Tag Archives: guests

The most romantic of venues

Posted on by

Choosing a wedding venue is almost always on the top of a couple’s ‘to do’ list.  This is the place that you will remember forever, it is the place where you will kiss your new husband/wife for the first time, it is the place where you will take your children  and your grand-children back to, all to show them where you had the happiest day of your life. 

So a wedding venue needs to be characterful with its own qualities that make it desirable for a couple, but it must also to be enough of a blank canvas that a couple can put their own stamp on it.

Kew Gardens is a beautiful venue.  There are a number of beautiful and completely different areas within the venue of Kew Garden, that offer endless possibilities for the big day

There is the cosy Cambridge Cottage that can hold up to 80 guests for both ceremony and wedding reception.  The Cottage is a former royal residence and has a clean and fresh décor, which allows the Bride and Groom to choose any particular colour to use throughout the wedding, happily knowing that it will not clash with anything will always look perfect.  The cottage is steeped in traditional horticulture with floral pictures on the walls, which some couples do like to combine with their own ideas; using very bright and expressive flowers to decorate the venue, or use flower names as table names.

With entertainment, the light and elegant tone of Cambridge Cottage lends itself perfectly to string instruments, particular the harp or string quartet for a ceremony or reception.  The cottage backs on to the gardens and the sound of a string quartet drifting through the air could not be more perfect for a warm, summer wedding.

For the evening, the intimacy of Cambridge Cottage means that either a 4 piece band or a solo singer works really well and creates a flawless party atmosphere.

Within the Grounds of the Gardens there are also the 3 beautiful Conservatories – The Nash Conservatory is a nineteenth century glasshouse that has started being used for Civil Ceremonies this year and can hold up to 200 guests.  The Nash Conservatory is used in conjunction with The Orangery, which is available for evening hire for up to 400 guests for a cocktail reception

The Princess of Wales Conservatory can either be used by itself as a cocktail reception venue for up to 250 guests or in combination with The Orangery or Cambridge Cottage, as a venue for pre or post dinner drinks.  The Conservatory itself was commissioned in 1982 and was named after Princess Augusta, the founder of Kew.  Opened in 1987 by Diana, Princess of Wales, the Princess of Wales Conservatory is the most complex glasshouse at Kew, containing ten computer-controlled climatic zones, which only adds to this completely unique and interesting venue.

So with more than a few options for Weddings and Civil Ceremonies, it’s a great place to suggest wedding entertainment for – so many different acts work in the different spaces that the possibilities are endless.

There’s no such thing as bad publicity

Posted on by

Adding to the expanding list of controversial things Kanye West done in his career, he’s recently been reported to have told a disabled man to “stand up” at one of his concerts in Sydney!!!

But what can this self-proclaimed “god” teach us regular folk about being an entertainer that’s on the face of almost every news site going right now? Surely just that doing controversial things sells records?  

After thinking about the ridiculous concept that is Kanye West – a man who’s referred to himself as the “Steve Jobs of fashion” – here’s a list of 4 things he can teach you about being an entertainer

People love a villain

Just think of all of the times you’ve heard about Kanye West in the news and think about how many papers an article about him sells. Let’s take a look at his controversies throughout the years, shall we?

That Taylor Swift incident, hilarious outbursts on Twitter, ‘’George Bush doesn’t like black people”, calling himself Yeezus, marring Kim Kardashian, punching a paparazzo, several outbursts at members of the press and award organisations and now – apparently – heckling a disabled man.

And what’s the theme here? 

He sells papers, gets page views and gets people going – both those who love him, and those who hate him.

His persona isn’t just that of an egomaniacal idiot or “douche”, it’s a cynical, carefully honed personality that makes sure whenever he needs to sell some records or get in the press; journalists are hungry to write anything and everything about him.

So, we may not have Kanye West for hire at Red Masque entertainment directory but we may have a ‘celebrity lookalike’ or we may have some ‘comedians’ which could tell some rather controversial jokes that would really get your crowd talking; for the wrong reasons? Who cares? If they’re talking, that means you’ve made an impression…..right?

Christening party ideas…

Posted on by

The christening or baptism of a baby or child stems from the Christian religious practise of immersing oneself in water to wash away sins (The Greek word ‘baptizo’ literally means to immerse, plunge, dip, or bury in water) and in later years the ceremony became associated with the taking of a name to symbolize new life.

Adults may choose to be baptised later in life but whatever the age of the participant, the naming ceremony whether religious or otherwise is usually followed by a family celebration.

Regardless of the size of your christening or naming-ceremony, musical accompaniment will both enhance the atmosphere and entertain your guests throughout the day.

Classical music such as hiring a string quartete, harpists or solo singers are popular choices for the ceremony, with jazz bands, soul bands and pianists proving good choices for the drinks reception afterwards.

Many Christenings now also run on into the night with a party function band or DJ.

