for people to approach them and ask about the magic. That's just madness! The secret of getting a lot of gigs from a wedding fayre is to get out into the flow of people and talk to as many as possible. Like any form of direct marketing, it's a numbers game. The more people you 'touch' with your magic, the higher the conversion rate. By all means, set up a great display, but then don't become trapped by it. I just have a simple pop up banner and a small close up table. It allows ME to be the feature of the stand and build a crowd. That's what brings you work.

View EVERY couple as a potential gig, and keep on your feet the whole time. Use just one or two tricks that you know will get great reactions, and repeat them to everyone that you can. Move around the room. Perform in the cafe area in the reception, even at the top of the stairs. Although you should not stand in front of another exhibition stand, you are free to move around and you should use that to your advantage.

In summery, if you want to get the most from a wedding fayre, you need to make sure EVERYONE gets to see your magic. It's so easy to prejudge people if you don't make the commitment to perform to everyone. Prejudging people is terrible marketing, so avoid it at all costs. If you stand in front of your stand and perform continually, you will find that wedding fayres can give you many many times the return on investment that any other form of advertising for your magic ever could.

The 3 Types of Magic Tricks Magicians Use at a Wedding

by Merchant of Magic 3 Comments

Performing Magic tricks at a wedding - Best Tricks to Use

More and more people are looking to hire a magician for a wedding. That’s understandable as weddings are a perfect venue for magic to be presented.

Unlike many events, weddings have a traditional structure which dictates the course of events far more so than parties or corporate events. As a wedding magician, it’s important to understand the format of a wedding, and how it can influence the types of magic tricks you will need to use. In this post, we look at the 3 main situations magicians experience at a wedding, and the types of magic that suit each situation.

Dominic Reyes talks about the three types of tricks he performs at weddings.

The Drinks Reception.

The wedding guests have arrived after a formal ceremony, and this is their first chance to meet and catch up with each other. Drinks are being ordered, and people form into small groups which break off into new groups as people meet and greet each other. At the same time, photographs are being taken, and people are being called away to join the photographer.

Your job as a magician, is to ‘break the ice’. You mix with the guests, performing to small groups. The magic tricks that work well in this situation tend to be:

Short.
Easy to follow.
Create a magical event early in the trick.
Can be abridged if a group is called away.
Has multiple points where new spectators can join and still understand the plot.

Guests will be joining the group, waiters will be passing around canapes, and guests will be called away to join a photograph group. The goal is to entertain, encourage guests in small groups to join into a larger group to watch the magic and in doing so, get an introduction to each other.

Ideally, props should be kept to a minimum. A deck of cards, some coins, some magicians business cards, and a sharpie should give you everything you need to work the room.

The drinks reception is the ‘opener’ performance for the magician. You establish your skills, show that you are fun and entertaining and leave the guests wanting more.

This is a great time to assess the guests, noting which groups are the most responsive. You can use that information to great effect when you meet them again at the tables.

The Wedding Breakfast.

Some clients like their magician to perform for the guests that have made it through the wedding line and are seated. Others prefer for the magic to start once the bride and groom have made their formal entrance and been applauded. Find this information out ahead of time so you know in advance when to approach the tables. Your magic tricks for the wedding breakfast can have a longer plot and be more demanding on the spectators. The table is your stage and the audience are seated, ready to watch your magic in the 4 or 5 minutes you are with them between a course.

The goal at their tables is to involve everyone. Present to the whole table, not just the guests on the side you are standing. Ask questions, address people around the whole table, and choose a spot that is the most visible for everyone seated.

This is the part of your performance where you can really shine. Present the magic you are most proud of, and build to an applause cue.

The Evening Reception.

The evening reception turns back into strolling magic. New guests arrive, and those groups can be shown material that you performed during the drinks reception. New guests gravitate to the bar area, so spending some time there, will allow you to meet most of the new guests very quickly.

The ‘all day guests’ may stay at their tables, go off to get changed or move to the bar or outside grounds. Travel around the venue as much as possible, revisiting the most responsive guests, the bridal group and the new arrivals.

You will be competing with loud music, low lighting and alcohol fueled guests, so pick magic tricks that are easy to follow, interruptible, and don’t require the spectators to remember too many things. Add in a set of tricks that don’t require verbal instructions or patter. These tricks are tools you can pull out when you perform to a group near the DJ or dance floor.

A Backup

Sometimes things will be a little different. The format of the day changes, the guests all form one large group or you are asked to do extra time. Keep a few tricks back as ‘reserve back up’ These can be pulled out if you find you burn through your material and then get suddenly asked to return to a group at the end of the night, or need to do another sweep of rooms for 30 minutes at the end. Always make sure you have something none of the guests have seen, ready as a backup trick.

DO THIS: Make a note of the three performing situations at weddings. List your working material and group them into these 3 types. If you find one list is longer than the other, what could you do to modify or adapt some of the tricks to build in the qualities needed for a different situation?