Wedding Games Your Guests Will Actually Want to Play

Good wedding games do three jobs: they get two families talking, they fill the gaps between dinner and dancing, and they give the photographer something better than another table shot. Bad ones make the couple turn red in front of their boss. The list below sticks to the first kind.

Wedding games for the couple

1. 01The shoe game.The couple sits back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of their partner’s. The emcee asks questions (“who said I love you first?”, “who is the better cook?”) and they raise a shoe. A classic because everyone gets it, and it takes five minutes.
2. 02Couple’s memory charades.Type your own words into the charades app: where you had your first date, the dog’s name, the cities you have traveled to. The couple acts, the guests guess. Or flip it, and let the best man act while the couple guesses.
3. 03This or that.Quick-fire choices (“beach or mountains?”, “early bird or night owl?”), and the couple points at each other or at themselves. Great in photos.
4. 04First dance remix.Halfway through the first dance, the DJ switches styles three or four times: a waltz, a line dance, a 90s hit. Not embarrassing, because the couple laughs hardest.

Wedding games for guests

1. 01Table charades tournament.Every table is a team. Each round, one person per table holds the phone to their forehead and their table gives clues. Short, competitive, and it gets the whole room moving.
2. 02Who am I?Sticky notes on guests’ foreheads with names of the couple’s relatives and friends. Everyone asks yes-or-no questions. A great way for the two families to finally meet.
3. 03Photo scavenger hunt.Cards with tasks: “a photo with the grandmother of the bride”, “someone dancing”, “a selfie with the bartender”. Most checkmarks wins, and you end up with hundreds of candid photos.
4. 04Time capsule predictions.Guests write where the couple will be in ten years. Seal it and open it on your tenth anniversary.
5. 05Name the table.One table has to name everyone at another table. Surprisingly hard, and great for breaking the ice between the bride’s side and the groom’s side.
6. 06Advice cards.Everyone writes one piece of marriage advice for the couple. Not a game in the strict sense, but it always ends up being the most touching moment of the night.

How to run a table charades tournament

This one takes about 20 minutes and works in any venue, as long as the emcee has a microphone.

1. 01Prep custom words before the day.Mix the couple’s story (how they met, the honeymoon destination) with easy general words, so guests who don’t know the couple well can still score.
2. 02One phone per table, or one per round.For a small wedding, pass one phone from table to table. For a big one, have the table captains use their own.
3. 03Keep turns to 45 seconds.Short turns keep the room watching.
4. 04Announce scores on the mic.The emcee reads the standings after every round, which builds the competition fast.
5. 05Give a small prize.The winning table gets first dibs on dessert or the first song request.

When to play what

Custom words for wedding charades

The custom words are what turn a generic game into your wedding game. Aim for 30-50, about half from the couple’s story and half general words anyone can get. Keep each one short and something people can act: a place, an object, an activity. Avoid ex-partners, inside jokes only three people understand, and anything you wouldn’t say in front of your grandmother.

What to skip

• Anything that embarrasses the couple. If the joke is that someone feels uncomfortable, drop it. Garter games in front of grandparents usually fall into this category.
• Long games with long explanations. Nobody at a reception listens to a three-minute rules speech.
• Games that need props. If someone has to order or bring something, someone will forget it.
• Too many games. Two or three is enough for one wedding, not six.
• Leaving the kids out. A round of charades with animals keeps them busy while the adults dance. See charades for kids for easy word lists.

How to introduce wedding games without the awkward silence

How a game is announced matters almost as much as the game itself. A confident 30-second intro gets a room on board. A rambling one loses it.

• Explain it in one sentence. “Every table is a team, one person guesses, the rest of you give clues.” If it takes longer, pick a simpler game.
• Show, don’t tell. Have the couple or the wedding party play the first word as a demo. People copy what they see.
• Make joining optional. Tables that would rather keep talking can cheer instead. The game still works with half the room playing.
• Keep the music low, not off. Silence makes people self-conscious. A quiet background track keeps the energy up while teams play.
• Stop while it is still fun. End the game when people are laughing, not when they are checking their phones.

Wedding games beyond the reception

The same ideas work at the rehearsal dinner, the bridal shower and the bachelor or bachelorette party, often even better, because the group is smaller and knows each other. The shoe game and couple’s memory charades are natural fits for a shower. For a bachelorette night, the adult lists in charades for adults are a good starting point.

Charades with your own shared memories only needs one phone, and you can add your own words.

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Frequently asked questions