CO-ED FUN!
Great for Couple Showers!
What shall I wear?
This is a game mostly aimed at a shower where the groom will be attending. We did this for my best friend's wedding. We filled a suitcase with articles she would wear on her wedding night. (he was not allowed to see what was in the suitcase before hand) We blind folded the groom and told him he had to get as many articles on her as possible within a two minute period (time can vary according to the number of articles in the suitcase) SHE IS NOT ALLOWED TO HELP HIM. We put rubber gloves, and adult diaper, goggles,
Elmo slippers, a pair of flare disco pants, a house coat, bright blue bra, much bigger than the brides normal size, scarf, and a blanket. Anything that is fun should go in the suitcase. After his time was up, we took off the blindfold and let him see his masterpiece. Pretty much everything ended up around her neck, but it was great to watch!!! As an incentive for his good sportsmanship, we gave him a dollar for every article he was able to get on her.
How long can you hula?
You buy several hula hoops according to haw many guests you have. For example, I am having about 80 guests and 10 at each table: 8 hula hoops. One person per table comes up and the idea of the game is who can hula hoop the longest. And that person wins a prize. (Don't forget the music)
His Legs?
We blindfolded the bride to be and lined up several guys. She had to feel their legs and decide which ones belonged to her beloved. The guys kept on switching places to try and confuse her, but she knew her man's legs! It was very funny.
Candy Bar Poems
The hostesses of the party put several items on a tray and cover it with a towel or blanket. Separate the guests into groups. Show the contents of the tray to one group at a time. Each group only gets 30 seconds to try and remember as many of the items on the tray as possible. Then they must write a poem about the bride and groom using the names of the items on the tray. The group that uses the most items wins. The poems go something like... When Jane met Bob, she was thrilled to learn he had 100 Grand. She was so happy she yelled
and went shopping on Park Avenue. Candy bars are often good choices, but get creative. The poems are funny. Have each member of the group sign the poem and put the finished poems in a memory book for the bride.
What does the Future Hold?
This is another version of the "Madlib" game. Instead of mad-libbing the story of how the bride and groom met, make the story a prediction of their future. Include careers they'll have, number of children, names of children, where they'll retire, etc. You can see the potential for some very funny responses. Type the story beforehand, leaving blanks for the mad lib, then fill in the blanks at the shower. Give it to the bride when the story is complete, and it provides a funny remembrance for the couple throughout their marriage.
What's in the Sock?
Purchase 4-5 pairs of white athletic socks. Gather the same number (8 - 10) of items that the bride and groom will need on their honeymoon. Hotel key,
sun block, condoms, corkscrew, etc. If the bride & groom are going to an exotic location, some of the items can pertain to the location. Just be sure to tell the guest where they are going. Place one item in each sock, tie it closed and pin a number on
it. Guests must feel each sock and try to determine what is in it, then write down their guess. Oh, one last thing - no one can use their hands to feel the socks - only their
feet. After everyone is done, open the socks and reveal the items. The winner has the most correct items.
Truth in M&M's
Pass around a bag of m&m's, have everyone take how many as they wish. When everyone is done, they then have to tell one thing about the bride or groom for how many candies they have in their hands. NO EATING ANY!!!
Gingerbread Bride & Groom
Prior to the bridal shower, bake gingerbread men (enough for the all the guests plus a few extra in case some break). Also get together all sorts of items that can be used to decorate the gingerbread men, including non-edible stuff. Here you are only limited by your imagination, but some suggestions include:
hundreds and thousands
small choc bits
ribbon
different bits of material
string
wool
On the day of the shower, prepare icing. This will be used to stick the above onto the gingerbread men.
The purpose is for each male guest to decorate the gingerbread as a bride, and each of the women to decorate the gingerbread as a groom, using any of the available material. Some of the guest will be quite creative, and you will end up with some funny looking "brides" & "grooms". The bride &groom can choose the best gingerbread couple!
Caught in the Middle
Have everybody sit in a circle. Get several brown lunch bags and put something in them (make-up, baby food, clothing items). Start some music and pass a bag around. When the music stops the person with the bag and the person who handed them the bag must go to the center. Both are blindfolded and then the contents of the bag are revealed. The one with the bag must do something with the object to the other person (feed baby food, put the lipstick on). It's really funny, especially when the person with the bag can't figure out what the object is.
Almost-Newlywed game
Before the shower, in private, ask the groom questions about himself and the bride. (favorites, first date, etc.) At the shower, ask the bride to answer the same questions and see how much she knows about her groom. This will also show how much he knows her.
The White Stuff
Fill Ziploc bags with the following items: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, powdered sugar, cornstarch, cream of tartar, powdered milk, unflavored gelatin, Bisquick. Number each bag and keep a list. Guests are allowed to feel and look at the bag, but not open it. They guess what is in each bag. The person with the most answers gets the prize.
