Wedding entertainment from a magician in Ripley
Close-up magic that keeps your guests chatting while you're busy being married.
A magician in Ripley can do a lot for a wedding without ever stepping on a stage. Your guests spend a surprising amount of the day standing about: after the ceremony, while the room is set, while the band sets up. Those are the moments that make or break the atmosphere.
Lewis Joss works right in those moments. He's a Member of The Magic Circle, he's done TV work with Paul Daniels and Debbie McGee, and he's one half of Jay & Joss from Britain's Got Talent. On the day he moves between groups of guests with a pack of cards and a few borrowed belongings, giving each group a few minutes of magic before heading to the next.
On this page
Booking a wedding magician in Ripley, slot by slot
Drinks reception. This is the slot nearly everyone books. You're off having photos, and your guests have an hour or more to fill. Roaming magic gets them mixing, so you come back to a room that's already laughing rather than one checking the time. He starts with the groups on the edges, the ones who know nobody, and works inwards.
Wedding breakfast. Table magic between courses gives every table its own bit of entertainment. He fits round the kitchen and the waiting staff, so food always comes first, and he's done well before the speeches start. Older relatives in particular enjoy this part, as they can sit back and watch without having to stand.
Evening reception. Evening guests often arrive while the room is being turned round, with nothing much going on. A bit of magic at the bar gets them talking to the day guests before the first dance. If you've invited work friends or neighbours just for the night, this is where a magician in Ripley helps them feel part of things.
Most couples pick one or two of these. As a rough guide, a wedding of eighty with a long gap before the meal is usually best served by the drinks reception plus a little table magic. A short drinks reception and a late meal might point to the evening instead.
Once he's seen the running order, he'll recommend the slots that make sense. He'll also want to know where the photographer will be taking group shots, so he can keep out of the way. For more, see how he plans a wedding.
Business events and Christmas parties around Amber Valley
Companies hire a magician in Ripley for staff Christmas parties, awards dinners, conferences and client evenings. Lewis has worked with clients including Mercedes-Benz and SCA, so he's comfortable in a room full of suits as well as a wedding marquee.
At a business event, close-up magic is a conversation starter. Delegates who've spent all day in sessions can be slow to mingle at the drinks that follow, and a trick in the middle of a group gives them something to talk about that isn't work.
For a dinner, he'll mingle over drinks and then visit the tables between courses. When the presentations or speeches start, he simply pauses. If you're hiring a venue for a business event, ask the coordinator for the timings and pass them on; it makes planning far easier.
He can also build a trick around your brand or product for a launch or client night, if you give him enough notice. The corporate entertainment page has more about business bookings.
Christmas parties are the busiest time of year for this. The first hour, while people are still standing in their teams, is where a magician in Ripley does the most good. Once the music is up and the dance floor is full, people are happy making their own fun, so there's no need to book him late into the night.
Family parties in Ripley: birthdays, anniversaries and christenings
Family celebrations are the third big booking. A thirtieth, a seventieth, a ruby anniversary, a christening lunch. These parties mix people from every bit of someone's life (school friends, cousins, neighbours, old colleagues) and the host can't possibly get round all of them in the first hour.
Lewis adjusts to whoever's in front of him. Your old schoolmates get something fast and full of banter. Grandparents get a routine at a gentler pace, with time to enjoy the finish. Children get to hold the cards and say the magic word.
If whoever you're celebrating would like to be part of a trick, he'll make them the star of one early on. If they prefer to stay in the background, that's respected. For the full picture, see Lewis as a party magician.
He's played big rooms like Hyde Park in London, but a family party in a function room or a living room gets exactly the same care. Nothing needs setting up, so it works anywhere.
Timing is simple at a family do. The first hour, while people arrive and find a drink, is when a magician in Ripley makes the biggest difference. If there's a buffet, he'll work the room while people queue and eat; if there's a cake or a speech, tell him when and he'll step aside for it.
What makes close-up magic easy to book
- Zero set-up No stage, power or table. He arrives, has a quick word with whoever's in charge, and starts.
- Works round your timings Food, photos, speeches and awards all come first.
- All ages, all crowds From page boys to company directors, the magic is pitched at whoever's watching.
- Indoors or out If the drinks move inside because of the weather, he just goes with them.
- Want a bigger act? Jay & Joss, Lewis's double act from Britain's Got Talent, is also available.
Ripley venues and the rest of Derbyshire
Lewis travels across Derbyshire, so a magician in Ripley can come to whichever venue you've booked. That could be a conference centre such as Blackbrook House, a hotel like Horsley Lodge Hotel or Bridge House, or a golf venue like Morley Hayes.
He also covers Heanor, Matlock and Derby, and the Derbyshire magician page has the wider county.
When you enquire, send the venue, the date and your rough timings. If there's an events or wedding coordinator, it's worth passing on their details once you've booked, so they know when a magician in Ripley will be working the room.
Golf clubs are popular for birthdays and company dinners in this part of Derbyshire, and they suit close-up magic well. A clubhouse bar, a function room or a terrace all work, because he never needs more space than a few people standing together.
A few quick answers
Which part of the wedding should a magician in Ripley cover?
The drinks reception is the most popular choice, because it's the longest wait for your guests. Bigger weddings often add table magic between courses. Send your timings and he'll suggest the best fit.
Does he perform at conferences and business events?
Yes. He often works the drinks after a day of sessions, or the dinner that follows. It helps delegates mix without anything formal, and nobody has to give up their seat or stop their conversation for long.
Will a magician in Ripley get in the way of the waiting staff?
No. He checks with the venue when food is going out and works in the gaps between courses. He's used to fitting round busy kitchens, and he'll happily step aside mid-trick if a plate is on its way. Your caterers will barely notice he's there.
Can a magician in Ripley entertain at a christening?
Yes. He keeps things gentle for young children, lets them help, and saves the more puzzling tricks for the adults.
Is close-up magic good for a milestone birthday?
Very. It gets guests from different parts of someone's life talking, and he can involve whoever you're celebrating if they'd like. Something personal, built round their name or a borrowed piece of jewellery, tends to go down well with the whole room.
How far ahead do people book?
As soon as the date and venue are confirmed. Summer Saturdays and December evenings fill up first. If you're weighing up two dates, send both and we'll check which one a magician in Ripley has free.
Have a date in mind?
Send us the date, the venue and roughly how many guests, and we'll check whether Lewis is free to be your magician in Ripley.
What people say about Lewis
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.
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…
Lewis (the magician) arrived early and even took the time to introduce himself to us and was very friendly and approachable. He went around each table and showed the guests tricks and blew them away. It was so nice to hear the laughter and claps coming from each table. He also got me (the bride)…