If you will have a good number of children attending then it pays to hire entertainers to keep them occupied. Check out Red Masque’s directory of great children’s entertainers, magicians & street entertainers. Also think about face painting & fancy dress costumes which are always a great way to keep them entertained.

Go Vintage…

Posted on by

Vintage themed corporate events are a big hit this year. There are all sorts of great vintage style corporate entertainment to be hired, including: a 1950s inspired pool party, complete with dressed up waitresses and synchronised swimmers; seeing the likes of 40s/50s dance troupes with a Vintage DJ…. 
Why not have your very own Vintage theme party and serve up vintage style beverages– why not browse our Red Masque website today to arrange the ideal food and drinks entertainment for your corporate event.

Book string quartet for your vintage corporate event to give your guests the rare opportunity to relive the 1950s musical trend that was three-part harmony singing. Close harmony singing requires huge talent and many years of practice, and when executed magnificently, like our artists can, your guests will be blown away!  
Jazz bands and orchestras dominated what we now call the ‘vintage music scene’ of the early 20th century, which became popular in the 1910s in New Orleans and quickly spread to the UK and Europe. We have a huge collection of jazz bands, duos, trios and Jazz artists for hire to give your vintage themed corporate entertainment the sophistication and class it needs – enquire today!

Where jazz brings sophistication, class and charm; swing, jive and rock n roll will bring movement and lots of it! Get your guests dancing all night long with one of Red Masques directory artists using swing bands, jive bands or 50s style rock and roll bands. 

When you book your corporate entertainment through Red Masque entertainment you are guaranteed a class act from professional musicians and entertainers. 
To book your ideal vintage corporate entertainment, just click on the band or entertainer’s name and fill out and online booking form there and then. You are then able to discuss in personal all your needs and wants for your important corporate event.

Make your guests smile…

Posted on by

By combining the hottest corporate event trends for 2015 and some very special entertainment, you can create a corporate event entertainment that’s still talked about long after.

For all 2015 corporate events, décor will be key. Your venue needs to wow your guests from the moment they walk in, creating a special and uniquely defined space for your event. Two highly contrasting themes are high tech interactive and natural materials, enabling your company to show off its tech prowess, or boost its eco credentials.

If you choose a high tech theme, your entertainment must be 100% integrated to the whole tech ambience. Look for entertainers that offer a tech twist in their act, such as iPad illusionists, LED Light entertainers and street magicians that work with the latest phones and mobile gadgets.

Choose musicians that blend performances with tech, such as our interactive VJ’S, or a live DJ for hire. Get your guests interacting with each other playing giant games with your very own theme.
If you are thinking about a winter corporate event into a natural winter wonderland with ice sculptures and decorated living statues, walkabout characters, and seasonal winter menus. Welcome guests with the warming aromas of mulled wine, or entice people out into the crisp winter air with heated seating areas, piles of rugs and sweet chestnuts roasting on a real coal brazier.

You could extend the theme beyond décor and food into acoustic musical acts, for a more ‘natural’ sound. Entertain with a gospel singing Christmas songs, or a trendy a Capella groups, or guitar and sax soloists.

When you want your corporate party to finally hot up, keep the theme with classic tracks that really evoke the sights and sounds with top UK function and party bands who know their Farrell and their Ed Sheeran.

Take lighting to the next level and illuminate your event to create spectacle and visual interest. Any venue can be transformed with clever and creative use of lighting even on the more limited of budgets. Use lighting to throw unusual shadows, to colour tables rather than using flowers, and use wireless technology to alter lighting states to reflect the various stages of your event.

Your entertainment should be equally well lit! Look for party DJ’S with their own light shows, rock and pop function bands that provide their own lighting, and artists that use light in imaginative ways.
For larger events, book artists that have a strong visual impact enhanced by theatrical style lighting, such as dance troupes, ballet dancers or aerial artists.

Find ways to make your party entertainment a pleasure for everyone by choosing acts that blend superb musicianship with accessible humour, such as a comedy string quartet. Or present musical acts with an international flavour, such as 1920s swing band just make people smile!

A few ideas for your wedding

Posted on by

Make the most of the sunshine and delight your guests with the best in British summertime entertainment for your wedding day and evening party. Let the fun begin!

Turn your wedding into a traditional fete on the lawn, with lots of activities for all ages, and a slap-up tea on vintage china in the marquee instead of a formal sit-down meal. Everyone loves those retro fete games and side stalls, such as a coconut shy, tin can bash, skittles, hoopla, giant table football and two childhood favourites made large, a games and a giant scalectrix. Give your fete a contemporary twist with a roving street magician ready to thrill anyone with card tricks and logic-defying illusions anytime, any-place, no table required.


