After choosing the location and deciding whether your event will be formal or informal, you might want to consider including appropriate games and activities to keep your guests entertained. Plan, shop, and prepare the games, activities, prizes, and supplies in advance. Remember, the bridal party and groomsmen are there to help, so ask if someone can help with the preparations. After all, the fun begins when there is less stress on the wedding couple!
Here are some examples of some fun games and activities to help make your occasion great!
Activities and Conversation Starters
Provide blank name tags, and ask guests to write how they’re associated with the bride or groom. This will help guests with enjoyable conversation starters.
For a small gathering, introduce each guest with a little bit of detail about the guest’s relationship to either the bride or groom, and then have your guest share a story about the bride and groom in return.
Truth or life is a great ice breaker and is similar to an old game show where someone has to determine who is lying or who is telling the truth. This could be a conversation starter for the table, or used as a group game about the bride and groom. Each person tells a quick story, and everyone guesses whether it’s the truth or a lie. If it’s about the bride and groom, guests can write down their guesses, and after the game you can determine the winners.
Mad Libs featuring the bride and groom are another way to have fun together. Make or buy print-outs, and let guests fill in requested names, nouns, verbs, etc. There are many free templates available online, and some even include funny marriage advice and stories. You can either place the Mad Libs in a box with pencils on the tables or at another location of your event. These can be read at the rehearsal dinner or stored in the box for the bride and groom to read later.
Have guests write a funny story or experience about the couple, and put them in a set container. These can either be read at the event or by the couple later.
Games
Set up a trivia game about the bride and groom with about a dozen questions in advance. For example, where they were each born, how they first met, their first date, who cooks better, who hates sushi, etc. Arrange and mix everyone into small groups, as some know the couple better (such as the Best Man and Maid of Honor). To give the answers, guests either clink their glasses or raise their hands.
Check Amazon, other websites, or party-themed stores for games, such as wedding bingo. For markers, you can use colorful Hershey kisses or other candies. You can also use special table decorations as markers.
Prizes and Party Favors
There are many potential prizes and party favors available for just about every budget. Giving out prizes to winning groups or individuals helps bring out the competitiveness of guests. Here are some places to shop for prizes and party favors:
- Dollar Stores
- Craft Shops
- Starbucks
- Import stores, such as World Market
- Target and other large retailers
- Specialty candy shops
- Party-themed stores
- Amazon or other shopping websites
- Online shops for personalized gifts, such as Etsy
- Take notes when walking around the store, as you’ll see many great ideas. Look for edible prizes or favors like candies or items that can be personalized, such as small candy jars, mugs, wine glasses, wine stoppers, etc. You can also buy small gift boxes or jars to fill with candies, wedding-colored ribbons, or other things to decorate the prizes or favors.
Activities and Games for Children
You might be thinking about setting up a children-only table, which is more fun for the kids and less stress for the adults. For added fun, put together group or individual entertainment kits for the kids, and set up games in a specific area to keep them busy. Make sure you assign someone to keep an eye on the kids’ area to ensure no damage is done to the venue and that everyone is getting along.
Here are a few ideas:
- Bring classic board games or card games for the younger guests, and place them in a specific playtime area.
- If kids have their own table, try using butcher paper, as the table cloth for crayon drawing.
- There are many activity and coloring place mats available online to download and print.
- Don’t forget party favors for the children (no nuts or allergy-triggering edibles). Instead, get glow sticks, crayons, coloring books, puzzle booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos, mystery character or play packs (Disney, Avengers, etc.).
Here’s to the happy couple and their guests!
