Break the ice with The Travelling Hands

How to use entertainment to break the ice amongst your guests at your wedding day by The Travelling Hands.

The first few hours
And so you're married! The vows are complete, you've said your 'I dos', your friends and family have cheered and confetti has covered the floor! Your photographer is likely to be whisking you away for some photos and you may well be eyeing up that first glass of bubbly too!

For your guests, there's a lot to take in at the start of your wedding day. While they are catching up with those they know, saying hello to others for the first time and settling into your celebrations, helping your guests to ease into your wedding day is a very important consideration. A champagne reception, perhaps some canapes and occasionally an outdoor game selection are all very popular options for helping guests to relax at this time while encouraging different groups of friends and family to begin mixing with one another too.

The focus is firmly on conversation whilst your friends and family enjoy their catch ups. Guests are looking their best, and typically there is a calm and gentle atmosphere at this time. Finding the right musical entertainment to suit these hours is key, as is helping your guests to relax further.

The addition of music
Live music is the ultimate social ice breaker. Live music can bring guests of all ages together, provide a backdrop to initial conversations, and perhaps even encourage a little movement and singing from your more lively guests even at this early time on your wedding day.

Breaking the ice with some laughter, smiles and feel-good entertainment can be a lovely addition at this time. There's one type of entertainment that can help to really loosen up guests and that's a roaming band!

A roaming band can perform and simultaneously stroll around your wedding venue during indoor or outdoor receptions. Typically performing with acoustic guitars, saxophone, double bass and percussion to small groups of guests at a time (or entire wedding parties where wireless amplification is used), a roaming band is able to get close to your guests in a fun social way perfect for this time of day. Through personalised performances to different guests, a roaming band's unique musical style breaks through many boundaries between the band and the audience that a stage can often enforce. The band don't simply play through a setlist, but they become a part of your wedding party - offering a friendly hello and chatting with guests too before they sing, helping your guests to relax even further as they enjoy your special day.

As everyone relaxes more , it's normal for a few guests to request a song or two during a performance! Here, a great roaming band can often use their musicianship to perform the request, adding more bespoke fun to make your wedding celebration extra-memorable.

The Dining Experience
The most popular time for a roaming band performance is during your wedding breakfast. Guests are generally much more relaxed during this special meal. Often between the hours of 4-8pm, catch ups are complete, the afternoon drinks have started to sink in, and your guests are in a celebratory mood. At this point, a great roaming band can draw guests out of their shells even faster. By providing great singalong entertainment through dinner, guests young and old are united via feel good immersive performances with no boundaries. There's a fantastic ripple effect at events when music magically connects with guests at this time and spreads to all those around them too.

From standing on chairs to creating the occasional conga line, a fun roaming band can really accentuate the relaxed atmosphere at this time of day to fully break the ice, and transform a gentle meal into an immersive and epic dining experience with singalong entertainment. The fast transition of song styles from 50s rock n roll into some 80s pop and then perhaps from Whitney Houston into Frank Sinatra adds to the unpredictable fun even further. This is unforgettable, energetic entertainment where the rulebook has been well and truly ripped up and thrown out the window.


It's crucial to help guests relax into your wedding day. The right entertainment can really help draw guests out of their shells and the right musical entertainment in particular can unite your guests through the perfect song selection and the perfect performance style. A roaming band can help break the boundaries, break the rules, and break the ice at your wedding, whilst accelerating the transition towards the incredible party atmosphere that you deserve.

Find out more about The Travelling Hands roaming performances online here: www.thetravellinghands.com