Wedding games play a very important role at a wedding. Whether they’re traditional, modern, funny or unusual, they always lead to amusing situations and ensure the wedding guests have a great time.
If you find yourself in the fourth scenario – that is, if you don’t know which group you belong to and don’t yet have any specific ideas or requirements about which type of wedding you’d like – then let’s look at a few factors that might help you make your choice:
-What age group will make up the majority of the wedding guests?
-How much space is available? (Traditional games take up more space)
-How well do group dances and activities with a „folk” feel suit you and your wedding guests? (If not really, we’d recommend modern games instead.)
-What’s the dress code for the wedding? Traditional games involve a lot of running about, so if most of the guests turn up in smart clothes, high heels and so on, it’s not certain that Gonzos Quest Traditional games are the best.
TIP: Creative and stylish wedding game props
Your wedding doesn’t have to consist solely of traditional or modern wedding games – mix and match the two however you like!
Traditional wedding games
Bride-snatching
One of the oldest wedding games. The groom’s friends „kidnap” the bride. The groom has to find his friends and the bride. If he doesn’t find them, he’ll still get his bride back, but they might come up with some sort of funny punishment – usually a small alcoholic drink! 🙂
Wedding games and questions!
A close friend of the couple will write down a selection of questions. Be creative – try to come up with questions that are as interesting, exciting and funny as possible!
Whoever gets the most answers right may receive a prize.
A pig in a poke
You will need a bag (preferably made of some sort of fabric), a stopwatch and 10–15 easily recognisable everyday objects. The wedding guests pass the bag round amongst themselves and have to work out, by touch, what objects are inside. You need to set a time limit for each person; this is usually between 30 and 60 seconds. The person who identifies the most objects within this time limit receives a prize.
Wedding Dance Games – Keep the Fruit
The wedding guests dance in pairs. Each pair tries to balance a piece of fruit (preferably a firm fruit, such as an apple) between their foreheads. Whoever drops the fruit is out. The couple who manage to keep the fruit for the longest time wins.
Balloon Stomp
The wedding guests dance in pairs, with a balloon tied to each girl’s ankle. The boys in each pair must try to step on the other girls’ balloons with their feet and pop them. Meanwhile, they must be careful not to pop their partner’s balloon!
Wedding games for the couple too! – The shoe game
A great classic wedding game. The bride and groom must be seated on separate chairs, with their backs to each other. The couple swap one pair of their shoes, so that each of them ends up with a man’s and a woman’s shoe. Next come the pre-written questions, which are read out by the best man, a relative or a friend. The couple must decide which of them the statement applies to and hold up that pair of shoes.
This game can be really interactive. You need to get the wedding guests to have a go at guessing too, so there can be quite a few funny moments.
Dancing with a wooden spoon or a broom
This is another wedding game with a very long-standing tradition. It’s a brilliant choice if you want to liven up the atmosphere at the wedding. The wedding guests take part, and all you need is a wooden spoon or a broom. It starts with a guest who places the wooden spoon or broom between their legs and dances over to another member of the wedding party, who takes the object from them and does exactly the same as the person before them. There is no official end to the game; it continues for as long as the wedding party enjoys it.
Cinderella and the Glass Slipper
The shoes probably won’t be made of glass, but the ladies might just find a prince!
The essence of this wedding game is that the girls take off their shoes and pile them up in the middle of the dance floor. The more adventurous lads then pick out a pair of shoes they like and find the owner, with whom they have a dance.
Modern wedding games
Music recognition
Both the couple and the guests can take part. The DJ plays the tracks pre-selected by the best man, and all you have to do is simply jot down on a small piece of paper what you think the title of each track is. At the end, you tally up the list, and whoever gets the most right wins.
There are many ways to divide the teams, but perhaps the simplest is to do so by table.
The crystal ball’s prediction
Ask the guests to make a prediction for the couple for the next five years. Put out some coloured pieces of paper for them to write their predictions on. Collect the notes before midnight, then read them out during the midnight feast and toast – it’ll be great fun.
TIP: Set aside a separate corner labelled ‘fortune-telling corner’, where you can place the little pieces of paper and pens, as well as a collection box into which guests can pop their fortune-telling predictions. If you’ve got the energy, have a look for a toy crystal ball and buy one for the wedding – it’ll look really good as part of the decor.
