The cocktail hour: the time where the couple, their family, and the bridal party get pulled away to take pictures and the guests have to fend for themselves and endure painful small talk for an hour or so. The last thing the couple wants is for their guests to not be having fun. These wedding games are a fun addition to your party and the perfect way to combat boredom.
Photo Credit: Sposto Photography
1. Cornhole
Also known as bag toss, this game is a great way to entertain multiple guests and give an opportunity for a tournament. The best part about it is that you can personalize the bags as well as the wooden planks to fit your wedding theme.
The rules: Get in 2 teams of 2 per set up. Your partner will stand on the opposite side as you. Choose your team’s colored bag and underhand throw it to the other slanted wooden surface. The goal is to get the bag in the hole – that scores 3 points. However, if you land the bag on the surface and get it to stay you get a point. The first team to 21 points wins the game.
Photo Credit: West End Photography
2. Bocce Ball
This outdoor game will have all ages, both young and old, having fun and interacting. Personalize the bocce balls to memorialize your wedding day!
The rules: First round, the youngest person bowls the white ball to wherever they want it to land. The rest of the game is based on who gets the closest to that white ball with their colored balls. Each team has 4 colored balls. You score a point for each ball that is closer to the white ball than your opponent’s closest ball. The first team to 11 wins.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Yale Photography
3. “I Spy” with a Polaroid Camera
This game is such a fun opportunity to get candid, must-capture pictures while creating an interactive game.
The rules: Each team gets a polaroid camera and has to get a picture to match every number on a rule sheet. Fun examples: Groom stealing a glance of the bride, your team winning a game of cornhole, etc.
Photo Credit: Marianne Wiest Photography
4. Booklets and Sticks of Inspiration
Deciding what date nights to do or what the best marriage advice is just got easier! Have the people that are sharing in your big day help you with this.
The rules: Place a booklet on each table for guests to fill out at their leisure. Another idea is to add wooden sticks and sharpies on the gift table so people can add a date night and drop it in a mason jar.
Photo Credit: Kay English Photography
5. Giant Board Games
Who doesn’t love game nights?! Having life-size yard wedding games allows for a perfect photo op (a great addition to the I Spy game!) and a memorable night for your guests!
The options: Life-size Jenga, Connect Four, Scrabble, Tic-Tac-Toe, Chess, Checkers, Guess Who?
Photo Credit: I Heart Weddings
6. The Garter and Bouquet Toss
Ok, we know this is not technically a game, but the competition aspect makes it count in our book!
The rules: We all know how the traditional garter and bouquet tosses go so we won’t rehash that. Except, we will mention that for brides, make sure you know everything about your wedding garter before your groom starts throwing it at his friends! A really fun addition to the tradition is for the winners to have their “first dance” after the fact!
Photo Credit: The Nichols
7. The Money Dance
Again, not a game technically, but it can definitely become a competition for guests!
The rules: The bride and groom are out on the dance floor and guests pin money on them for a quick dance. The competition sets in when people fight over dance time and the couple benefits from the more money getting pinned to them!
Photo Credit: Binaryflips Photography
8. Drinking Wedding Games
This totally depends on your crowd and your theme. If you’re planning a more elegant wedding, these may not be the wedding games for you. If you’re planning an outdoor DIY wedding, this may be right up your alley.
The options: Team flip cup, Beer pong, Kings cup. A great idea could be to challenge the groom’s side versus the bride’s side and keep score!
Photo Credit: Scott Stater Photography
9. Kids Crafts and Wedding Games Table
If you’re having a kid friendly wedding, don’t miss out on this! It is the perfect outlet for all of the children to have fun, hang out, bond, and keep themselves occupied so the parents can have their own fun too!
The options: Personalized coloring books that tell your love story, Legos to let them help you “build your love,” Arts & Crafts, Bubbles, Classic board games, Pin the tail on the donkey, Video game station
Photo Credit: Natalie Watson
10. Who Takes the Cake?
Cutting the cake is always a fun tradition, but what if you added a twist? Instead of the question of who gets smashed in the face with cake, let the guests decide!
The rules: Place two jars, one for the bride, one for the groom. Have the guests decide who “takes the cake” by putting their money in the person they want to see get smashed the most. The jar with the most money at the end will be the receiver of the cake face!
Photo Credit: Milou + Olin
11. Photo Booth Fun
Having a photo booth, complete with props, of course, is a great way to have some extra pictures of your guests that show their fun personalities. While they get to keep the hard copies to save forever, you get to keep the digital files. Creating a photo album to display all of your guests will be the perfect addition to your wedding photo album! Plus, your friends will love seeing it when they come over and visit your new home!
Photo Credit: MeboPhoto
You can’t go wrong with adding one of these games or activities to your wedding reception. One or even a combination of a few will guarantee a good time and a party that will be talked about for ages. What were some of your favorite games from weddings you’ve been to?
