20+ Ways to Make Your Reception More Fun
At most wedding receptions, the main entertainment is in the form of a DJ or band. But what about guests who don't like to dance? Let's face it, a wedding reception can sometimes be a little boring for those folks. That's why we went on the hunt for easy party games you can add, ranging from individual projects to table games to group activities.
By: Kristen Klein
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Yard Games: Oversized Board Games -139936
Creating a giant checkers board couldn't be easier — just get a checkered blanket and plastic plates or Frisbees in red and black.
Photo Credit: Melisa McKolay Photography
Group Games: Flip Cup
Start off this classic drinking game with a round of boys vs. girls: the groom and groomsmen against the bride and bridesmaids! If you're not familiar, here's how to play. Then, open it up to the rest of the guests.
Photo Credit: Jake and Necia Photography
Group Games: The Shoe Game
You can also get your guests in on the fun by letting them vote on bride vs. groom!
Photo Credit: Bryan Caporicci Photography
Table Games: Board Games
Instead of floral centerpieces, place a game at the center of each table. Encourage your guests to swap with other tables throughout the night for endless fun. Or, add a game station, where guests can grab a board game for their table.
Photo Credit: Sea Studio
Yard Games: Jenga
An oversized Jenga game is a cinch to create — all you need to do is take a trip to the hardware store for some lumber and have each cut to the same length (a traditional Jenga set uses 54 blocks).
Photo Credit: Young Hearts Photography
Group Games: The Kissing Game
There's always that one guest who expects the newlyweds to kiss every time he or she clink a glass. And while we know you love smooching your new spouse, kissing on command gets old — fast. Why not make it more challenging? In a fishbowl, add tasks a guest can perform to get you to kiss, from easy to wacky. Some suggestions:
Kiss your significant other.
Show off your best moves on the dance floor.
Tell us a joke that'll make us laugh.
Get your table to play duck-duck-goose with you.The guest can either choose to perform the task or take a seat and try again later.
Photo Credit: Blue Bird Creative
Table Games: Mad Libs
Who doesn't love Mad Libs? This dinner-table activity is also a great way for your guests to bond as they ask each other questions. Plus, you'll get a kick out of reading all of the responses after the wedding.
Photo Credit: Sweet Potato Shop/Etsy
Table Games: Guess Who?
Create personalized boards featuring your wedding guests! You can build a mini set for each table, featuring the guests at that table, or create "bride's side" and "groom's side" versions, giving the bride's side to the groom's side and vice versa. This will help your guests learn each other's names and faces. Bonus: Since you're talking about real people, you can ask more personalized questions than just “does this person have a mustache?”
Photo Credit: Scarlett Curtis
Group Games: Rock Band
This gamer couple incorporated Rock Band in their first dance; they grabbed guitars and rocked out to a rendition of a song by their favorite band. Later, they moved the gaming system over to a special area where guests could try their hand throughout the night.
Photo Credit: Leah Renee Photography
Group Games: Stand Up, Sit Down
This game literally gets your wedding guests on their feet. Ask everyone to stand up at their tables. Then, read out various statements, like “If the day of the month in which you were born is a prime number, sit down. If you had to ask what a prime number is, sit down” or "If you can roll your tongue, sit down." You can also bring people back into the game — "If you know how to make a pie crust from scratch, stand back up." The last person left standing wins a prize (in this wedding, it was a jar of the bride's father's famous homemade spaghetti sauce).
Photo Credit: Melanie McLean
Group Games: The Shoe Game
This hilarious game is a great way for guests to get to know you better as you learn how much you really know about each other. Place two chairs back-to-back on the dance floor. Remove both of your shoes, then trade a shoe with your new spouse so that you’re holding one of each. Then, have a designated person ask a series of questions about the two of you and your relationship (get sample questions here). After each question, hold up the shoe of the person you think has the best answer to the question.
Photo Credit: Katelyn James Photography
Table Games: Booklets
Come up with a question for each table, and put a mini booklet and pens for guests to add their ideas. Some suggestions:
What should we do on date nights?
What should we name our first child?
How should we celebrate our first anniversary?
What's the secret to a happy marriage?Photo Credit: Captured by Aimee
Yard Games: Ring Toss
What could be more perfect for a wedding than a ring toss? Paint used bottles in your wedding colors, arrange in a wooden crate, and decorate embroidery hoops with pretty fabrics (get the how-to here).
Photo Credit: Two Shades of Pink
Table Games: Booklets
Or, place a booklet on each table that corresponds to the table number, and ask guests to write a message for you to read on that anniversary. No peeking until you hit each milestone!
Photo Credit: Fuzzy Gerdes/Flickr
Table Games: I Spy
Not only is this fun for kids and adults alike, but it's a wonderful way to get extra photos from your wedding. Ask your guests to use their digital cameras or smartphones to capture the moments even the best photographers sometimes miss. Add a line on your “I Spy” card with an address where guests can upload photos (try one of these apps!). Bonus: With digital cameras, you don't have to worry about wasting money developing less-than-stellar photos from disposables.
Photo Credit: Blue Moon Designs/Etsy
Yard Games: Oversized Board Games
And if you're feeling more adventurous, you can even create a jumbo Scrabble board by painting letters on wooden blocks and drawing the board on a drop cloth.
Photo Credit: Peachy Green Events
Yard Games: Oversized Board Games
Plus, you can get giant versions of some of your favorite games, like Connect Four.
Photo Credit: Lawson Photography
Group Activities: Spin the Wheel
Bored guests can go spin the wheel to find an activity to do — or to convince someone else to do.
Photo Credit: Studio 29
Table Games: Cards Against Humanity
Get a rousing game of Cards Against Humanity started by ulitizing the funny cards as escort cards (just try to keep it clean, for Grandma's sake!). Put a few question cards in the center of each table, with additional answer cards at each place setting.
Photo Credit: Josh Gruetzmacher
