Are you looking for unique and funny games for your wedding reception? We’ve collected the most popular wedding games from across Europe, which your guests will love!
The games are great for both indoors and outdoors, and we’ve divided them into several categories.
Most of the wedding games are Czech because Czechs are very playful.
So, let’s dive deep into unique wedding reception games:
1) A Year with a Newlyweds
A Year with the Newlyweds is a very popular wedding game where the wedding guests compete for prearranged tasks prepared by the bride and groom. These tasks are fun activities meant to enjoy quality time together with wedding guests and newlyweds throughout the year.
Guests compete for a prize, which is typically an invitation from the newlyweds to a luxury dinner party. On the other hand, the losing players receive a task card. The task can be anything from an invitation for newlyweds for a board game evening to a cycling trip. In short, it can be anything the couple enjoys doing with their friends.
The principle of the game
Game organizers (typically the best man or maid of honor) can invite 13 volunteers or they let the newlyweds choose the participants of the game. These 13 volunteers now have 12 challenges to complete.
In each round, one will drop out (the last one to complete the task). The one who drops out gets a certificate with a task on it (to be completed during the following year). The winner of the game wins the first prize – the invitation from the newlyweds for dinner/trip or something else.
Set up
You will need 13 chairs for 13 people. When all the participants sit, you can explain the rules. In each round, they need to complete the challenge as soon as possible. When they are done, they have to hurry back to their chair. The last one drops out. Remember to remove one chair immediately after the start of each challenge, so it is easy to recognize the last one.
What will you need to prepare for the game?
- To prepare 13 certificates (1 for the winner and 12 tasks for „losers“)
- Come up with tasks for the certificates
- Come up with tasks for each round
Don’t worry, we’ve prepared ideas for you:
Inspiration for the game challenges
- Bring someone’s tie (not yours)
- Bring someone else’s mobile phone
- Bring someone else’s shoe
- Bring a fork
- Bring something green
- Bring car keys
- Bring a flower
- Bring 1 dollar bill (as a present for newlyweds)
- Blow up the balloon until it bursts
- Bring someone else‘s watch
- Bring a piece of jewelry
- The final round can be a beer duel – Who drinks it up faster?
The challenges are completely up to your imagination, so you can come up basically with anything.
Inspiration for certificate tasks:
- January – Take the newlyweds ice skating, skiing, cross-country skiing, or other winter activity together
- February – Take the newlyweds to the pool, sauna, or spa.
- March – Go play sports together.
- April – Prepare colored eggs for newlyweds (Easter celebration).
- May – Go for a trip with newlyweds.
- June – Invite the newlyweds to a BBQ party.
- July – Go biking/skating together.
- August – Take the newlyweds for a picnic.
- September – Invite the newlyweds to a wine or bourbon reception.
- October – Visit a castle together.
- November – Organize a board-game evening and invite the newlyweds.
- December – Bake something for newlyweds.
- The first prize – An invitation for a (homemade) dinner from the newlyweds.
Since these tasks are about the interaction between the newlyweds and friends, it is great to let the bride and groom pick the „volunteers“ for the game. And of course, you can modify the tasks as you wish.
2) Royal wedding carriage
The wedding carriage is another traditional wedding game that is designed to stir up the fun. However, you can’t do without assistants, chairs, and alcohol (of course it’s optional but very popular).
Set up
You will need at least 9 chairs and 9 players. Two more chairs can be added for two extra players (for the role of stones). The chairs need to be arranged to represent a royal carriage:
- there are two horses in the front,
- the coachman sits behind them,
- and the king and queen are in the carriage framed by four wheels and two stones,
- that can be added on the sides of the „road“.
How to play?
You need 9 volunteers and a newlywed couple (for the king and queen roles). Volunteers/players will represent the following roles: horses, coachman, wheels, and stones.
The principle of the game is easy – participants need to pay attention to the story, and wherever they hear their role (or specified word) they have to stand up from the chair. If they make a mistake (they forget to stand up, or stand up to another word) they have to drink a shot.
In case you want a non-alcoholic version, you can count penalty points.
List of roles and the words they stand up to:
- Left horse: left horse, horses, carriage.
- Right horse: right horse, horses, carriage.
- Coachman: coachman, horses, carriage.
- King: king, royal, carriage, castle, kingdom.
- Queen: queen, royal, carriage, castle, kingdom.
- Left front wheel: left front wheel, wheels, front wheels, carriage, stones.
- Left rear wheel: left rear wheel, wheels, rear wheels, carriage, stones.
- Right front wheel: right front wheel, wheels, front wheels, carriage, stones.
- Right rear wheel: right rear wheel, wheels, rear wheels, carriage, stones.
- Stones: carriage, stones, potholes.
Royal story
Once upon a time, there was a little kingdom. It stretched beyond picturesque streams full of stones, valleys, and forests. In this little kingdom, the king and queen lived happily together. One day, when the weather was beautiful and the birds were singing, the queen decided that she would like to go for a ride in the royal gardens.
