By Lauren Heskin
11th Aug 2022
11th Aug 2022
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Some great wedding reception games to start your guests off with a giggle. The perfect way to help all your guests makes fast friends
While your own wedding day will fly by in a flash of make-up, “I do’s”, photographers, speeches and dancing, sometimes it can feel like a slightly longer one for your guests, particularly if your families have not yet been properly acquainted. A fun way to break the ice between guests, aside from a well-planned seating chart (a.k.a the bane of any bride-to-be’s life), is to line up some parlour games to pass the cocktail hour while you two are off having your photos snapped.
Lawn Games
Offbeat Bride / Itty Bitty Impact/ Element of Elegance
If you’re lucky enough to have the weather, lawn games are a brilliant way to help your guests relax into the evening. Croquet, sack throwing, boules, ring toss and giant jenga all make for good mingling. Mini golf is also an easy game that you can lay out inside or out. Why not add a competitive edge to your lawn games by keeping a scoreboard with a prize for the winning table.
Table Roles
The Knot / Bridal Musings/ Wedding Bells
If you’re having a garden wedding a great way to have each table bond is to assign everyone a specific job – the Sommelier must make sure that their table’s wine glasses are always full, Kitchen Boy/Girl must help clear away the dishes, Sous Chef ensures everyone is looked after during the meal, DJ selects song to be played later in the evening, and a table King or Queen ensures that everyone is having a good time. Have each role written on the flip side of everyone’s place cards and explain the job descriptions. Include props if you like, such as a crown, a tray, a wine bucket and white napkin, chef’s hat and top 40 list.
While this isn’t technically a game, your guests will have fun playing their roles and trying on the props. Make sure you assign the roles to the best candidates, for example, assign the fathers of the bride and groom as the kitchen boy and sommelier.
Personalised Taboo
Make up cards with one word about the bride or groom (school they attended, favourite colours) and five related words below it. Guests must describe the word for their table without using any of the words on the card with a time limit of thirty seconds. You can make this game more competitive but it’s a fun way to get your guests giggling at the stories behind the words and their own attempts at describing them under pressure.
Provide Board Games
While you might be keen for everyone to hit the dance floor and have a great time, some people just aren’t interested in that section of the night. Create?a snug corner with different board games and comfy chairs so they can relax with a drink and play.
Kids I Spy
If you’re inviting children to the wedding, why not give them a really fun table where there are lots to do. Print out a simple activity book and crayons, or if they’re slightly older give them all disposable cameras and an I Spy game where they have to get pictures of guests dancing, the bride and groom kissing, people laughing and other special observations.
Wedding Speech Bingo
Do up three or four different bingo cards with generic speech titbits like “To the Bride and Groom!” or “I was told I couldn’t tell this story” and give one to each guest. They can play along through the speeches and have small prizes for the first few to reach bingo (this is where your custom wedding pencils can come in!).
DIY Cards Against Humanity
DIY Cards Against Humanity is a surefire way to get your guests laughing and sometimes blushing. Give each guest 5 or 6 cards (the more the better!) with different phrases on it, and have the MC read out an opening line such as “The Bride and Groom are perfect for each other because…”. Each table must pick out the funniest closing phrase?from their cards and the MC must read out the responses and choose a winner. The aim of this game is to be as outrageous and un-PC as possible so throw a few curveball responses into the cards to have everyone roaring with laughter. If you couldn’t be bothered with the DIY bit, there is a wedding version called Cads Against Matrimony. However, much like the original game, it doesn’t shy away from the offensive so we advise you think of your audience and make up your own!
You can also flip this game around and give your guests a card with cryptic phrases that relate to a funny story about your relationship like “The Soggy Shoe” – when your now-husband stepped into a huge puddle on your first date and made that squelching sound for the entire evening. Your guests have to come up what they think the story is and the best ones can be read aloud.
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