Ways to Actually Keep Your Wedding Guests Entertained (All Day!) | Unique Wedding Game Ideas
This giant wooden Connect 4 game provided by Deer Valley NZ in Auckland NZ was definitely a hit among kids and adults!
While planning every other aspect of your wedding, one thought that occurs in most (and trust me, I’ve seen the wedding discussion page asks) is how do I keep all my wedding guests entertained the whole day?
Especially when you’ve planned a full-day affair for your special occasion, the last thing you want is people wandering around feeling bored enough to want to leave early.
Jenga is a classic! One of my favorite moment’s at Vic and Dave’s wedding at Waterfall Farm in Kaukapakapa New Zealand was coming across two ultra-competitive guests enthralled in their game of Jenga—just look at how intense her face is when she knows she’s losing the game!!
But first of all, what makes a good wedding game?
Here’s some tips from a wedding photographer that’s been to a few hundred weddings (and counting!):
Make your games relevant and personal: Games that are personal to the couple and their relationship are the most enjoyable for guests.
Easy to understand and participate in: The rules of the game should be clear and straightforward, making it easy for guests of all ages to join in.
Encourage interaction and laughter: Good wedding games should encourage guests to interact with each other and create a lively atmosphere filled with laughter.
Inclusive for all guests: It is important to choose games that are inclusive for guests of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.
Appropriate for the setting: Consider the venue and theme of the wedding when choosing games to ensure they fit in with the overall mood and atmosphere.
Cornhole is another one of those “wooden wedding game set” staples! Oh, and as a wedding photographer? Great action shots!
So Let’s Get the Basic “Decor” Style Outdoor Wedding Games Out of the way…
Giant Jenga—these days, it feels like giant jenga is almost guaranteed at weddings! Most wedding venues tend to have a set lying around to provide for couples.
PROS: Jenga is a great setpiece at a wedding and self-explanatory enough that wedding guests will start to play around on their own. If you want to put in the extra effort, you can also customize a your wedding jenga set by painting or engraving the sides of the blocks. Extra plus—great wedding souvenir!
CONS: Usually limited to a few players at a time. Games take a long time, which can be distracting as the events of the day unfold.
Cornhole—Another wedding venue staple!
PROS: Can be casually it can be started and paused in between events, all the while including more people than the average game and adding an active element to your wedding! Easy, fun, self-explanatory. Extra fun to make teams and if your wedding guests tend to get competitive!
CONS: Are there any??? Cornhole is great :)
Croquet—A little less common than the two above, croquet is a favorite among kids AND adults.
PROS: Same as cornhole, it’s easy to start and play casually in between events! No one can resist hitting a ball around on an open lawn.
CONS: If those croquet balls go missing, it’s prettttyy hard to play the game at all…
Giant Connect 4—Requires more custom work to either buy or make, but can make a fun interactive set piece that’s also good for photos!
PROS: Even if you’re not playing to win, sometimes guests are allured by a giant Connect 4 set purely for the feeling of playing on a giant Connect 4 wedding game!
CONS: Quite hefty to move around, and again can be limited in amount of people that can play at a time!
One creative way Laura and Ngāhiwi’s wedding made Jenga into an inclusive game that also made for a great wedding guest spectator sport was to create teams: one groomsmen team, and one bridesmaid team! All the guests chose a side to cheer for and it was great fun :D
What Inclusive, Family-Friendly Wedding Guest Games Can You Play at Your Wedding?
Shoe Game: A fun twist on the classic "He Said, She Said" game.
“Find the Diamond”: Have a bridal party guest hide a “diamond” on the groom’s suit and let the audience’s “oohs” and “aahs” guide a blindfolded bride to the location of the diamond!
Couple Trivia: Test the bride and groom's knowledge of each other with a series of questions.
Love Story Timelines: Guests guess the key events in the couple's relationship based on photos and short descriptions.
Guess Who: Guests try to match the photo of the bride and groom as children to their current selves.
Mr. & Mrs.: A fun twist on the traditional "Mr. and Mrs." game where guests answer questions about the couple.
Dance-Off: Guests split into teams and compete in a dance-off to see who has the best moves.
Photo Scavenger Hunt: A fun way for guests to explore the venue and find hidden photos of the couple.
Bingo: Guests fill out a bingo card with items or events from the ceremony or reception, and cross them off as they happen.
And so much more! It’s YOUR party—get as creative as you want!
So what are you waiting for?! Call in the Good Party Co. and make your wedding as much of a party for the kids as it is for the adults!
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