Wedding receptions can feel like a whirlwind of activity for the bride and groom, but today I wanted to discuss fun games for your GUESTS to enjoy. These games are especially perfect for those “in-between” times while you are prepping for the next bride and groom moment.

And a GREAT way to keep restless kids entertained and parents relaxed.

Lawn Games

If you’ve been to a wedding recently (or searched Pinterest for wedding ideas), you will probably have seen an example of this activity idea. The pictures and the fun from lawn games can’t be beaten. As the name suggests, these games can easily be set-up in a grassy area near your main reception area.

Here is a list of lawn game options to give you some ideas and your guests some variety:

Bocce ball
Giant or Regular-sized Crochet
Giant Jenga (Bonus tip: This game can be used as a guest book by having your guests each sign a Jenga block)
Cornhole
Horseshoes
Ring Toss (Very wedding appropriate)
Badminton
Giant Yahtzee
Giant Checkers
Giant Tic-tac-toe

Shoe Game

The shoe game is a popular wedding reception activity that guests LOVE to watch and it can be even more hilarious the less it’s planned out. The basics of the shoe game involve an MC, the bride and groom’s shoes, and two chairs facing away from one another. The bride and groom will sit facing opposite directions, holding up one of each of their shoes in response to the MC.

The MC will call out questions about the couple, as general or specific as you would feel comfortable answering in front of your guests. The bride and groom “answer” the question by raising their own shoe or their spouse’s shoe. The bride and groom will have no idea what the other person answered except for the faces and reactions of their guests.

Here are some sample questions to get you started:

Who will want kids first?
Who fell in love first?
Who is the better cook?
Who loses their keys more often?
Who sings louder in the shower?
Who is the spender in the relationship?

This high-energy game is perfect to play as a time filler in between other activities or as a kick-off to your dance party.

Table Games

The final wedding reception activity idea would be to have a few tables or kid games available for your guests to grab and play. You could either have traditional table games set-around the game table or you could create custom wedding-specific table games that become keepsakes. For example, at a recent wedding for one of my clients, instead of a traditional guest book, the couple had created a table puzzle that served as their guest book. Think of how much fun your guests could have playing a custom Candyland or Monopoly themed after the happy couple.

Regardless of which games you prepare for the reception, the bride and groom will be the stars of the show. The most memorable moments will be focused on them, but it’s nice for your guests (and little guests) to have some activities to do in-between those times.