New York Wedding Magician Chris Anthony Gives Guests a Celebration They Remember

For nearly three decades, New York City magician Chris Anthony has been turning wedding cocktail hours and receptions into the part of the night guests talk about long after the last dance. Blending close-up magic, mentalism, and comedy, Chris has built a reputation as one of the top wedding magicians in New York, with well over 600 five-star reviews across multiple online platforms and awards including Best Close-Up Magician in New York.

Chris’s approach to weddings starts with a simple idea: the couple is the star. “It’s not about the magic, it’s about making the bride & groom at a wedding the star,” Chris said. “It’s all about the event. I customize my performances to each event. Also customizing special magic effects just for each occasion. There is a lot of attention to detail.”

That customization shows up in the moments couples describe afterward. Courtney Ries, who hired Chris as a surprise for guests at her wedding at The State Room in Albany, N.Y., said he was “truly one of the highlights of our entire wedding night.” She recalled hearing guests “laughing, gasping, and literally screaming in amazement from across the room” as he moved through the cocktail hour, and said that before he left, Chris performed a personalized trick just for the couple and left them with a keepsake from it.

Working the room is central to how Chris performs at weddings. He moves from group to group so every guest gets a close-up experience of their own. Chris Contois, whose wedding celebration in Lake Grove, N.Y., had more than 125 guests, said Chris “found a way to amaze each of them,” and that everywhere he and his wife went, they heard how great he was. Jennifer Giangrande, who got married at The Stone House at Clove Lakes on Staten Island, said Chris even impressed “our harshest critics” and that almost everyone mentioned him when the couple talked with guests afterward.

The impression lasts well beyond the wedding day. “It’s been weeks since the wedding and I’m still getting texts about the unbelievable magician and his performance,” said Brian Barger, who had Chris perform at his wedding at Lamb’s Hill Venue in Beacon, N.Y. Mike Dimino, father of the bride at a wedding at Westbury Manor on Long Island, wrote that “most people at the wedding will remember you and your magic more than anything else.”

Chris’s love of performing goes back to his teens. “I always loved performing, and when I found magic in my late teens, it just clicked. I knew it was going to be a part of my life,” he said. “I love giving people that sense of wonder that most people haven’t felt since they were kids.”

Based in New York City, Chris Anthony Magic offers wedding magic and mentalism for cocktail hours and receptions, and also performs at corporate events, private parties, and other special occasions. He works closely with couples and wedding planners to shape each performance around the celebration.

“I guarantee your guests will be raving about my performance for a long time after the event,” Chris said.