Wedding Reception Lawn Games

Looking to make your wedding reception a party your guests will never forget? In addition to delicious food, flowing drinks and a killer playlist, some couples like to get the party started with wedding reception games. While games at wedding receptions are certainly not the norm, they’re gaining popularity — especially for large, outdoor weddings with plenty of space or at weddings with lots of kids in attendance. If games sound like a fun idea for your wedding, have at it! We’ve rounded up the 30 best games fit for wedding receptions, including lawn games, group games, kids games and more!

Wedding Reception Lawn Games

Whether you had an affinity for corn hole or life-size board games, you can section off a part of your reception where you have these games for your guests to play throughout the night. It’ll keep them out of their chairs and close to the dance floor.

1. Jenga

Who doesn’t love the classic block-stacking game Jenga? Upgrade from the traditional tabletop version and create a life-size set of blocks that friends and family can build and destroy. You and your fiance can even make it a fun DIY project — head to the hardware store for some lumber and request them to be cut in 54 block-size pieces.

2. Connect Four

An over-sized version of this classic game is sure to garner attention from adults and kids alike.

Giant Up 4 It Game, $309, Garden Games available at Amazon

3. Ring Toss

A carnival-inspired classic, ring toss will bring out your guests’ competitive spirit. For extra fun, try writing the names of guests and bridal party members on bottles and rings to see who gets paired with who.

Elite Ring Toss Game, $19.99, Elite sportz equipment available on Amazon

4. Corn Hole

Corn hole is the perfect lawn-game offering for couples that want to make extra activities feel like a cohesive part of the overall wedding décor. This creative couple used wood grain paint with lace-inspired details for a look that matched their rustic style. To complete the game, they included custom beanbags, painted with a silhouette of Texas to showcase their hometown roots.

GoSports Portable PVC Framed Cornhole Game Set with 8 Bean Bags and Travel Carrying Case, $39.99, GoSports available on Amazon

5. Croquet

Invite guests to grab a mallet and get a match started on the lawn.

Crown Sporting Goods Six Player Deluxe Croquet Set with Sturdy Black Carrying Bag, $59.99, Crown Sporting Goods available on Amazon

6. Bocce Ball

If you have lawn space, you can make your bocce ball area. An actual court isn’t necessary — just set up balls and score cards and let your guests have it.

Bocce Ball set, $55.99, Hey! Play! available on Amazon

7. Giant Dice

Shake things up with a jumbo set of dice. This unexpected wedding reception game is perfect for bringing guests together.

Giant Dice, $82.57, Shindigz available on Amazon

8. Giant Checkers

Simple and fun, order (or craft) a checkers mat so large it can double as a picnic blanket.

Giant Checkers Set with Giant Mat, $255, Garden Games available on Amazon

9. High Striker

Guests will be clamoring for their turn at wielding the mallet to see who’s the strongest.

10. Badminton

If you have the space, why not set up a badminton court? The equipment is light and portable, and the classic game is easy enough for guests of all ages to play.

Baden Champions Series Badminton Set, $75.99, Baden available on Amazon

Group Games & Interactive Activities

Whether you’re hosting an indoor or outdoor wedding reception, there are plenty of group games that will keep the party going.

11. Shoe Game

This is one of our favorite games to play at wedding receptions. The bride and groom take a seat back-to-back in front of all their guests. The bride holds one of her shoes and one of her groom’s shoes, as does the groom. The emcee or a member of the bridal party acts as hosts, and the couple can answer simultaneously by holding up the shoe that corresponds with their answer. Set aside 15 minutes to play the shoe game, and include questions like:

• Who said I love you first?
• Who is quicker to anger?
• Who made the first move?
• Who has better handwriting?
• Who dresses better?
• Who is the better dancer?
• Whose phone battery has more of a charge?
• Who says I love you more?
• Who is more likely to be running late?
• Who is the better cook?
• Who got the best grades in school?
• Who do you love more than anyone in the world?

