Magician in St Ives for your Cornish wedding
Many guests at a Cornish wedding have travelled a long way, and plenty of them have never met. Give them something to share in the first hour and the rest of the day looks after itself.
Couples who bring a magician in St Ives into their wedding plans are usually thinking about their guests' first hour. You've just said your vows, you're whisked off for photos, and a crowd made up of two families and a lot of friends is left with a glass in hand and not much to say.
Lewis Joss fills that hour with close-up magic. He moves from group to group, borrowing wedding rings, phones and banknotes, and does impossible things with them a few inches from people's noses. He stays a few minutes, gets them laughing and moves on. By the time you're back, the two sides of the room have met.
Lewis is a Member of The Magic Circle. He's performed everywhere from Hyde Park in London to Malta, and in 2024 he was on Britain's Got Talent with his double act, Jay & Joss. Destination weddings are nothing new to him.
How a wedding magician in St Ives fits your day
The drinks reception is the slot most couples book, and for good reason. It's the longest stretch of standing around in the whole day. Guests who've travelled down for the weekend might know only the couple, so a reason to start chatting is welcome.
Lewis works through the reception in small clusters. Three or four minutes with each, a couple of tricks, then on. The plus ones and the quieter relatives get as much attention as the loud table from university. If you've got a group of friends who've flown in from abroad and know nobody, tell him and he'll find them first.
Next is the wedding breakfast. He visits the tables between courses, while plates are cleared and the next course is on its way. He never interrupts people while they eat and he finishes before the speeches. A magician in St Ives who hovers while people eat wouldn't be asked back, and Lewis knows it.
Some couples also book a magician in St Ives for the start of the evening. Evening guests have missed the day, and a few tricks at the bar bring them into the party while the band gets ready.
Send your running order once it's settled. Lewis plans round the photos, the meal, the speeches and the first dance. The wedding magic page has more.
On this page
Sea breezes and sudden showers at a St Ives wedding
Plenty of weddings here have drinks outside, with a sea breeze to go with them. Close-up magic copes well, as there are no props to blow away. Cards, coins and borrowed rings are all he needs.
If the weather turns and everyone heads inside, he just follows the guests. There's no stage or kit to move, so nothing about the plan changes.
He also keeps out of the way of your photographer. While the formal shots are being taken, he entertains the guests who aren't needed, and when the photographer calls for the family, he steps aside. Guests' reactions often make great natural photos, too.
Children are welcome in the magic. He finds the page boys and flower girls early and gives them a job, like holding the cards, which tends to keep them out of trouble until the food arrives.
Smaller weddings are well suited too. Lots of couples marry here with thirty or forty guests, and a magician in St Ives can give each group far more time at that size. It feels less like a performance and more like a good chat with a few impossible moments along the way.
What couples planning a St Ives wedding like to know
- Breaks the ice Guests who've travelled from all over have something to share straight away.
- Outdoor-friendly No props to blow away, and he moves inside with the guests if the weather turns. A gust of wind won't spoil anything.
- Round your running order Speeches, cake and first dance always come first.
- Every age Flower girls to grandparents, all get magic pitched to them.
- Not just weddings Christmas parties, birthdays and christenings get the same approach.
Work parties and family celebrations in Cornwall
Weddings aren't the only thing a magician in St Ives gets booked for. Companies have Christmas parties, team dinners and client evenings, and colleagues need just as much encouragement to mix. Lewis has worked for businesses including Mercedes-Benz and Thomson Holidays, and he mingles over drinks, then does the tables at dinner. The corporate entertainment page has more.
Teams that travel down for a conference or an away day often have a dinner on the final night. That's a natural slot for table magic, as people are relaxed, the work is done and colleagues from different offices are finally sat together.
Family parties are a great fit as well. A fortieth, a golden wedding or a christening lunch brings together every age, and close-up magic suits them all. Whoever you're celebrating can be part of a trick if they'd like. Teenagers tend to be the toughest crowd at a family do, but a trick with their own phone usually wins them round, and they're welcome to film it.
His grandad taught him his first tricks when he was six, so he knows how much a family enjoys a moment when the youngest and oldest guests gasp at the same time. The party magician page explains how he plans family events.
He needs no stage or space, so a holiday cottage, a hotel lounge or a garden by the sea all work. If you're having a weekend of celebrations, with a welcome dinner the night before, a magician in St Ives can help there too, as that's often when the two families first meet.
Wedding hotels around St Ives and west Cornwall
Lewis travels across Cornwall, so a magician in St Ives can come to whichever venue you've chosen. A wedding or a party might be at a hotel like Carbis Bay Hotel, The Atlantic, Pedn Olva or The Old Vicarage. A marquee or a family garden works too.
He also covers Hayle, Penzance and Falmouth. Tell us where the wedding is and when the ceremony finishes, and we'll check the diary.
Not sure about timings yet? That's fine. Lewis will ask when the ceremony ends, when the meal starts and when the speeches are planned, then suggest when a magician in St Ives should arrive to catch the first guests coming out.
Before you book
How far ahead do couples secure a wedding magician in St Ives?
As soon as you have your date and venue. Summer dates go first. The detailed timings can follow later. Couples marrying in Cornwall in July and August should ask especially early, as those weekends are popular for every kind of supplier.
Can a magician in St Ives work outdoors?
Yes. Close-up magic copes well with wind and sunshine, and if the weather changes, he moves inside with your guests. He just needs a heads-up about where the drinks are being served, so he can find the guests as soon as they come out of the ceremony.
Will he be in our wedding photos?
Only in the candid ones. He steps aside for the formal shots and works with the guests who aren't needed. Many photographers enjoy having him around, as laughing faces make far better pictures than posed smiles.
What if most of our guests don't know each other?
That's exactly when close-up magic is most useful. It gives people an easy way to start chatting. He'll pay special attention to the guests on their own, such as plus ones or friends from work, so they're brought into a group early on.
Can we book a magician in St Ives for a work Christmas dinner?
Yes. He mingles over drinks and visits tables between courses, keeping clear of speeches. He can also build your company name into a trick for a client evening, given some notice.
Does he do birthday and anniversary parties?
Yes. Milestone birthdays, anniversaries and christenings all suit close-up magic. Whoever you're celebrating can be part of a trick, and if it's a surprise party he'll stay out of sight until the reveal.
Planning a wedding by the sea?
Send us your date, venue and guest numbers. We'll check if Lewis can be your magician in St Ives and come back to you.
What people say about Lewis
The entertainment provided by Jamie and Lewis at our event was absolutely fantastic. I received nothing but positive feedback from our guests. For some guests, it was the highlight of the event! Both the close up magic and stage show was enjoyable and high quality. The souvenirs were a brilliant touch and I’m glad that…
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
Lewis performed at our wedding during the drinks reception and also between courses of our wedding breakfast. He did an absolutely brilliant job and was such a nice guy to be part of our wedding day. We were really glad we went ahead with the booking. He was a great ice-breaker with our guests and…