There seems to be no end to the number of games that can be invented or borrowed to play at a wedding reception. Here are a few more ideas for the bride, groom, or her-in-waiters looking to add a little extra fun to the upcoming event.
What’s my line? – This is a variation of the TV show where you try to guess what the contestant does for a living. We’re not really pitting your family against your friends in this game, but you need to have 2 groups of players where one group doesn’t know much about the other group. Shortlist a friend and family member as volunteers. Each of these people must have an unusual job or profession.
For the first round, have the friend volunteer up front or on stage. Have the rest of your guests, who don’t know you, ask up to 10 questions to determine what that person is doing. If possible, do not allow the same guest to ask more than one qualifying question. If this round ends with no correct answer, then have the friend explain what he does.
For the next round, have the volunteer family member come up and unfamiliar guests participate. If this round ends with no correct answer, ask the family member to explain what they did.
If someone guesses the occupation, then an appropriate prize could be a magician’s hat or a Ouija board game.
name that melody – the DJ or orchestra plays a few bars of a song that is quite common but not on the official reception playlist. Be sure to play some tunes for the younger guests and some for the older guests. The winner of each round dances with the bride or groom.
guess the ingredients – You will need the permission and assistance of your provider for this game. Choose 1, 2 or 3 items from the menu served at the front desk. Ask the supplier to write the ingredient list for them. Distribute paper and pencils to your guests and have them write down what they think is in each of the foods. The guests with the closest guesses for each item win an appropriate prize such as a set of gourmet spices, sauces, etc. Your DJ or someone in the wedding party can act as the judge/announcer.
Does the band know this song? – like “stump the band” on David Letterman – a good DJ can make this a lot of fun. Your guests offer obscure song titles to the band or DJ. The band/DJ can try to play the actual song with that name or pretend. If the band doesn’t get it right, the guest has to sing at least a few bars of the actual song.
How many words? – Give each guest a piece of paper and a pencil. Take the names of the bride and groom and write them in large letters on an easel or white board. See how many words guests can create from the letters in their names in a set time limit. For example, MelissaJohn gives the words: mesa, josh, missal, noses… Scoring is based on the number of words, or use Boggle scoring where 4 letter words are 1 point, 5 letter words are 2 points etc If the kids are playing, you can allow 3-letter words in ½ point, etc.
If there is a wordsmith in the wedding party, that person can go through the guests’ word lists for non-words and tally up the scores. Otherwise, guests can sign up themselves. In the event of a tie, offer “we’re married” with a 2-minute time limit as a tie-breaker. Present an appropriate prize to the winner, such as a game of Boggle or Scrabble, with a handwritten note from the bride and groom.