Give your entertainment an ethical tune
Nov 7th, 2012 by Kate Marillat
When it comes to wedding entertainment, the happy couple has as many options as an iPod playlist.
Magicians, drummers, sommeliers, Ceilidh organisers, storytellers, acrobats, cocktail mixologists, bagpipers, line dancers, and musicians could all form part of your special day. And that’s just inside the venue, how about fireworks or sky lanterns to celebrate your union?
There is so much choice it can feel a little overwhelming, after all not everyone will love communal dancing or listening to a harp. How can we blend our ethics into the mix and keep everyone singing the same tune? What do we even mean by ethical entertainment? In our minds, it means low carbon, minimal impact and ideally includes the local community. It means more than just playing ‘Earth Song’.
Cocktails, dancing & stories
According to The Knot Survey 2011, weddings are now more interactive, with 22% of brides incorporating additional guest entertainment into their weddings (vs. 15% in 2010 and 11% in 2009).
This month we’ll be looking at ways to keep your wedding guests entertained in an alternative and ethical way, often helping good causes in the process. Could you hire a talented mixologist to serve up organic mojitos and support sustainable development in Latin America – the source of your fruit pulp mixers? Perhaps a local dance group will jazz up the first dance and get everyone on the dance floor.
We all know the power of a good story, could you give the best man a break and ask a talented storyteller to weave a tale about your lives together, taking your guests on an entertaining journey? We’ve got some great green ideas from local storytellers, drummers, DJs and even children’s entertainers to keep the little ones amused.
Music is the food of love
You might have an acrobat, comedian or a mixologist stretching a guest’s smile but we mustn’t forget the importance of music and how it brings a wedding together. So will it be a DJ, iPod, swing band or string quartet that keeps them on the dance floor? What’s the carbon difference and is there a way you could support a charity at the same time?
Maybe you love the idea of a sky filled with pretty lights, but after reading our recent post on fireworks, now feel differently about a pyrotechnic display. We’ll also be reopening the debate on Chinese lanterns that we started in November 2011 to see if these are really an ethical alternative.
Kate Marillat
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