Though your guests won’t be playing, they’ll be laughing it up as your answers reveal the truth about how you view yourselves and each other in this silly game.

12. Wheel of Fun

To encourage major guest interaction, consider creating a custom wheel of activities that can be spun throughout the reception. This creative option includes details like “Pick a Couple to Kiss,” “Show Us Your Best Dance Moves,” and “Bride and Groom Kiss.”

13. Word Search

Transform a classic chalkboard into a creative word search that your guests can try their hand at all evening long. The trick is to write the letters in permanent paint and provide chalk only for circling words. Get creative and include details about you and your groom for guests to find.

14. Poker Station

Rent a poker table, set up ten seats and hire a dealer for the night. A poker station is usually a big hit with the gentlemen.

15. Dart Art Station

For artsy couples and guests, consider setting up a dart art station. Set up a large canvas and attach balloons filled with paint. Set up a dart throwing station at a safe distance (no one wants paint splatter on their formal wear, after all). From there, friends and family can throw darts at the canvas which will pop and splatter the paint inside the balloons, creating a one-of-a-kind piece of art for the couple to cherish.

16. Dress Up Photo Booth

Dressing up is technically a game isn’t? Create a DIY photo booth filled with fun props for your guests to take selfies and group shots in. You can make it silly with boas, over-sized glasses, and mustache sticks, or keep it classy with pretty flowers, ornate frames or signs that commemorate the wedding date. You can even make a giant cardboard Polaroid cut out

17. Create a Custom Snap Geofilter for the Wedding Reception

If you’re on Snapchat, you’ve probably noticed that when you’re at certain venues or events, new filters will be available to you that are specific to that place or event. Those are called geofilters, and basically, you can create one for anything. Pricing is determined by the size of the area where the geofilter will be available. While that can add up to hundreds of thousands for a huge arena, you can get one for less than fifty bucks if it’s only being used for small area such as wedding venue. It’s only $5 an hour for a geofilter that’s 20 square feet. You can design your own geofilter commemorating the wedding. If you have social media savvy guests, they’ll be snapping away and taking advantage of that custom filter in no time!

18. Board Game Station

Offering a selection of quick, multi-player board games will entertain your more introverted guests throughout the evening. Think Yahtzee, Uno, Scrabble, Life, etc.

19. Video Game Station

Yep, that’s right: You can even have video games at a wedding reception. If you or your fiancé love video games, you can set up a station filled with video games that people can stop by and play. You can even have small prizes for winners along the way. We love multiplayer classics that get guests up on their feet including Dance, Dance Revolution, Rock Band, or Guitar Hero, but gamer couples (and guests) might have their own favorites they want to have on hand!

20. College Drinking Games

If you’re having a more relaxed, casual wedding, you can set up stations at your reception where people can relive their college days with drinking games like beer pong and flip cup. Pro tip: Substitute water for beer in the solo cups so things don’t get too reminiscent of freshman year.

Table Games

You can also provide wedding reception games for guests to play straight from their table. Table games are perfect for breaking the ice among guests who don’t know each other, or whiling away the time as they wait for the bride and groom to arrive or the buffet line to clear up.

21. Mad Libs for Wedding Advice

Customize and create different Mad Libs that you can leave on tables around your reception for guests to pick up throughout the night. It’ll be a fun way for them to interact with each other and it will be a fun treat for you to read after your wedding for some laugh out loud moments. Alternatively, you can also have the emcee read off some of the best answers during the reception to give everyone a laugh.

22. Dare … or Dare

Get your shy guests up and active with dares made just for them! On the back of their name cards, include a fun dare like “Take a selfie with the cutest guy at your table,” or “Kiss the person next to you,” or “Take a shot with someone you don’t know.” The table with the most dares complete wins! Since you’ll be writing the dares, you can tailor the dares to your guests comfort level.

