Magician in Shaftesbury to fill the wedding day gaps
The vows take twenty minutes. The rest of the day is long, full of waiting, and packed with people who've only just met. That's where Lewis comes in.
Hiring a magician in Shaftesbury for your wedding gives your guests something to do in the gaps, and there are always gaps. Photos run over, the room needs turning round, the band is still setting up. Lewis Joss fills those stretches with close-up magic that happens in your guests' own hands, a few feet from their faces.
He's a Member of The Magic Circle, and he's been at this a long time. His grandad showed him his first few tricks when he was six, and by ten he'd joined the Youth Initiative run by The Magic Circle. More recently he reached a much bigger audience as one half of Jay & Joss on Britain's Got Talent.
A magician in Shaftesbury from wedding vows to first dance
Most couples start with the drinks reception. Straight after the ceremony, you two vanish for photos and everyone else is left holding a glass with nobody in charge. Lewis drifts between the groups, does a few minutes with each, and moves on before anyone feels cornered. Your aunt from Leeds ends up laughing with your best mate's girlfriend. Job done.
Then there's the wedding breakfast. He visits tables between the starter and the main, and again before pudding if there's time, so nobody waits long for their turn. When the speeches start he steps right back. Your best man doesn't need competition.
Some couples keep him on into the evening too. A wedding magician in Shaftesbury working the evening reception gives the later guests, who missed the ceremony and the meal, a proper welcome while the dance floor warms up. It also helps the people who'd rather chat than dance.
Small weddings get the same care. If it's thirty people at a family lunch after a register office ceremony, a magician in Shaftesbury can spend proper time at each table, and the whole thing feels more like a chat with a few impossible moments in it than a performance.
He needs no stage, no power and no space cleared. He works standing in a crowd or crouched by a table. If you'd like a look at how a full day usually runs, the wedding magician page sets it out.
On this page
Staff parties and December dos
Work parties have a habit of splitting into tribes. The office team sit together, the warehouse lot sit together, and the directors drift between the two looking a bit lost. Close-up magic breaks that up, because a crowd forms around the trick and nobody checks which department they're standing next to.
For a Christmas meal, the format is much like a wedding: roaming magic while people arrive, then table magic between courses. If there's an awards bit or a few words from the boss, he times himself around it.
Plenty of people at a works do don't drink, and some are driving home. Magic gives them something to remember from the night that isn't the bar tab. And it's a gentle kind of entertainment, so nobody gets dragged up in front of colleagues or made to look daft.
It works for client evenings and product launches as well, and he can build a company name or product into a routine if you give him notice. A magician in Shaftesbury at a launch gives people a reason to stop, watch and then talk to your team. There's more on the corporate entertainment page.
Lewis has worked for companies including Mercedes-Benz and the Ministry of Defence, so he's used to formal dinners as well as relaxed pub get-togethers. He'll read the room and pitch it accordingly.
Why couples pick a magician in Shaftesbury
- Fills the photo gap The drinks reception is often the longest wait of the day. Magic gives it a focus.
- Gets families mixing Both sides end up gathered round the same trick, chatting before the meal.
- Respects the speeches He works around your running order and keeps well away from the microphone moments.
- Takes up no room There's no stage or set to fit in, so the venue layout stays as it is.
- Not only weddings The same close-up style suits office parties, milestone birthdays and christenings.
Birthdays, anniversaries and family gatherings
A fiftieth or a ruby anniversary brings together people from every chapter of someone's life. School friends, neighbours, cousins, the old crowd from work. They don't all know each other, and the host can't introduce everyone. A bit of magic gives them something to share in the first ten minutes.
Lewis is good with mixed ages. He'll pitch something quick and visual for the children, then something slower and more puzzling for the grandparents at the next table. Whoever you're celebrating can be part of a trick if they'd enjoy it, or he can leave them be if they'd rather watch.
Surprise parties need a bit of planning, and a magician in Shaftesbury can help with that. Lewis can be mingling with guests before the big arrival, so nobody is stood in silence watching the door, then carry on once the cheering dies down.
Christenings work well too, as long as the timings allow for naps and feeds. Booking a magician in Shaftesbury for a family lunch after the service keeps the grown-ups entertained while the baby is passed round. The party magician page has more on family events.
Garden parties and marquees are fine too. He'll find the groups by the barbecue, on the patio and round the drinks table, so there's no need to herd everyone into one spot.
Where a Shaftesbury wedding or party might happen
Lewis travels across Dorset, so finding a magician in Shaftesbury for your date is mostly a question of checking the diary. Your wedding or party might be at a hotel like The Grosvenor Arms or La Fleur de Lys, or a conference centre such as Lox Lane Farm for a work event. Wherever it is, close-up magic adapts to the room, because it happens right in front of people.
If your venue is a bit further out, he also covers Blandford Forum, Salisbury and Frome. He performs all over the UK, and has worked as far afield as Hyde Park and Malta, so a reception a few miles out of town is no trouble at all. Wherever the party lands, a magician in Shaftesbury can get to it.
Before you book
Which part of our wedding suits magic best?
The drinks reception, nearly always. It's when guests are standing about while you're having photos. Plenty of couples add the wedding breakfast as well, so every table gets a visit between courses.
Will a magician in Shaftesbury interrupt our photographer?
No. Lewis keeps an eye on what the photographer needs and steps aside for group shots. Plenty of photographers like the reaction shots the magic gives them. He'll also make sure he isn't mid-trick when you two walk back in.
Can a magician in Shaftesbury work a Christmas meal for a small team?
Yes. With a smaller group he can spend longer with each table, so it feels more like a chat with tricks in it. Tell him how many are coming and he'll suggest a sensible length.
Does Lewis perform for children at family parties?
He does, though close-up magic for mixed ages is his thing rather than a children's party show with games. Kids help with the tricks and the adults get the puzzles. A magician in Shaftesbury doing roaming magic suits a family party with a real spread of ages.
How far ahead should couples in Dorset get in touch?
As soon as the date and venue are fixed. Summer Saturdays go first, so if you've got a date in mind it's worth asking now.
Is there anything we need to set up for him?
Nothing at all. He doesn't need a table, a stage or a plug socket. A rough running order and a headcount is all that helps. If the drinks reception is outside, he's happy on a lawn or a terrace, and he'll move inside with everyone if the weather turns.
Ready to pencil in your big day?
Send us the date, the venue and roughly how many guests you're expecting. We'll check Lewis is free and come back to you about a magician in Shaftesbury for the day.
What people say about Lewis
Jamie and Lewis certainly worked their magic on our companies 50th Anniversary event on Saturday. They mesmerized everyone and left people in awe. We have had so many positive comments. We would definitely recommend them. Thank you so much!
We had Lewis perform at our Christmas party and he was fantastic. His interaction with people was great and the close up magic he performed had people in amazement. Would highly recommend
100% would recommend- Lewis was absolutely brilliant, everyone loved him, he completely understood our brief (which wasn’t simple or probably easy) and worked with it- very grateful! The booking process was also very easy and everyone at Fine Entertainments Ltd was flexible and there were no problems from the start to end.