Groom's Toolbox
Here's a neat idea so the groom doesn't feel left out on the day of the shower.....Have a Groom's toolbox! The toolbox can be fashioned out of a large box and decorated to look like a toolbox. Don't have time to make a toolbox? Buy a wheelbarrow and have groom's tools placed in there. How do you keep from getting 15 hammers and 12 screwdrivers? Comprise a list of tools that the groom needs. Everything from painting supplies to fixing the car. I have come up with approx. 100 ideas for appropriately priced gifts. After the shower is over and it is time to open the gifts from the wishing well, the bride can open her and the groom can open his (and probably have a little more interest and excitement than a bride would over a potato peeler)!
Do you know what year these things occurred??
Pick a year with the bride-to-be where a lot things happened/things took place. Once you both pick a year, then you must present these things to the guests in the form of a question. (Kind of like Dateline). You must then give them 3 or more different years to chose from. The one who guesses correct is the winner. Here are some examples of questions: What did she first kiss a boy?, What year did she go on her first date...etc.. Another to add, is to pick a song or something that occurred in the media.
Not so Newlywed Game
We had a couples shower for a fellow at work and his fiancée. We had a ball playing the NOT SO NEWLYWED GAME!! We recruited two other couples from work to play. When the guests entered, they each wrote a question on an index card and placed it in a box. Prizes were promised for the best questions. In order to insure that the guests of honor won, I secretly told them the bonus question (they didn't know that we were going to play the game, I just told them to have the same answer for a particular question). I tried to make the bonus question a particularly difficult one so that the other couples wouldn't win. A panel of guest judges picked the 6 best questions. I secretly instructed the judges to be especially hard on the other couples during the game and very lenient on the couple of honor. My husband purchased a
CD with the theme to the NEWLYWED GAME and he played the part of Bob Eubanks. OH YEAH, I bagged up some confetti with a note that read "please shower the couple when the winners are announced". Three guests recorded the answers on lap cards (just like the real game). Everyone had a part!!! We LAUGHED SO HARD!!! Prize for the third place couple a bottle of romance enhancer (found at a novelty store). Second place a bottle of champagne. The winners of course received all of the gifts (which were intended for them anyway). People are still talking about it at work!!!
His Kiss...
I recently hosted a couples bridal shower. I blindfolded the bride and had each male in attendance give the bride a kiss on her cheek. (Each was given a number and she had to say the number she thought her groom was when everyone was done.) She missed! Also did the same for the groom. A bag of Hershey kisses was given to the one she/he thought was the groom and also to the bride and groom. Everyone had a great time and many laughs were shared.
Newlywed Game
After being a bridesmaid 8 times, I certainly have sat through my share of showers. A "game" that my closest friends have done, and did for me 4 months ago, is similar to the Newlywed Game. They contacted my fiancé and asked him 20 questions, such as : what is your bride's favorite non-alcoholic drink, what was breed and name of her childhood pet, how old was she when she got her first kiss, what is the most she has ever paid for a pair of shoes, the list goes on and on and can be as innocent or racy as the crowd allows.
Then, at the shower, all the guests plus the bride-to-be had to answer each of the questions on a piece of paper, and in the end, the guest with the most correct answers got a small prize. The hostesses also report how the grooms answers compared with bride's answers.
"I never..."
We played this game at my cousin's shower and it was a big hit! Give each guest 10 jelly beans (if you have 15 or more guests, you may want to increase the number of beans per guest). The first person makes a true statement about themselves, but begins it with the phrase "I never", example - if she always goes out on Fridays nights, she would say "I never stay home on Friday nights". The statement must be true and must be phrased "I never ..." If the phrased statement is true for a guest ( they are home on Friday nights) then they must eat a jelly bean. Each person in the room takes 1 turn making a statement and the person with the most jellybeans left wins. The game becomes very fun when someone make a controversial statement (one guest stated "I never gossip) or when someone does not eat a bean when they should. We were laughing hysterically and shouting at each other to eat a bean. For myself, when the gossip statement was made, I felt compelled to eat 2 beans.
Hmmm...donuts
Hang large powdered donuts with a string on a clothesline. Have participants stand in front of the donut with their hands behind their back (may have to adjust the length of string according to height). The object of the game is to lick off as much powder off of the donut, without biting or breaking the donut, in 60 seconds.
Encore
Divide into teams. Put wedding significant words (one per slip, ex. wedding, chapel, love, kiss, bride, groom, music, flowers, etc.) on pieces of paper and put them in a bowl. Team A draws a slip of paper and has to sing at least 4 words of a song with that word in it then team B has to match them and back and forth until someone is stumped then the other team gets point. The Team with the most points wins.
How do you REALLY feel?