And she said to her king. “King, my beloved King, my wonderful King, I would like to take a ride around our kingdom, call a coachman.
The king said to his queen. “Are you sure, my Queen? It has rained, and the roads are full of stones and potholes but have it your way. Let’s go and see how our kingdom is doing.
He called to the coachman. “Coachman, my dear coachman, my dearest coachman, prepare the carriage and lead the horses out of the stable. Harness the horses in front of the carriage. Check the right rear wheel and the left front wheel to make sure they’re holding well, so they won’t break off as we ride through the forest over stones and potholes.
So, the coachman went to the stables, checked both horses, and led them out. Then he hitched up the carriage. To be 100% sure, he checked everything again. First, he went to the left horse, then he went to the right horse, and he also checked the left front wheel, the left rear wheel, the right rear wheel, and the right front wheel.
Everything was ready, so he called: “King, my beloved king, your royal carriage is ready. So, the king and queen got in and went to see their kingdom. The road wound through picturesque streets full of potholes, passing small ponds and large meadows, and along paths full of stones. And the queen said, “My king, my king, but I am afraid, what if the royal carriage does not last? We are going over stones and potholes.
And the king said to the queen, “My dear queen, my dearest queen, don’t be afraid of anything at all. The carriage has had both rear wheels replaced and both front wheels replaced. Moreover, our two horses are the best in the whole kingdom. And the queen said, “Well, I’m calmer now.“
In a little while, the queen asked the king: “My dearest king, ask the coachman if the horses have had enough oats. The king calls to the coachman: “Coachman, hey, coachman, are the horses fed? The coachman replies, “Of course, my king.“
In a short time, the queen says to the king, ‘My dear king, my good king, my dearest king, my most beautiful king, I think there is something wrong with the left front wheel. Suddenly, there is a strange sound as the right front wheel hit a stone. The king calls to the coachman: “Coachman, what happened? I have no idea, King,” the coachman replies, “but I hope you and the Queen are all right. The king and queen replied that they were all right.
So, the coachman jumped down from the carriage and went to check the situation. Once he was down, he decided to check the carriage as well. So, he checked the right horse first and then the left horse. He was not sure what happened, so he checked the left horse again and then the right horse again. Then he went to the right front wheel, the right rear wheel, checked the right front wheel again, then the left rear wheel, the left front wheel, and the left rear wheel again.
He found nothing, so he went to the king and said, “King, my beloved king, everything is all right. We must have run into a stone. “Well, I’m glad it turned out that way,” said the queen. “I was already thinking the worst, said the king. “That our right front wheel might fall off.
So, the king told the coachman to keep going and slowly return to the castle. So, the coachman jumped into the carriage and spurred both horses. At first, the left horse was not very willing, but the right horse persuaded him to pull anyway. So, the carriage started moving again. After a few minutes they arrived safely in their castle, and so the king and queen thanked the coachman for the nice ride in the royal carriage.
3) Funny wedding raffle
A wedding raffle can be a very funny element of the wedding reception. It’s also a way how to collect some more money, but most couples prefer free raffle tickets for their guests. It runs pretty much like a classic raffle, except the prize names hide unexpected surprises. For example, an Indian temptation might be a packet of tea. Here are some ideas for the prizes:
Wedding raffle prizes
- GPS navigation – map
- Hunting gear – mouse trap
- Vintage wine – raisins
- Clothes dryer – clothes pegs and washing line
- Romantic dinner for two – set of candles, matches, and noodle soup
- Private concert of the band XZY – CD of the band XZY
- Wellness weekend – bath salt and massage oil
- Vintage vacuum cleaner – broom and dustpan
- A night with the bride – (special ticket just for the groom)
- A kiss from the groom – (special ticket just for the bride)
- Coffee service – cups, plastic spoons, and instant coffee 3in1
- Italian dinner – spaghetti and sauce
- Unlimited access to the fitness center – jump rope
- Divine peace – earplugs
I just can be anything that sounds fancy, but you can think of a funny alternative.
4) Wedding Shoe Game
The legendary Wedding Shoe Game shouldn’t be missed at any wedding. It’s a kind of game that always generates laughter. It shows the guests how well the newlyweds know (or don’t know) each other.
The rules of the wedding shoe game are simple. The newlywed couple sits back-to-back on chairs and the moderator asks them questions about their lives. The question should always start with „Who“. For example: „Who is the better driver?“.
Each partner should hold one of their shoes and one of their partner’s shoes in hand. The shoe represents the person. The couple has to prove their knowledge of themselves by lifting the correct shoe while answering the question.
Question Examples
- Who is more romantic?
- Who made the first move?
- Who is the messy one?
- Who is the better driver?
- Who does the dishes the most?
- Who cooks more often?
- Who eats more chocolate?
- Who takes up more of the bed?
- Who is more addicted to their phone?
- Who snores?
- Who is better at reading maps?
- Who pays the bills?
- Who spends more money?
- Who will want kids first?
- Who said, „I love you“ first?
Do you need more inspiration? Here you have 255 Best Wedding Shoe Game Questions.