A dance by the couples who have been together the longest
At last, a game that even grandma and grandad can have a go at! The idea of the game is that, to the tune of a lovely slow song, the best man keeps inviting couples who’ve been married for a long time onto the dance floor. First, he calls out those who’ve been married for 5 years, then those who’ve been together for 10, 15 and 20 years, and so on. On the one hand, it’s exciting to find out who’ve been married the longest; on the other, it’s a lovely game that’s sure to bring a smile to many faces.
Unusual wedding games
Wedding Car Game
This one really does fall into the category of truly special wedding games. You’ll need: 1 chair, 11 adventurous contestants and some drinks.
The chairs should be arranged facing the wedding guests. The coachman sits in the middle, with the others seated in single „columns” either side of him: the king, the queen, the horses, the wheels, and so on. Once the arrangement is in place and the players are ready, the story – narrated by the best man – can begin. In the story, the role of one of the players is often mentioned – let’s say, the coachman or the queen. When this happens, the player who hears their role called out must stand up, then sit back down on their chair. The twist is that the carriage consists of wheels, so when the players hear the word ‘carriage’, it is not just the coachman but the wheels too who must pay attention.
If, during the game, a guest stands up at the wrong time or fails to act when they should, they must be penalised. This is where the drink comes in, as the guest’s penalty is to consume some alcohol. It’s a really funny wedding game, as if someone makes a lot of mistakes, they can easily end up in an even funnier state.
The game rules and the seating plan for the players can be downloaded here
Tip: Let’s choose a strapping lad from among the guests for Kocsis – someone who isn’t afraid of a challenge and isn’t afraid to knock back a few glasses of pálinka or other alcoholic drinks!
Wedding customs, games and traditions from the past
In the past, weddings were certainly accompanied by many superstitious customs and dance games. Many of these games are still used today as part of wedding entertainment – we’ve written about them above – but let’s now take a look at a few wedding games and customs that have now partly, or almost entirely, faded from our cultural traditions.
Wreath Dance
The girls invited to the wedding formed a circle. The bride’s mother removed the wreath from her daughter’s head, carried it into the circle, and then placed it on the head of the lady she believed would be the next to marry.
Garter-toss
It was like the bouquet toss at a women’s wedding. The newlywed husband removed his wife’s garter. Meanwhile, the male guests invited to the wedding lined up behind him, and then the groom threw the garter over his shoulder. It was believed that whoever caught it would soon get married.
A little boy in the bride’s lap
This is an old superstition, according to which a little boy was placed on the bride’s lap during the wedding dinner. In the past, it was believed that this would ensure the couple would have a son, who would carry on the family name.
Wedding games for children
And last but not least, a few games to keep the children entertained at the wedding and allow the adults to take a break from looking after their little ones for a few minutes.
Children's Corner
Set aside a corner just for the children. Put a few small tables and chairs there. Place sheets of paper, coloured pencils, crayons, colouring books, stickers and so on on the tables. Let the little ones get creative whilst their parents enjoy themselves.
TIP: Don’t lay a tablecloth on the table; instead, cover it with paper that the children can draw on. That way, the furniture won’t get damaged, the children will have a great time, and you can keep the drawings as mementos if there are one or two particularly lovely ones!
Let’s give them some toys!
If you’re setting up a separate children’s table for dinner, don’t decorate it in the usual way. First of all, there’s no need to make traditional place cards for the children! Get some Lego figures and use them to mark the children’s places! The little ones can even take the Lego figures home with them, so they’ll get to enjoy the gift as well.
Secondly, there’s no need for decorations on the children’s table either. Instead of flowers, place a large bowl or box in the middle and fill it with various tiny toys. You could also put one or two small bowls of sweets on the table!
Children’s Dance
Make sure to include a segment where the best man invites the children onto the dance floor for a short dance. The little ones are sure to enjoy it! Schedule this for the start of the evening!
Outdoor children’s games
If it’s hot and the wedding is taking place outdoors or partly outdoors, set out a few games. You could put out figures to throw rings at, balls, and so on.