If the guests are all adult, this is a very fun thing to do... Give everyone a scrap of paper and pen. Have them write the chore they least like to do and why..in the format I hate _____ because _______. Example: I hate doing laundry because it takes all day and makes the house hot. Have everyone turn in their chore and pass them back out randomly so that no one gets their own chore. Now, have everyone read the paper they have but replace the chore with the word sex... I hate sex because it takes all day and makes the house hot. You can imagine how hilarious some of these can turn out. Of course it only works if almost everyone has never played before.
DESIGN & CREATE
Getting the creative (and not so creative) juices going!
Create Your Own Groom
Borrow a set of the groom's clothes, long pants, long sleeved shirt, socks, shoes, gloves, and a hat if he wears one. Stuff the clothes with gifts for the bride. Wax paper, handy wrap, aluminum foil, rolling pin, etc. Make good arms and lower legs, paper towels work the best for thighs. toilet paper works good for a chest, and 2 bowls put in a pair of panty hose work for the head. for the extras two sets of inexpensive measuring spoons taped together spoon to spoon can be placed in the pants. This handsome groom may sit in a chair at the side of the room when guests arrive. the bride gets to undress him as part of her opening gifts don't let her know what's up in advance.
Complete Set of New Plates
My girlfriend held a bridal shower at one of those paint-your-own ceramics shops. The bride selected a color scheme and each of the 8 girls in attendance painted a dinner plate using the color scheme, but added a little of their own personalities as well. All the while, the shop serves coffee and pastries and plays funky music. By the end of the shower, the bride ends up with a complete set of casual dinner plates, personalized by her best friends!
The Gown and the Plate
This is great fun and everybody looks ridiculous playing it! To play this game you need 3 rolls of scotch tape, one or two pieces of tissue paper (like for wrapping gifts) for all people attending, a paper plate for all people attending, and a pencil for all people attending. The first purpose of this game is to make a wedding dress on the bride. Everyone takes their piece of tissue paper and helps to make the bride a wedding gown using the scotch tape. You may need to make suggestions about a veil and a train, and a garter, and maybe a purse. Once this is done (and she usually looks great; people are very creative), everyone takes a paper plate and puts it on their head and has to draw the bride on the plate while it is on top of their head. Afterward, you spread all of the plates out on the floor for everyone to look at (and they look hilarious) and the bride chooses the one she likes best. That person wins a prize.
Design A Gown - #1
The game that I want most at my shower is the "Design a Gown" game.
Split into groups of 4 or 5 people.
Give each group 3+ rolls of toilet paper.
They need to use the TP to design a gown. One person has to be a model.
Give them a time limit.
After the time limit, judge the gowns.
Prizes can be given for the funniest, most stylish, prettiest, etc.
My mother played this and said that it was absolutely hilarious.
Design A Gown - #2
I was looking for a different activity for a shower game. My sister told me about this one. In several large bags place a white paper tablecloth, napkins, ribbon, paper or silk flowers (inexpensive type) along with safety pins and tape. Divide groups into teams. Each is given a specified time to design a wedding gown, veil, etc. Scissors are not allowed. It's fun to use the grandmother of the bride, or mother etc as the model for the group. It was one of the most fun activities that my sister remembers at a shower. We're going to try it next week!
Design a Gown - #3
Take a piece of paper and fold it and place it in an envelope - then seal the envelope really well. Give each guest one envelope and tell them not to open it until instructed to - but have them write their name on the outside of the envelope. Tell the group that on the count of 3 they will have two minutes to open the envelope, get out the piece of paper and tear the piece of paper into their best wedding dress. Once they are done they can put the dress back in the envelope and pass it to the bride. Then 1,2,3..Start! As everyone is tearing into their envelope and making their wedding dresses by tearing the piece of paper you can tell the Bride the real object to the game... to determine who has opened their envelope the neatest. Once all the envelopes are turned in you can tell the group what the bride is judging them on and them show the group all the "beautiful" gowns that people tried so seriously to make.
Create the Future
Break the guests up into groups and give each group a stack of old magazines, scissors and a photo album page. Assign each group a topic i.e. the couples courtship, honeymoon, their home, kids,
etc. Have each group make a collage pertaining to their topic by cutting pictures out of the magazines. Once finished, put all the pages into an album and pass it around. It is hilarious to see what everyone comes up with
Design a Veil
Divide guests into teams of 3 or 4. Give each team the following: 2 rolls of toilet paper, 2 strips of ribbon about 12 inches long, and a few silk flowers (ones with bendable wire stems work the best). Tell them to design a veil for the bride, using one team member as the model. To keep the talking down, tell them that they only have 5 minutes (actually give them between 7 - 10 minutes). TAKE PICTURES!! The bride must then wear the veil while opening her present, and one has actually used it at the rehearsal! This is so funny, and much quicker than the full gown.
ICE BREAKERS
Great ideas for guests to get to know each other!
