Here are two bridal shower games that don’t suck! Both are easy to put together and fun for both bride and guests!
Bridal shower games get a bad rap.
Yes they can be cheesy and at times dumb, but I want to make the case that when done right, they offer something way more than just a everybody uncomfortable together.
Games are great at showers because they create some space for everyone to interact together. Rather than six or eight clusters of folks rotating through to chat with the bride-to-be, games bring everyone together for a few moments. I love opportunities to offer far-flung parts of communities the chance to interact and share their stories and love of the couple!
This gets back to one of my absolute favorite things about weddings: the chance to bring the couple’s communities together, to celebrate and love them in one room. One of my favorite memories from my own wedding was the realization that I could look around and spot people from every part of life and my husband’s – college, jobs, churches, high school, families – present. In our increasingly spread-out lives, bringing together that many people from that many different parts of our lives is rare and beautiful.
So when throwing a bridal shower, it’s a good bet that not everyone knows each other. And that not everyone has the same relationship with the bride. So games can bring us together in loving her.
Guess My Age
This game is one of the easiest to assemble. Ask the parents of the couple to send you childhood photos at different ages. I like to play this using both the bride and groom, but if your guests are all team bride, you can focus on her. Make sure the photo provider lets you know their ages in each photo before you start!
The game is simple: on an open wall or table, set out the chosen photos. I mounted mine on a poster board, but you can put them in frames to give to the bride or lay them out so people can pick them up if you’d like. The most important thing is to label them in some way so they’re numbered. Guests then write down guesses of their ages in each picture.
A handy thing about this game is that people can go guess at their leisure. If there’s a lull in the conversation or they’re not quite ready for snacks yet, they can meander over to this game and make their guesses.
After everyone’s had a chance to guess, gather everyone go through the pictures! I like to have people guess out loud before showing. It’s always funny to see how well the bride can tell her own age through the years!
Guess Who?
This might be my favorite shower game of all time. If you’ve ever played the shoe game at a wedding or rehearsal dinner, it’s a version of that but with a little more participation.
The game goes like this: an emcee reads a series of questions. Some are factual, like “who has more siblings?” and others give opinions, like “who is the better driver?” Guests have been given two symbols, such as a bow tie and high heel. To answer each question they raise the symbol for the person they think answers better!
I like to have all the guests answer before the bride. It’s always funny to see the different answers in various friend groups vs. coworkers vs. family!!
I added a twist and had the groom tell me his answers beforehand. So if he said something cute or funny OR he disagreed with the bride, I shared it!
This game allows everyone to participate regardless of the context they know the couple. This especially helps guests who know the groom better than the bride! There’s lots of laughing and no right answers, just a fun way to get to know our couple better. Plus there’s always some great stories that come out through the questions.
I made an infographic with questions for the guess who game (or to play the shoe game) that I’m sharing with you today as a free download!! To save the infographic, right-click (PC) or two-finger-click (Mac) on the image below.
If you’re planning a bridal shower and want some help throwing it, please check out my Etsy shop. I’ve got a Guess Who kit available as well as lots of decoration options! First time shoppers can get 20% off with the code brandnew. I love to do custom work too, so get in touch to see if we can create something beautiful for you!
For more bridal shower inspiration, check out our party decor and the margarita punch mocktail recipe!
all images copyright Teaspoon of Nose
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