23. Bride and Groom Trivia

At each guest’s place, leave a cute sheet with trivia questions about the bride and groom (think multiple choice, true false or fill-in-the-blank). Guests can fill out the questions whenever they like, and later, the emcee can read off the answers. Whichever guests gets the most answers correct at their table can take home the centerpiece.

24. Picture Scavenger Hunt

Send your guests on a digital scavenger hunt by creating a list of 20 wedding moments for them to capture with their phones, like:

• a couple kissing
• someone taking a shot
• a delicious dessert
• someone dancing
• a group selfie
• flowers
• someone crying
• etc.

Not only does this give your guests a fun activity, you’ll end up with even more pictures at the end of the day. Bonus tip: turn it into a contest where you’ll vote for the best photo in each category after the wedding. This way, your guests will go for quality photos, not just quantity, and you’ll end up with better snaps. You can also instruct guests who are playing to use your wedding hashtag and post the photos on social media to easily catalog all the fun pictures.

25. Cards Against Humanity-Inspired Wedding Edition

If you love Cards Against Humanity (which is essentially the grown up version of Apples to Apples), you’ll love “Cads About Matrimony” which has all the ridiculousness of Cards Against Humanity but centers on weddings and marriage. It’s a great table game, especially for your bridesmaids and groomsmen (your Grandma might not appreciate the occasional PG-13 humor). If you’re not familiar with the game, here’s how you play: each player gets seven answer cards, and then players select a statement card on their turn. The other players choose an answer card to pair with the statement card, and the player whose turn it is chooses their favorite (usually the best or funniest). Whoever ends up with the most chosen statement cards win. Here’s an example straight from the Cads About Matrimony deck: “First comes love, then comes ____.” paired with “Daily reminders about who actually pays the mortgage.” See how this can get interesting?

Kids Games

Keep your littlest guests entertained with games and activities just for them. Here are our favorite wedding games ideas for kids!

26. Giant Tic-Tac-Toe

It’s simple and fun, and an extra-large version will add a unexpected twist to the classic game. Plus, it’s X’s and O’s (i.e. hugs and kisses) so it’s perfectly on theme for a day that’s all about love.

Giant Tic-Tac-Toe Game, $12.59, Toysmith available on Amazon

27. Coloring Station

Coloring can keep kids occupied for hours, and best of all, it’s mess-free! Adorn each child’s place setting with a wedding-themed coloring book and box of crayons just for them. If you have a dedicated kids’ table in your wedding seating chart, you can even cover the entire table in butcher paper so the kids can draw directly on their table.

28. Lego Centerpieces

Another great option for the kids’ table is to have a centerpiece made of Legos. The kids can pull it apart and make their own creations throughout the ceremony.

LEGO Ideas Women of Nasa 21312 Building Kit, $24.99, LEGO available on Amazon

29. Piñata

What kid doesn’t love a piñata? Keep it on-theme by getting a piñata shaped like a giant wedding ring, heart or other symbol of love, and let them have at it. Pro tip: try to save actually breaking open the piñata until the end of the reception (perhaps right after the cake cutting) so you don’t have to deal with kids hyped up on sugar for entire reception. The kids will love it if the bride and groom come take a swing with them, too!

Ya Otta Pinata Fierce Bull Pinata, $14.39, Ya Otta Pinata available on Amazon

30. Hopscotch and Hula Hoops Station

Create a play area where kids can burn off some of their energy (in a non-disruptive way). Hopscotch, hula hoops, and jump ropes are among the things that can keep them occupied and active without causing any commotion!

Original Striped Hula Hoop, $24.87, Wham-O available on Amazon

See More:

• 20 Engagement Party Games & Activities They’ll Love
• 25 Bridal Shower Game Ideas that will Ensure Guests have a Blast
• 9 Tricks to Keep the Dance Floor Packed at Your Wedding

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by: https://www.brides.com/story/unique-games-to-play-at-wedding-receptions