Walkabout acts at weddings and events: planning the sets

A walkabout act works when it fits the event's timeline rather than competing with it. Start with a booking call to understand the event, then agree the number and length of sets, the breaks between them, the moments to avoid such as speeches, and where you can perform safely. Confirm space, weather plan, arrival time and a changing area in writing. The organiser then knows exactly when you appear, and you can plan your energy for the whole booking.

Walkabout is physically demanding: stilts, juggling, character work and constant interaction. Agree sets of a fixed length with breaks between them, and say clearly in your offer how many sets are included. Place the sets where they help the event: during the reception, while photos are taken, or between courses. Avoid speeches and the first dance unless the organiser asks you to frame them.

Guests at a wedding and at a company party react differently. Start gently, approach small groups, and let people opt in. Keep the act family-friendly unless the organiser has asked otherwise, and agree in advance whether children will be present.

Check the floor and the ceiling height if you work on stilts, the space needed for fire or juggling, and whether the venue allows fire at all. Ask for the venue's rules and your insurance requirements early. For outdoor events, agree a weather plan: a covered area, a shorter set, or a switch to an indoor version of the act.

After the call, confirm the date, arrival time, number and length of sets, breaks, the changing area, the fee and the deposit, and what happens if the event runs late. A clear written summary avoids last-minute requests for extra sets without extra pay.

Plan to arrive well before the first set: unloading props, changing, checking the space and meeting the contact on site all take time. Ask where to park and how far you will carry equipment. For events far from home, agree travel costs in the offer, and check whether you need to stay overnight.

At a wedding or a company event you share the space with a caterer, a photographer, a band or a DJ. Ask the organiser for the timeline they gave everyone else, and introduce yourself to the venue manager on arrival. A quick word with the photographer can turn your act into some of the best pictures of the day.

If the event has a theme or colour scheme, offer a matching costume or character. Show photos or a short video in the booking call so the organiser knows what will arrive on the day.

On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page. Create a free "Booking call" service that organisers can book online, with slots that repeat weekly. Each slot belongs to one service and sits within a single day, and with one place per slot a booked call no longer appears on your public page. Organisers book with their name, email and phone and can add the event date, venue and type in the optional note, which you read in your new-booking email. Once the event is confirmed, add a slot on the event date for the matching walkabout service and book the organiser into it from your calendar, so the date is taken and you see it with your other work.

Durations and prices are examples: set your own. If an event date moves, change the booking from your bookings list and tell the organiser yourself, as Book does not email clients when a booking is rescheduled or cancelled. Book costs €5/month, all-inclusive: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no commitment.