35 wedding games and activities guests actually enjoy

A good wedding game has three qualities: it's short, it embarrasses nobody, and it brings together people who don't know each other. Everything else is a bonus. Here is a selection you can build a whole afternoon from, no entertainer needed.

Icebreakers at the table (after the meal)

Guests are seated, eating, and often don't know each other. These games run by themselves, without a host.

1. Wedding bingo. A card at every seat with squares like “someone cries during the vows”, “the groom adjusts his tie”, “grandma dances with the DJ”. Whoever completes a row claims a prize from the bride.
2. Find someone who… A list like “…has known the bride since nursery”, “…travelled the furthest”, “…can do a handstand”. Guests go from table to table collecting signatures. Perfect for getting both families mixing.
3. Couple quiz. Ten questions on a card: where they met, who said “I love you” first, what their first date was. Marked over the cake.
4. Questions in a jar. A jar of slips on each table (“Most embarrassing story about the groom?”, “What do you wish them in 10 years?”). The table reads them aloud.
5. Marriage advice cards. Guests write one piece of advice or a wish. The couple reads them on their first anniversary.
6. Guess the number. How many days did they date before getting engaged? How many sweets are in the jar? The closest guess wins.

Games for the couple (guests watch)

1. The shoe game. The couple sit back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of their partner's. The host reads questions (“Who sleeps in longer?”, “Who spends more?”) and they raise the shoe of whoever it applies to. Best when they disagree.
2. Two truths and a lie. A friend reads five stories about the couple, one of them made up. Guests vote with a show of hands.
3. Lock of love. The couple get a bunch of keys and one padlock. How many tries to find the right one?
4. Find me by touch. The bride is blindfolded and finds the groom in a line of five men just by their hands. Works the other way round too.
5. Blind portraits. Both draw a portrait of the other while blindfolded. The drawings are then auctioned among guests for the couple's honeymoon fund.
6. Sawing a log together. A two-person saw and a log. It shows how well they pull together, literally.

Traditions borrowed from around the world

Not everything has to be a tradition at all costs. Pick what suits you. Many of these come from Central Europe, where they are still part of most weddings. Read more in Czech wedding traditions (in Czech).

1. Breaking a plate and sweeping up. The couple sweep up the pieces together. How well they manage supposedly shows how they'll run a household.
2. Soup from one bowl. They feed each other with a spoon, ideally with a napkin round the neck so the outfits survive.
3. The “kidnapping” of the bride. Friends whisk the bride off to a nearby bar and the groom has to buy her back. Agree in advance where and for how long, so an hour doesn't become three.
4. The bouquet toss. Single guests gather behind the bride. Whoever catches it is said to marry next.
5. The garter toss. The same for single men. Better suited to a relaxed crowd.
6. The veil ceremony at midnight. The bride's veil is removed and replaced with a headpiece or a flower crown, marking the change of status. Today it's usually symbolic.
7. Carrying over the threshold. The groom carries the bride into the venue or home. No stumbling allowed.

Games for all guests (afternoon)

1. Balloon dance. Couples dance with a balloon held between their foreheads, no hands. Drop it and you're out.
2. Musical chairs. A children's party classic that works surprisingly well at weddings, especially in formal wear.
3. Drawing telephone. The first person draws, the second describes it, the third draws again. “Their first date” always ends up hilarious.
4. Money dance. Guests “buy” a dance with the bride or groom. The proceeds go to the honeymoon. Popular in many countries, from Poland to Nigeria and the Philippines.
5. Wedding relay. Teams by table: put on a jacket, pour a glass of bubbly, sign the guest book and run back. Quick and loud.
6. Honeymoon suitcase. Guests secretly pack things the couple “might need” on their trip. It's opened in front of everyone in the evening.
7. Who is it? Guests' childhood photos on the screen. Everyone guesses who's who.

Modern phone games

Everyone has a phone in their pocket, so use it. No cards, no preparation.

1. Photo challenges. A list of tasks (“selfie with the oldest guest”, “the groom mid-dance”, “best dance move”). Guests shoot and upload to a shared album. Announce the best photos in the evening.
2. Live quiz. A quiz about the couple in an app, guests answer on their phones and results pop up on the screen.
3. Song requests. Guests add songs to a shared playlist. The DJ knows what people want and nobody has to queue at the booth.
4. Video messages. Short messages for the couple recorded in a corner with a sign and a light. A year later they'll mean more than anything else.
5. Treasure hunt. QR codes hidden around the venue, each leading to the next clue. Great for children and curious adults.

For children

1. Kids' corner with tasks. Colouring sheets: “draw the bride and groom”. The best picture wins.
2. Bubble show. Giant bubble wands and a few minutes of peace for the parents.
3. Kids' photo challenge. An instant camera and a list of things to photograph. Children love it and the photos are the most honest of the day.
4. Freeze dance. When the music stops, everyone freezes. Move and you're out.

What to avoid

What to prepare

• A host. Ideally someone from the wedding party who isn't afraid to speak up. Not the bride.
• Times in the timeline, so the photographer and DJ know about the games too (see our wedding day timeline).
• Small prizes: a bottle of wine, sweets, a “free pass to the first dance with the bride”.
• A props box: markers, cards, tape, balloons, a blindfold, a microphone.

Above all: games are the seasoning, not the main course. If guests are having fun on their own, feel free to cut the programme short.