Where's My Underwear?
Each guest is asked to bring a brown paper bag containing their favorite sleepwear. The bride gets to guess who it belongs to. It's fun because someone will just have a crummy old T-shirt and socks, someone will have a frilly nightgown, someone will have a mu-mu. It's really a hoot. The guests will get an idea of the other guest's personality (fun, crazy, sexy whatever).
How long is your carrot?
My favorite shower game: When I held a wedding shower for my sister, this is the funniest game we played. Pick a long carrot and each person has to pass it to the person beside them...between their knees!! Every time someone drops it you have to cut off about an inch. And when the carrot is so small that you can't pass it anymore the person who has the carrot at the end without dropping it wins. It is hilarious, we were all in tears laughing at each other.
Don't be Alarmed it's Only Jello
If your crowd is made up of drinkers. We made our bride to be chase an alarm clock. You need a wind up alarm clock, set it so it will go off and hide it. Our rule was that if she didn't find the alarm clock before it finished ringing then she had to do a shooter. We made jello shooters in advance so that she couldn't avoid doing them. You can only do it every half hour or so otherwise they get too drunk and it spoils it.
Words of Wisdom
I planned my first bridal shower for my roommate. All the guests stood in a circle with an unlit candle. We lighted the bride's candle first. As she stands in front of each guest they give her "Words of Wisdom" it could be pertaining to her personally or a recipe for a good marriage. This is a very sentimental moment. Once the guest is finished with their comment the bride lights their candle and proceeds to the next guest. When all guests have given their "Words of Wisdom" the bride is presented with a guest book with the words written down for each person. The guest book also serves as memorabilia, she may even include friends that were unable to attend the bridal shower. Finally, the shower ends with a prayer.
What's My Word?
This is a great icebreaker for wedding showers. (It can also be modified for a baby shower.) Before the shower, make a list of wedding-related words (gown, honeymoon, love, groom's name, etc.). Write these words on nametags, and as guests arrive at the shower, give each a nametag. The guest is not allowed to say the word on their nametag. If someone hears her say the word, that person takes the sticker. At the end of the shower, the person with the most stickers wins a prize. This game never ceases to amaze me -- inevitably the quietest, shyest guest will race across the room in pursuit of someone else's sticker.
Social Threads
Pass out a spool of thread and tell each guest to break off as much thread as they think they will need. They will ask what it is for but just tell them not to take too much but to be sure to get enough. It is funny to see some break off a long piece and some just take a very short piece. When everyone has their thread each person must tell about themselves as they wrap the string around their finger not stopping until they reach the end of their thread. Some seem horrified as they look at their almost endless length of string. A good ice breaker.
What was your name?
This game gets everyone's memory working. You have your guest sit around in a circle. Each person introduces themselves along with their favorite fruit or hobby, that starts with their first initial. For example; Hi my name is April and my favorite fruit is an apple. Or Hi I'm Bob and I play basketball. You ever gets the most or all the names right wins a price. This way everyone would get to know each other's name for the wedding.
Try to Pop the Balloon!
Provide each guest with a balloon that they must blow up, tie, and break. In each balloon is a strip of paper that has a simple saying. One balloon has the wedding date and that person receives a prize. I purchase 12" wedding color balloons and insert the strips of paper. Sayings that you can use on the strips of paper inside the balloons include, "too bad", "better luck next time", "sorry, no cigar", "nothing for you", etc. It's great to watch participants try to pop the balloons buy sitting, standing, stomping, etc. Latex balloons work the best, as they are a little harder to break.....
Spice World
My cousin took 10 or more different spices and covered them so no one knew what they were. She than numbered each one (before the party). She then passed them around. Every one had to guess what spice it was. Later she took the covers off and called out the number along with the correct name of the spice. At the end I got to keep all the spices. Which was great because the only spice I had was garlic salt. We made fun of my fiancé's family because they where hogging all the spices and not passing them around. We called them the Spice girls!!! We still refer to them as the spice girls.
Caught in the Middle
Have everybody sit in a circle. Get several brown lunch bags and put something in them (make-up, baby food, clothing items). Start some music and pass a bag around. When the music stops the person with the bag and the person who handed them the bag must go to the center. Both are blindfolded and then the contents of the bag are revealed. The one with the bag must do something with the object to the other person (feed baby food, put the lipstick on). It's really funny, especially when the person with the bag can't figure out what the object is.
Date game
Starting with the person sitting to the left of the bride, go around the room until each guests has told their birthday or the date of their wedding anniversary. The person whose date is closes to the wedding wins a prize
Memories
This sentimental and emotional game was played at my sisters bridal shower. All the guests have to sit around in a circle and starting from the person to the left of the bride everyone states what they most fondly remember about the first time they met the bride or they're most cherished memory about friendship or the happiest memory. Though I suggest this game should be played at an only female shower since 99.9% everyone especially the bride dabs their eyes!