5) Find the bride by the ankle
This is a funny, short and simple game. The blindfolded groom must recognize his partner by her ankle. To make it not so easy, all the volunteers sit in a straight line and take off their shoes. To make it even more fun, one of the gentlemen can sit among the ladies.
6) Recognize the groom by dance
This game is very similar to the previous one. The only difference is that the bride is blindfolded now. Her task is to dance with a gentleman by a gentleman and guest when her husband is dancing with her.
7) The broom dance
This dance has one goal – to get the dance floor moving. You will need an odd number of dancers and the broom. The odd person has to start dancing with the broom. Whenever the music is stopped, everyone has to find a new dance partner. The last one has to pick the broom and dance with it until the next round.
8) Funny dance contest
The „dance contest“ is a wedding game to entertain everyone. The bride and groom invite volunteers to the dance floor and then start matching them into pairs of their choice. Ideally, so that no real couple is left together.
When the pairs are ready, the dance contest can start. The games assistant plays music for 30 seconds and the bride and groom eliminate one pair after another, round by round. The more we get into the finals, the crazier the creations get. You can play any mix of songs you want. Ideally, something everyone knows, like – retro, disco, oldies, Latin, etc. The more diverse the selection of music, the more fun you’ll have.
9) The musical chairs
To set up the game, you will need to arrange chairs in a circle with the seats facing outwards. There is one chair less than the number of participants. When everything is set, the game can start. Play the music and have the players walk around the perimeter of the chair circle. When the music stops, everyone must immediately sit in a chair. The one person left standing it out. This person is eliminated. After each round, remove the chair and continue until only 1 person is left – that is the winner.
10) The hat dance
A similar principle to musical chairs has also this game. This time you will need pairs (1 lady + 1 gentleman) dancing classical dances, and one hat. The groom puts a hat on the head of one of the gentlemen at the beginning. The man with the hat has to get rid of it as fast as possible by placing the hat on another gentleman’s head. Whoever is left with the hat on his head when the music stops is eliminated.
11) Limbo dance challenge
Limbo is a popular game, in which the goal is to pass forwards under a low bar without falling. All participants must attempt to go under the bar with their backs facing toward the floor. When passing under the bar, players must bend backward. No part of their body is allowed to touch the bar, and no part other than their feet may touch the ground. The Limbo dance challenge ends when only one person can pass under the bar.
12) Wedding Bingo
Wedding bingo is an ideal game for guests to get to know each other better. This game needs to be prepared in advance. Each player is given a card that consists of 4×5 fields/boxes. In each box, there is a certain characteristic. The guests need to find another guest, that matches the characteristic (or the statement) in the box and get his/her signature in that box. The goal is to fill in all the boxes. The fastest one may win some small reward.
It is best if the bride and groom think of the characteristics for the wedding bingo in advance, as they know their guests best.
Examples of the bingo statements:
- The one who is left-handed
- The one who lives in the city XYZ
- The one who is an only child
- The one who has 3 children
- The one who plays XYZ
- The one who is older/younger
- The one who has a cat/dog
- The one who was born the same month as you
- The one who speaks French/Spanish
- The one who has the same shoe size
- The one who plays the guitar/piano.
Here you can download a Template for wedding bingo.
13) The Cinderellas
You need an equal number of men and women volunteers for this game. Ladies sit in a line and take off both shoes – one shoe to be put in the “pool”, the other to be hidden while the game is running. The gentlemen then draw the shoes. Their task is then to find the owner of the shoe that was drawn. Whoever succeeds first can get a prize.
14) The balloon game
Another game where the participants are eliminated one by one. You can play it as a part of the dancing session or leave it as an independent game. Each participant gets an inflatable balloon and rope. Participants now tie the balloons to one of their legs. The goal of the game is to step and someone else’s balloon and pop it! The last participant with an unpopped balloon is the winner.
15) Guess the song by the drinks
This is something that friends of newlyweds can prepare as a „surprise game“. If you knew them, think of some song they both know, which contains „drinks“ in the lyrics. Prepare those drinks for them and let them guess the song.
16) Who will be the boss?
This is another activity that friends can prepare for the newlyweds to entertain everybody. You simply pour one shot with water and another one with Vodka. The one from the couple that ends up drinking vodka will be the „boss in the relationship“ (or alcoholic), depending on interpretation.
17) Wedding „pub quiz“
Do you know the popular pub quizzes? You can make a „pub quiz“ for your wedding guests. The questions can be related to the life of the bride and groom – but be smart with the questions and think of something difficult – something that not everyone knows.
How to play the pub quiz?
Let the guest form teams. Give each team a piece of paper and a pen. Now, you can start asking questions, we recommend preparing the game in PowerPoint so you can, for example, ask the questions like: “Where was this picture taken?“
If you want a paperless quiz with instant answers, you can use Slido.
You can prepare a little prize for the winners.
Read also:
- 375 Best Bachelorette Party Quotes and Captions
- 357 Best Bachelor Party Quotes and Captions
- 235 Best Bridal Shower Wishes (To Make her Happy and Cry)
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