How (And Why) to Hire a Wedding Magician to Wow Your Guests

In one sense of the word, your wedding day will be magical for a lot of reasons. But there's one way to really make the magic happen—by hiring a wedding magician. It's a wedding splurge that might not immediately be top of mind, but we can guarantee that it's something your guests will always remember. If you think magicians are all about simple hat tricks, think again. Wedding magicians focus on creating an unforgettable experience by involving you and your guests on a personal level, whether they're mingling with the crowd at cocktail hour or on stage entertaining people during the reception. We're giving you the rundown on the most important things to know about wedding magic, including the best time to have a wedding magician, how much it costs to hire a wedding magician and the different types of performances you can choose from.

Wedding Magician Tips: Definition | Cost | Timing | How to Hire | Who to Hire

What Is a Wedding Magician?

A wedding magician is a professional magician who specializes in performing at wedding receptions and other wedding-related events. Wedding magicians are hired to entertain guests during interludes, like the cocktail hour or in between dinner and dancing at the reception. While wedding magicians all specialize in different types of tricks and optical illusions, they generally perform acts that are interactive and entertaining, such as close-up magic, mind-reading acts or group tricks. Hiring a wedding magician is a good idea if you want to add an element of surprise for your guests and create a memorable moment they'll be talking about for years to come.

"The top reason to have magic at a wedding is that it's the best icebreaker for your guests," says Joel Ward, an award-winning magician who performs at weddings and other events worldwide. "It's incredibly interactive and gets people engaged, excited, and ready for a good time. It brings people together who may not know each other through a shared experience that helps get people out of their heads," he says.

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Before hiring a magician for your wedding, it's important to know the different types of performances and acts, because not all wedding magicians specialize in the same things. "Interactive close-up magic, also known as strolling or walk-around magic, is performed up close and personal with cards, coins, and smaller props," says Ward. "It's sleight of hand at its finest and always gets the best reactions because it feels so impossible being so close to it." This type of magic is a good option for groups of all sizes and ages, and it gives your photographer a chance to capture memorable, candid moments and reactions as the magician moves through the crowd.

For something more comedic, Ward says you can opt for stand-up or parlor style magic, which tends to be light-hearted and is generally performed during the reception for the whole crowd. With this style, the magician might choose to incorporate props or include volunteer audience members as part of their act. Finally, a stage show is a theatrical option that often involves optical illusions or other elaborate acts typically performed in front of a seated audience. "This type of show doesn't work for every type of wedding as it tends to be more of a spectacle," Ward says. "Depending on the way it's done, sometimes the theatricality of it can take away from the married couple as the focus, so it has to be done in the right way. For instance, the couple can be incorporated into the illusions so that the focus remains on them."

How Much Does a Wedding Magician Cost?

Like any other wedding vendor, the exact cost to hire a wedding magician will depend on several factors, including your wedding location, date and the exact services you want to book.

According to Ward, "hiring a wedding magician can start at around $1,000 and goes up from there, depending on type of magic (strolling, parlor magic, stage show), length of time, and if the act will be personalized for the couple."

Aside from their hiring fee, should you tip your wedding magician? The decision is ultimately up to you, but vendor tips are always thoughtful and appreciated, especially if you enjoyed working with them. In general, tips can range from 15% to 20% of the total fee or a few hundred dollars—use our wedding vendor tipping cheat sheet to determine an amount that feels right to you.

Design: Natalie Romine

When Is the Best Time to Have a Wedding Magician?

"The ideal time for magic is during the cocktail hour when guests are standing and mingling—perfect for strolling magic," says Ward. Following the ceremony, your guests are ready to loosen up and shift into celebratory mode during cocktail hour, making it a prime time to incorporate a fun surprise that they won't be expecting. And since cocktail hour generally involves a lot of mingling and waiting around (in between grabbing hors d'oeuvres and sipping signature cocktails), there are fewer distractions, so all eyes will be on your wedding magician.

A strolling or roving magician (an immersive performer who walks around in the crowd) is a great way for guests to have an up-close-and-personal experience during cocktail hour. "The magician moves from group to group, with the magic often taking place right in the hands of the guests," says Ward. For the reception, Ward recommends incorporating magic during a time when guests aren't seated or eating, which would take away from the overall performance—and also distract guests from focusing on the newlyweds. Another option? Ward recommends hiring a wedding magician for a welcome party or rehearsal dinner to kick off the wedding weekend.

How to Hire a Wedding Magician

The process of finding and hiring a wedding magician isn't much different than that of other vendors, but most importantly, you should know what you want before you begin. Think about what your goal is when booking a magician for your wedding: Do you want a theatrical stage performance following dinner? Or are you looking for something more along the lines of fun, interactive magic tricks that involve guests throughout the night? You can use The Knot Vendor Marketplace to search for wedding magicians near you—or to find a magician who's willing to travel for your special day. After making a shortlist of magicians who seem like a good fit, we recommend reaching out to set up an introductory phone call or ask more about their pricing and wedding services.

Wedding Magicians to Know

Ready to find a wedding magician near you? Here's a curated list of talented magicians across the country who have years (and in some cases, decades) of wedding experience.

Magician Joel Ward

Photo courtesy of: Magician Joel Ward

Based in Southern California, Magician Joel Ward specializes in a range of magic, from strolling and close-up magic to stage magic, card tricks and comedic magic. A magician since age six, Ward now performs at hundreds of shows and events a year in the U.S. and abroad, including weddings, private parties, casinos, television broadcasts and more. He's appeared on The Tonight Show, Netflix and Bravo (among other notable platforms), in addition to working for clients such as Disney, Vogue and Google. Couples he's previously worked with rave about his wedding officiating skills along with his entertaining spirit and ability to capture a crowd's attention.

Kristoff the Magician

Photo courtesy of: Kristoff the Magician

Kristoff the Magician is a midwest vendor serving couples in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and beyond. Kristoff's talents include close-up magic, stage magic and emceeing to kickstart your wedding reception on an energetic note. Previous couples loved his warm personality and memorable interactions with their wedding guests.

Levey the Great Magic and DJ Services

Photo courtesy of: Levey the Great Magic and DJ Services

Whether you're looking for a DJ, magician or hypnotist, Levey the Great Magic and DJ Services offers all of the above. This Iowa-based wedding magician has more than 25 years of experience and is a recipient of The Knot Best of Weddings 2024 Award, with a five-star rating from couples they've previously worked with.

Magician Ryan Kane

Photo courtesy of: Magician Ryan Kane

East Coast couples will want to check out New York-based Magician Ryan Kane, who specializes in optical illusions, stage magic, customized comedy, strolling magic and emceeing. After getting his professional start in 2007, Kane has worked for clients including Barnes & Noble, Microsoft and Meta, and was the resident magician for Virgin Voyages Caribbean cruises in 2022 and 2023.

Prince Ali

Photo courtesy of: Prince Ali

Owner Ali Siddique, who goes by the stage name Prince Ali, is a Miami-based wedding magician specializing in stage magic, mentalism and musical performance. With a flair for crowd interaction, Siddique is known for captivating guests through one-to-one magic and clairvoyant illusions. He regularly performs at weddings, corporate events, bat mitzvahs and other events around the country.