Caught you!
At the beginning of the shower give a gift to the second person arriving, and the fifth, and the eighth ( however many you decide). And instruct everyone who arrives" not to cross their legs." If she is caught with her legs crossed she has to forfeit her gift to the one who caught her. Everyone keeps an eye on everyone, it is fun to see who has the gifts at the end of the party, then the girls open their gifts. This also includes the gifts from the other games played. It is a great ice-breaker and lots of fun.
Create the Future
Break the guests up into groups and give each group a stack of old magazines, scissors and a photo album page. Assign each group a topic i.e. the couples courtship, honeymoon, their home, kids,
etc. Have each group make a collage pertaining to their topic by cutting pictures out of the magazines. Once finished, put all the pages into an album and pass it around. It is hilarious to see what everyone comes up with
Operator (a variation anyways!)
All of the shower guest sat in a circle. The person to the left of the bride starts by saying, "My name is Mary and I am going to Jennifer's bridal shower and I brought many oven mitts" (The point is to make your "gift" start with the same letter of your first name. This is very important because it is a clue for the other part of this game.) Then the person to the left of Mary would say "My name is Sally and I am going to Jennifer's bridal shower and I brought seven silky slips and Mary brought many oven mitts." Continue around the circle with each person saying their name and "gift" and then also reciting the names and "gifts" of the people who had already taken a turn.
Pass It On!
Everyone should be sitting in a circle formation. Starting with the host of the shower, she states one word describing a wedding or bridal shower. The next says her word, plus the word from the previous person, i.e., 1st
person: bridal gown; 2nd person: church, bridal gown; 3rd person: limousine, church, bridal shower, and so on.
Who am I?
Purchase a supply of index cards and write the name of a famous person on each of them. Attach one of these cards to each players back. Each person can see the names on the backs of the other guests, but can't see his or her own. The idea of the games is for a player to determine whose name is pinned on his or her back by asking questions about that person. As the game begins, each player is allowed to ask only three yes/no questions per round, such as "Am I living"? or "Am I an American"? The first player to guess the name on his or her back wins a prize.
Recipe for a Good Marriage
What you do is give everyone a piece of stationary and have them right down what they would consider a recipe for a good marriage would be. When everyone is done you have them fold their recipe in half and put it in a bowl or hat and you then draw the recipes out one by one and read them off and everyone has to guess who may have written the recipe. It is not only a good way to get to know each other and laugh but you can only imagine what kind of recipes you get.
Shower Name Game
This game works especially well at showers/parties where the guests don't know each other very well. I have used it several times and find it a real hit. Ahead of time, write names of famous people on name tags. The names can be real people, cartoon characters, etc. Some of the famous people I have used are Miss Piggy, Vanna White, Queen Elizabeth, Bill Clinton. As each guest arrives, attach the name tag to their back and explain the rules, which are each person is to try to figure out the name of the person on their back by asking the other guests questions. However, the only questions allowed must be able to be answered with a "yes" or a "no". For instance, they can ask, "Am I a female?", but they cannot ask, "What movie was I in?" This game gets people mingling and talking to each other. A prize is given to the first person to guess correctly.
What's hidden in the purse?
A fun, quick shower game is to have everyone get their purses out. Give them the name of an item they may have in their purse and give a prize to the first person to pull the item out of their purse. You can start with common things like a nail file or a hairbrush, but it starts to get crazy when you start asking for things like buttons, bobby pins, toothpicks, sewing kits, you name it!!! It is fun to see who has the craziest stuff in their purses!!! And it is one time when it can pay off to have everything but the kitchen sink in your purse!!!
What a Load!
The best shower game we played at my showers required a scale. The scale was placed in the center of the floor and everyone had to weigh their purses. It was great!!! I can not believe how heavy some of those purses were. Who needs to work out?!?
The Toilet Paper Game
Here is an idea for a game......you may have already heard it, but it is a great ice-breaker among people who do not always know each other.
Pass the roll of toilet paper around the circle of people. Tell each person to rip off however many pieces they want (this is what will determine the "length" of the game.) Don't tell anyone what they are doing, don't even let on that it is a game if you can help it, this makes it even more funny.
Once everyone is finished, you can explain the game. For every square they are holding, they have to tell the group something about themselves. The more sheets, the more facts needed. You just make your way around the circle getting to each person in turn.
I know it isn't that funny of a game, but it certainly breaks the ice well, not to mention, some people will act like they really "hate" you. All in good fun though!!! You can also have a prize for the person who pulls the most squares and is able to put a fact to each one!!!
JUST FOR FUN!
Unique, entertaining and some old favorites!
