Michael Bloemeke x Sarah and Jake: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Wedding Case Study

An hour of strolling magic through the cocktail hour and a private show for the couple, at their June wedding in Richmond, Virginia

Sarah and Jake got married on a warm June evening at the Bloemendaal House at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, one of the prettiest venues in Virginia. Michael had two jobs that night: keep about 150 guests entertained through cocktail hour, and give the newlyweds one moment of magic that belonged to just the two of them. Here is how it went.

This page is about one specific wedding. For what Michael does at weddings in general, see the Weddings page.

How the booking happened

Jake posted on Bark in late January looking for wedding entertainment, and his listing said it better than most briefs Michael gets:

"A botanical garden wedding with a fun, light atmosphere. Looking for a magician that's creative, comfortable around a large wedding party, and can throw in some humor." Jake's original posting

Michael spotted the posting backstage at The Magician's Table, minutes before showtime, and called. (Yes, magicians check their leads backstage.) Jake and Sarah were easy to talk to from the first minute. What sold them was the combination: Most Original Act at the FISM World Championship of Magic on one side, a performer who refuses to take himself too seriously on the other. They wanted impressive and funny in the same person. A few days later Jake came back with the verdict: they loved the videos and wanted to book.

The plan: strolling close-up magic through the cocktail hour, plus a short private show for the couple. That second part was Michael's suggestion, and they loved the idea the moment they heard it.

An evening in the garden

June 6 was the kind of evening you would order from a catalog for a garden wedding. After the outdoor ceremony, guests spread across the courtyard with drinks and appetizers: standing tables, picnic tables, a bar, and the big reception tent still waiting for dinner. Wedding crowds are the best crowds. Everyone just sat politely through a ceremony. Everyone is happy. Everyone is ready for something fun, even the ones who will not admit it.

Cocktail hour, handled

Michael worked the garden group to group, introducing himself and pulling people into something impossible within the first thirty seconds. Some mind reading, a memory demonstration or two, and plenty of pieces built specifically for groups, so every circle of guests walked away with a shared story to retell at dinner. The specifics stay off this page on purpose. If you want to know what happens, you have to be in the room.

Part of the job nobody sees is knowing which groups to approach and when. Two cousins catching up after ten years apart get a few more minutes to themselves. The group already laughing gets a magician.

A moment built for the two of them

While the reception was being set up, Sarah and Jake slipped away to a private room inside the Bloemendaal House to sign the paperwork and catch their breath. That is where Michael found his favorite audience of the night. A bride and groom almost never get to see the entertainment at their own wedding; there are too many hands to shake. So the show came to them: about fifteen minutes of close-up magic for an audience of two, drinks and appetizers in hand.

The finale was a wedding-themed piece Michael saves for exactly this moment. It celebrates the couple themselves, and it ends with an impossible souvenir they keep forever. Mantle material. The wedding photographer caught the whole thing on camera, and judging by his reactions, he enjoyed the private show about as much as the newlyweds did. The timing landed perfectly too: as the set wrapped, the reception was ready, so Michael offered one more congratulations and slipped out.

Easy to work with, start to finish

Ask anyone who plans weddings: the vendors worth rebooking are the ones who answer their email. From the first call to the day-of schedule, everything with Sarah and Jake stayed simple. Coordination with their planner, Aris Kelly of The Hive Wedding Co, was just as smooth: venue guidelines, parking, arrival details, and a spot to stash a bag of backup props, all sorted before Michael pulled in.

And one thing a June garden wedding asks of a performer: heat planning. Michael builds his set list for the conditions, so a hot evening outdoors changes the material, never the quality.

What guests were saying, live

These are real reactions, caught on the audio from the night:

What the couple said afterward

"We hardly have words to describe how phenomenal Michael was at our wedding. The guests loved him, the staff loved him, and most importantly, WE loved him! I still don't understand most of his tricks. ... HIRE HIM. You will not regret it." Sarah and Jake, from their five-star Google review

"He stole my card, he stole the whole deck, and he almost stole my girl! Michael was awesome at the wedding and I'd highly recommend hiring him. Great showman and excellent close-up magic that gets people excited." Scott Taylor, wedding guest

Thinking about magic for your wedding?

Cocktail hour is where strolling magic fits a wedding best. It fills the gap while photos happen, gets your guests laughing together before dinner, and gives you a moment that is entirely yours. Michael performs at weddings across North Carolina, Virginia, and beyond.

Photos courtesy of Sarah and Jake.