Popular Wedding Games to Play at Your Reception
Next to getting married to the love of your life, the second best part of weddings is that sooo many people that you love are all together in one place! It’s an amazing opportunity to not only remicinse on all of the fun times that you’ve had together, but to create another incredibly fun time together celebrating your big day! One way to do this is through some wedding themed games! :)
Though there are so many wedding game ideas out there, the following are just a few that can be played at three different moments at your reception.
games to play at the Registration Table
Photography: Mike Pham Photography
Games at the registration table area allow guests to have something that they can do as they are waiting to check in, or for the reception doors to open. As the newlyweds are typically taking photos at this time, the results of the games are something that the couple can look forward to seeing following the wedding! These activities range from sweet letters to the newlyweds that they will definitely cherish, to votes by the guests on who’s snack or drink choice is better resulting in the winner earning some bragging points!
TIP: Having an activity for your guests to do during this time also assists with the flow of traffic entering the reception area.
Examples of games to play at the Registration Table
Who Has Better Taste? | The couple will have their favorite snack or cocktail drink on display for guests to vote for the one that they like best. The voting can be done by encouraging the guests to consume the snack/drink of their choice so that at the end of the night the couple can see which of them has the better taste based off of the item that’s been eaten or ordered the most by their guests!
The Secret to a Happy Marriage | Guests who would like to bestow their knowledge to the new couple can provide their greatest marriage advice on pieces of paper that they can drop into a safe box or envelope so that the couple can refer to the words of wisdom throughout their marriage.
One Year Anniversary Cards | Guests can wish the couple a happy anniversary and leave sweet messages to the couple that they can look forward to reading in one year, on their first wedding anniversary.
games to play at The Table
Games at the table are typically ones that can be done as an individual or as a group with the other guests sitting on the table These usually are more mental than physical as they can be done while guests are sitting at their table, enjoying their meal or during any down times throughout the reception!
Examples of games to play at the Table
Couple Trivia | On a piece of paper or google form, guests can show off their knowledge by answering fun trivia questions about each newlywed, their love story, and etc.
Newlywed Crossword | A puzzle that can be worked on throughout the duration of the reception, guests can work individually or together to solve the wedding themed crossword puzzle. The questions can be related to general wedding terms or words related specifically to the couple. As this puzzle may be a little more difficult for any guests that are kids, a word search can be given to them instead!
Centerpiece Giveaway | As the name goes the winner of this game will walk away with the centerpiece! We’ve seen so much creativity with this activity but one of our favorites is directing the guests to listen to a story read by the MC and whenever they hear the words “left” or “right”, they need to pass the centerpiece (or designated item) in that direction and when the story ends the person holding the item is the winner who gets to take the centerpiece home! Creating a story that uses the words “left” or “right” quite a bit and repeatedly, tends to make for lots of laughs by the guests and especially by the couple as they get to watch their family and friends juggle around the centerpiece!
Games to play on the dance floor
Photography: Aria Studios
The type of games that can be played on the dance floor are great for involving guests both actively and passively as those who are a bit more outgoing can volunteer to participate in the games while others who are more comfortable watching, can still be entertained by the games from their seat. Note that as these games typically involve the use of the dance floor and a portion of the reception time, the inclusion of them will reduce the amount of open dancing time.
Examples of games to play on the dance floor
Shoe-lywed | The couple sits or stands back to back and has their shoe in one hand and their significant other’s shoe in the other hand. The MC will ask questions such as “Who made the first move?” or “Who’s funnier?” and the couple will raise the shoe of the person who best matches the statement! Guests can watch and react as they see the newlyweds raise their shoes. There’s typically a lot of laughter when the raised shoes are opposites!
Gimmie Gimmie | The MC will ask for guests to “gimme gimme” a specific item, typically something that can be found in a wallet, and the guests can run these items up to the dance floor. The person who is able to provide the most requested items the quickest, wins!
Wedding Guest Bingo | A great way to have your guests mingle, this game encourages guests to talk to one another to see if they can achieve “Bingo” or “Blackout” by getting their bingo sheet signed off by other guests. Instead of numbers in each square, there are statements such as “Has traveled to Europe”, “Speaks another language”, or “Is left handed” so guests have to introduce themselves and chat with each other to find someone who matches each statement so that they can be the first to shout “BINGO!”
Wedding Games > Dating Games amirite!!
Want more wedding game ideas? Check out these articles!
So if you’re looking for a way to have your wedding guests more involved, to create fun memories with them, and to stir up some friendly competition; consider playing games during your reception!
XOXOXO
Happy Planning!
(A Perfect Day)