The Name Game
I have given several showers and I have found that one of the games that is always a big hit is what I like to call "The Name Game". You get a piece of paper and a pen and have everyone write the name of the bride and groom down the edge of the paper. You then give everyone 3 minutes to write down things that have to do with a wedding that start with the letters in the names. When the timer is done then have everyone compare answers, if someone has the same answer then it doesn't count. So after everyone has read their answers then who ever has the most wins!
Marshmellow (Woman
Jot down first and last names of about 20 actors and actresses. You will need a several bags of large
marshmellows. Each person will get a chance. The player will be given the list of names, they will have to say a name the bride must be able to understand each name that is said. After each name that is called the player must insert a marshmellow and keep calling names from the list. The person that gets all the names called off understood wins. This was played at a shower, one girl had 17 marshmellows in her mouth. You can imagine how much fun we all had!
Under the Sheets
This is a game that requires fortune cookies. Each guest gets a cookie and reads their fortune. After each fortune the guest must say "under the sheets." You get some responses like "you will get fame and fortune...under the sheets."
What's in the Sock?
Purchase 4-5 pairs of white athletic socks. Gather the same number (8 - 10) of items that the bride and groom will need on their honeymoon. Hotel key,
sun block, condoms, corkscrew, etc. If the bride & groom are going to an exotic location, some of the items can pertain to the location. Just be sure to tell the guest where they are going. Place one item in each sock, tie it closed and pin a number on it. Guests must feel each sock and try to determine what is in it, then write down their guess. Oh, one last thing - no one can use their hands to feel the socks - only their feet. After everyone is done, open the socks and reveal the items. The winner has the most correct items.
Honeymoon Night
Have a piece of paper and writing utensil. Put the paper on the floor. Instruct each guest that they are to bend over, without bending their legs, and trace their handprint on the paper. Have someone recording what each guest says while attempting to do this. Once completed, announce "This is what "bride's name" is going to say on her wedding night." Then read what each person said. Examples include:
There's no way I can do that!
Ouch! That hurts!
Am I doing this right?
I can't reach that far!
This is a really funny activity and the bride can keep the sayings to remember!
Kids (and men) say the darnedest things!
A family member did this for me at my shower, and it was so much fun. She went to members of my extended family, specifically the MEN and the CHILDREN and asked them to complete this sentence: "Marriage is......" She compiled all the responses and gave them to me as a scroll tied with a ribbon. I had to read the responses and who said them. I laughed so hard at the responses I was crying!!
Spice World
My cousin took 10 or more different spices and covered them so no one knew what they were. She than numbered each one (before the party). She then passed them around. Every one had to guess what spice it was. Later she took the covers off and called out the number along with the correct name of the spice. At the end I got to keep all the spices. Which was great because the only spice I had was garlic salt. We made fun of my fiancé's family because they where hogging all the spices and not passing them around. We called them the Spice girls!!! We still refer to them as the spice girls.
The White Stuff
Fill Ziploc bags with the following items: flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, powdered sugar, cornstarch, cream of tartar, powdered milk, unflavored gelatin, Bisquick. Number each bag and keep a list. Guests are allowed to feel and look at the bag, but not open it. They guess what is in each bag. The person with the most answers gets the prize.
Guessing Game
Fill a jar with candies (almonds, mints, etc.) and write down how many. Guests write down their guess and the winner get the jar.
Name the Bride
From a bridal magazine tear out 10 full length pictures of brides. Replace their faces with faces of famous people. Instead of solely sticking to pictures of famous women don't limit yourself; pictures of famous men on a woman's body can end up looking pretty funny (i.e. Mel Gibson's face on a bridal body is quite a sight!). Of the famous people you choose select both some easy to guess people and a few that might not be so easy (these will make the different when it comes down to a winner). Number the pictures and pass them among the guests. Each guest should number a piece of paper 1 to 10 and write down their guesses. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize - like a couple of movie gift certificates.
Cooking Practice
My favorite shower game is to set up a table with all the ingredients for baking a
cake flour, sugar, eggs, ect) plus a few "extra ingredients like spices, vinegar, baking soda, just about anything. I also supply a mixing bowl, measuring cups/spoons and a pan. The bride is than told she must make a cake, from scratch, from memory. She must tell what her measurements are and how long to bake and at what temp. Do this at the beginning so the cake will be done baking when she is finished opening gifts. It is then taken out of the oven for her to taste test. One friend of mine left the cake in the oven so long we couldn't get it out of the pan. We also give all the ingredients to the bride to stock her kitchen with.
Oh where, Oh where is my...
I did this game when I threw a shower for my best friend. You get a large bowl and dump 2 pounds of uncooked white rice in it. Then you add about 15 to 20 paper clips and mix it well. Place the bowl on a table and blind fold the person that's going to play. The person who finds the most paper clips wins. It's a lot harder than you think it is, and it's also a lot of fun to watch how close people get to grabbing the clips.
What is in the box?