Fantastic feats of dexterity that seem to defy gravity, from traditional club jugglers to comedy jugglers who’ll play around with everything from eggs to bowling balls! Skilled caricaturists can create hand-drawn, unique portraits of you or your guest in under five minutes, one-of-a-kind souvenirs of a very special day. Expand your guest lists with everyone you’ve ever wanted at your party with our lookalikes, from David Beckham to Marylyn Munroe to Brad Pitt.

Keep the little ones amused for hours with the help of professional children’s entertainers. Kids can twist and turn with balloon modellers, fall about laughing with a clown, get artistic with face painters. Warning; adults always want to join in too!

Forget high priced tickets for muddy fields and distant views of so-so bands bring the festival to your wedding instead. Set up a stage or two, pop up a beer tent and start booking your acts. The famous festival mixes its music, so you can hear an up and coming bad one set, then opera the next! Do the same; mix rock and jazz, acoustic and electro, DJs, opera singers and solo sax. Remember, that gospel choir who performed at the ceremony and the function band you’ve booked for the evening would probably love to be part of your festival too!

Bring a sense of theatre to your festival with unusual acts, such as stilt walkers, living statues, mime artists, themed walkabout and more. OK, we know the weather is even more unpredictable than the best man’s speech, so choose wedding entertainment that works just as well in your venue as outside on the lawns, such as micro-illusion magicians, caricaturists or a small jazz band.


Create a lovely atmosphere during your meal with gentle background music from an expert and experienced pianist, guitarist, harpist, or even a Capella group depending on the size of your room. There are plenty of moments in a wedding meal where you can surprise your guests with unexpected entertainment. Roving magicians can work the tables to bridge the gap between taking your seats and the starter being served, for example. Singing waiters have been around for years but they never fail to amuse, delight and entertain, as your waiters suddenly develop a passion for performance along with magnificent voices!

Your guests are arriving for the evening, ready to celebrate your special day and have a really great time. So, give them an evening they’ll be talking about for years! Wow them from the first moment they arrive with living statue, as costumed artists meet and greet your guests from the centre of a table and hand them the first drink of the evening! Surprising and practical too!

Will Lady Luck smile on your guests when they play in your very own casino complete with slots and showgirls? The money may be fake, but the enjoyment is 100% pure gold.

Cocktail bartenders will conjure up incredible cocktails for your guests. Expect flying bottles, swirling shakers, exotic ingredients and a taste sensation in every glass. Photo booths bring out the teenager in everyone, so get in there and banish those passport photo horrors to history! Hire some paparazzi desperate to take your guests’ photos, and get the latest scoop. Give your guests a taste of celebrity fame when the pics get posted online to a private micro-site, to view and buy if they wish. Turn your venue into a comedy club with classic stand-up by tomorrow’s stars, or today’s big names. If you’ve got the budget, we’ve got the best comedians to hire.

It’s been an amazing day, so why not finish it with a stunning fireworks display, custom-made to your venue and requirements, and with your choice of sound track or even live music. We hope we’ve given you food for thought, so when you book your wedding think of Red Masque entertainment – it really couldn’t be simpler.

We do the hard work….

Posted on by

Entertainment is very important in corporate events. Different calibres of individuals are usually invited for corporate meetings and occasions. They deserve to be entertained all through the event. If you’re hosting an important corporate event, you need to plan everything concerning entertainment very well. You need to keep your guests happy and satisfied.

The first step you can take is to engage a reliable entertainment directory. Such as Red Masque our website will help you organize every aspect of the entertainment required for the event. Our portfolio can help you choose the best performers, entertainers and suppliers to entertain your guests. They will save you the headache of making choices by trailing through the internet as we have the best entertainment in one place. They will also save you time since we understand exactly what you need.

If you don’t want to use an entertainment directory, you can go ahead to hire by yourself. You have to create time to locate a reliable entertainer. If you’re thinking of hiring a band for a special event then you need the best artists. You need a band that has experience in covering different kinds of corporate events and knows how to please a crowd. Red Masque has done all the hard work for you and you will find only excellent artists waiting to be picked by you.

Our website has a fantastic array of experts in the field of wedding party and event entertainment, with wedding entertainers and event entertainment, performers and acts to suit every occasion. From Dj’s and Bands to dancers and cabaret shows for the perfect party entertainment with the ultimate wow factor.

Retirement party ideas…

Posted on by

Traditionally a gold watch was given to prized employees retiring after 30 years, though long service medals and other gifts were often given depending on the nature of the job or the type of work carried out.

If you’re planning a party for a work colleague, a novel idea is to give a countdown clock which runs backwards for 6 months until the last day of work, ideal for someone whose retirement can’t arrive too soon!

These days the whole emphasis of working life is much more temporary than ever before in history, with few people expecting to stay in the same employment for 30 months, let alone 30 years!

If you, or someone you know, have been lucky enough to keep the same job right up to retirement age then they certainly deserve a fun-filled and exciting send off.