This game is always fun. First get a matchbox, which held wooden matches. Fill it with everyday things such as a tic tac, paper clip, staple, thread, dental floss, tack, etc. Then at the shower as you hold the box up in front of the group, tell them how many things are in it. The object of the game is for everyone to write down what they think is in the box when given 5 minutes. The person with the most correct wins.
Cotton Balls
The participant kneels on the floor. She is then given a large plastic bowl and soup spoon. Cotton balls are then spread on the flour in front of her and she is blindfolded and asked to put on oven mitts. Within a certain time limit @ 2minutes, she is supposed to put as many cotton balls as possible in the bowl, using the spoon.
The Price is Right #1
Take 20-25 baby items (or as many as you want) and make a list. Be very specific. List brand names and sizes and have your guests fill in prices next to each item. Then have them total their lists. The guest who's list is closest to the correct total wins!
The Price is Right #2
Take 20-25 grocery items (or as many as you want) and make a list. Be very specific. List brand names and sizes and have your guests fill in prices next to each item. Then have them total their lists. The guest who's list is closest to the correct total wins!
Bridal Bingo #1
I played this at a very fancy bridal shower/luncheon and it was a lot of fun. It was great for keeping everyone attentive while the bride is opening gifts (which can get a little boring at times and people begin to talk and not pay attention to the bride).
Make up different bingo cards (enough for everyone at the shower) with boxes like:
china - crystal - lingerie - bath linens - kitchen/dining linens - bedroom linens - small appliances - flatware - everyday dishes - everyday glasses - pots and pans - miscellaneous (for those strange items) - etc.
and any other categories which might apply to the bride's registry. Once someone gets Bingo they get a prize (small gifts $5-10 each). Keep playing and awarding prizes until the bride is done. You may want to appoint a bridesmaid to call the category (it can get confusing). I guarantee everyone will be greatly anticipating each gift.
Envelope Game
A great way to help the Bride to be out, is to have a stack of envelopes on a table when everyone comes in. You tell each person to self address the envelope and place it in the bowl. You tell the guests that at the end of the party an envelope will be drawn and the winner will receive a prize. This gets everyone to address and envelope, which the Bride will take home to send thank you cards out in. It helps the Bride to make sure she has the correct address to send the thank you notes to and it also saves her the trouble of having to address all those envelopes.
PERSONALIZED
Activities tailored to the guest(s) of honor
How alike are we?
A list needs to be made before the shower of things the bride has done, places she has been, schools, physical characteristics, etc. At the shower have everyone stand including the bride. Start reading the list beginning with general things first such as eye color. Everyone who doesn't have the same color eyes as the bride sits down. Progress on from simple to complex or unique circumstances in the bride's life. Last person left standing is the winner. A fun way to get to know the ride and things about her.
The Year in Pictures
I put on a shower for my cousin. Her sisters put together 12 photos the bride from different years; both with her fiancé and without. They passed the pictures around the room and you had to guess the year they were taken. The one with the most correct answers won. It was fun to see the bride to be at all stages of her life.
The Real Story
A game we did at a bridal shower was to divide the room into groups of 5 to 6 people. The head table (less the bride) would be a group also. then we handed each group a page filled with questions that would be answered in story form. the first person in the group would answer the first question, then fold her paper back so no one could see her answer and give the paper to the second person in her group. She/he in turn would answer the second question, fold her answer back and pass it on the third person. Questions would be such as: 1. The bride's name is...2. The groom's name is...3. They met....4. The bride's first impression of the groom was...and so on. You can make up your own questions. While all the groups are working on their love story of the bride, the bride has her own copy which she totally answers by herself with the true answers. When everyone is done, select one person from each group to read their story and at the end, the bride reads the real story. This is quite amusing on how some of the stories come out, especially when you don't know what the person before you wrote. What we did was collect all the stories at the end and put them into the bridal scrap book.
What does the Future Hold?
This is another version of the "Madlib" game. Instead of mad-libbing the story of how the bride and groom met, make the story a prediction of their future. Include careers they'll have, number of children, names of children, where they'll retire, etc. You can see the potential for some very funny responses. Type the story beforehand, leaving blanks for the mad lib, then fill in the blanks at the shower. Give it to the bride when the story is complete, and it provides a funny remembrance for the couple throughout their marriage.
Truth in M&M's
Pass around a bag of m&m's, have everyone take how many as they wish. When everyone is done, they then have to tell one thing about the bride for how many candies they have in their hands. NO EATING ANY!!!