Party Themes…

To decide on a theme for your party, choose something relevant to the retiree, for example a favourite hobby, a work related topic, their favourite musical era or the place they’re retiring to, especially if this is abroad.

A popular theme is to dress up and hire a live band to suit the era when the retiree started work. For the 50’s choose a rock n roll band or Elvis Tribute singer for the 60’s go with a Beatles tribute band, for the 70’s how about a 70’s party tribute act? The options are endless.

We also have a great range of lookalike artists so why not surprise the retiree with a visit from their favourite celebrity or sports star?

Decorate to suit the theme…

You should dress the entire venue with memorabilia, ‘Happy Retirement’ banners and party decorations which follow the theme in seamless detail. Lots of companies supply party props and ‘scene setters’.

If you choose a golf theme for example then decorate the room as a golf course, with elaborate sand pits, flags, golf ball name settings and card board cut outs of famous golfers. Everyone should arrive in outrageous golfing trousers and pringle jumpers, and if your venue is a golf club why not include half an hour on the driving range before dinner?

This is your life!

A great idea for a surprise retirement party is to hold your own version of the TV show ‘This is your life’.

Friends, family and colleagues will love collecting stories, photos and tales of long-forgotten, and often best forgotten antics from the workplace or otherwise. Try and get in touch with old colleagues or long lost friends and invite them along in secret, introducing them at the perfect moment for an emotional reunion.

A confident younger relative or the retiree’s manager should compére the event. Buy a ‘big red book’ as an album for the collection and present it to the retiree at the end of the night.

A work of art

Posted on by

Madame Tussauds Famous for its incredible wax works of celebrities and royalty from around the world, Madam Tussauds is also an award winning themed venue that has been hosting high-profile events for over fifty years.

Situated right in the heart of London, the venues offers five themed areas that can host events with up to 1,000 guests. Each event space can be adapted to suit your events exact requirements making it an ideal location for award dinners, presentations, gala events and press conferences. The World Stage Ballroom was designed to impress with a grand stage, back projected screen, full lighting rig and plasma screens. LED lighting can be programmed to display specific colours to suit your corporate identity or theme. The largest space in Madame Tussauds, it is perfect for a whole host of corporate events and can even accommodate smaller events with adjustable and removable walls that can be used to create a more intimate space.

Not forgetting that this venue’s main attraction is its spectacular collection of wax works, guests can walk through over 200 years of history and with the museum-style ropes and poles gone they can also get up close and personal with historical icons, A-list celebrities and sporting legends. Not only is Madame Tussauds a great venue for corporate event entertainment but it also offers team building exercises and incentives: staff also have the chance to go behind the scenes and see how a waxwork is made at Madam Tussauds, ride through London’s history in a mini black cab and battle with Marvel Super Heroes in a 4D movie experience!

A popular choice for high-profile celebrity launches, Madame Tussauds is an impressive event space twice voted the UK’s number 1 favourite venue! No entertainment is more apt to accompany your event at this exclusive venue than one of our real life lookalikes available for hire. Why not invite 007, or Elton John to entertain guests, as they pose for photos and suavely mingles with guests.

Capital events

Posted on by

London is one of the world’s most multicultural cities offering a whole host of exciting attractions and activities that you won’t find anywhere else. Amongst the bustling streets is a treasure trove of unique venues perfect for hosting corporate events and private functions. You can look forward to venues with stunning Birdseye views across the city, boudoir-style cabaret clubs, a floating cinema and the UK’s only permanent ice bar and to name only a few…

So let’s talk about this fabulous venue in London Ice Bar. This is one of the most unique venues that London has to offer; just off Regent Street. As the name suggests this stunning venue is made completely out of ice – the walls, bar, tables and even the glasses – kept at -5 degrees all year round, this venue isn’t just a seasonal occurrence.

Ice bar will give your guests a wow factor experience that will be a talking point for months to come. Ideal for receptions, hen and stag parties and even team building exercises as staff brave the environment with an icy cocktail in hand! After the 40 minute session you can recline in warmer areas outside of Ice bar. They can dine on delicious dishes in the restaurant which has a capacity of up to 180 guests standing. Enjoy drinks and canapés in the smaller lounge with space for 45 guests or the ground floor cocktail bar for up to 70 guests.

Using the clearest ice, a team of skilled ice designers and sculptors create this stunning ice landscape, which is completely reinvented once a year. Sessions are booked in 40 minute timeslots due to the low temperature inside the venue and guests are given thermal gloves and capes to wear when experiencing this amazing environment!

No corporate event is complete without entertainment to impress and engage staff.  Red Masque entertainment directory has a number of walkabout acts that would fit perfectly with this cool venue. Our canapé girls will look right at home wrapped in elegant furs handing out mini oeuvres will add to the winter atmosphere and create a great talking point.