Story Telling
Ask the bride ahead of time to tell you about how she met her groom, and different things about their life together. Put a simple story together using store products. Ex: Many years ago, a handsome young man (groom's name) met his "Lucky Charm". You can either purchase all the products yourself and present them to the bride as you read the story, or write a product on each invitation and ask that person to bring it to the shower, unwrapped. I usually buy a laundry basket to set in front of the bride to put the products in as the story goes on. Be creative, there are so many things you can use. Here are just a few of the things I have used in the past: Luv's Diapers, Trix, Cheer, All, Life cereal, Manwhich (she knew this was the manwhich she wanted to spend her life with), Pledge, Charmin (he was very charmin), bounce, secret, carrots (how many carrots in the ring) sparkle, snickers, and so on.
Date game
Starting with the person sitting to the left of the bride, go around the room until each guests has told their birthday or the date of their wedding anniversary. The person whose date is closes to the wedding wins a prize
Almost-Newlywed game
Before the shower, in private, ask the groom questions about himself and the bride. (favorites, first date, etc.) At the shower, ask the bride to answer the same questions and see how much she knows about her groom. This will also show how much he knows her.
Hanger of Wisdom
My aunt took one of those fancy padded hangers (in ivory, one of my colors), added a burgundy appliqué (my other color), then she attached several long ivory ribbons. At each end, she tied little white cards (with a whole punched in the corner of each), so that the ribbons hung down about a 12-18 inches. The hanger had a note saying that it is for me to hang my dress after the wedding, but for the shower, it should be passed around, so that all the guests could write a special message or prayer for me and my fiancé. What a NEAT way for me to have a special reminder of the day!
On their wedding night
While the bride is opening her gifts, have one person write down everything she says every time she opens a gift. When she is finished, have someone read the list addressing it as "Things so-and-so will say to her new husband on her wedding night." It's really funny because things like "Wow, it's so big," and "Oh, it's heavy" come out.
Pin the Ring on the Groom
First name the game after the groom. Then get a picture of the groom and get it enlarged. Get as many rings you need and attach the rings with a string to a push pin You also need a bulletin board and a blind fold. Everyone get a turn. You spin them around and they then try to pin the ring on his ring finger who ever get it close to his finger or on his finger wins a prize. Its very fun to see everyone missing and sticking him in the head especially if the bride does it.
Bridal Bingo #2
The best game we ended up playing was gift bingo. I made Bingo cards... but put BRIDE at the top instead of BINGO. I left all of the squares blank. Each guest got a card and had to fill in the squares with gifts they thought the bride would receive. As she opened her gifts, the guests marked their bingo cards with M&M's. When someone got bingo, I gave them a prize.
Do you know what year these things occurred??
Pick a year with the bride-to-be where a lot things happened/things took place. Once you both pick a year, then you must present these things to the guests in the form of a question. (Kind of like Dateline). You must then give them 3 or more different years to chose from. The one who guesses correct is the winner. Here are some examples of questions: What did she first kiss a boy?, What year did she go on her first date...etc.. Another to add, is to pick a song or something that occurred in the media.
Memories
This sentimental and emotional game was played at my sisters bridal shower. All the guests have to sit around in a circle and starting from the person to the left of the bride everyone states what they most fondly remember about the first time they met the bride or they're most cherished memories about friendship or the happiest memories. Though I suggest this game should be played at an only female shower since 99.9% everyone especially the bride dabs their eyes!
Recipe for a Good Marriage
What you do is give everyone a piece of stationary and have them right down what they would consider a recipe for a good marriage would be. When everyone is done you have them fold their recipe in half and put it in a bowl or hat and you then draw the recipes out one by one and read them off and everyone has to guess who may have written the recipe. It is not only a good way to get to know each other and laugh but you can only imagine what kind of recipes you get.
How well do you know...
First rule don't tell the bride-to-be about this. Contact the finance and ask him questions about HIS and THEIR past together, such as "Who was your very 1st girlfriend?", "What is your shoe size?", "What was your last fight about?" and "When was your 1st kiss and where?". Write down the questions and answers on index cards. Let each guest pick a card without seeing the question. Go around the room and let each guest ask the bride their question. For each question the bride does NOT answer correctly, she must chew/add a piece of gum (use thick and juicy gum or big gum balls). It's amazing how many mundane things the bride will not know about her groom or their relationship and how much gum she will have to chew! We laughed so hard!
The Honeymoon Night
The game that we played at my friend's shower that got the most laughs, was one that my our mothers told us about. The hostess of the shower assigns someone to (be discrete about this) take notes during the opening of gifts. The note-taker writes down the first thing that the bride says upon seeing each gift. Then, at the end of opening, the note-taker says that these are the phrases that she will say on the honeymoon night. Most of the time you get things like, "That is so cute!," or "Oh my!," or my favorite, "What do I do with that?!"
Madlib
Have someone who knows write out the story of how you and your fiancé met, then
they will take out key words throughout the story and make it into a madlib, asking
others for verbs, nouns, adjectives, etc. Then read the new story back to the
couple. It's hilarious--a lot more entertaining than the real event. Then give both versions to
the bride and groom.
