Keeping your wedding guests entertained during the various stages of your wedding celebration can be a bit of a challenge. By the time your guests reach the dinner reception, chances are they could do with a little bit of an energy boost or even an ice breaker to get the conversation flowing. Dinner table games can be a great way to do this, especially if some of your wedding guests haven't met before. If you're keen to include games as part of your special day, but don't know where to start...fear not, we've compiled a list of 12 very fun wedding dinner table games that are guaranteed to get everyone smiling, laughing and maybe even feeling a little competitive!
1. Mr & Mrs Game (using your shoes)
We've all heard of the Mr & Mrs Challenge where the couple are asked a series of questions about each other. The aim is to see if your answers align, (it's even funnier when they don't) revealing how well you know each other. Usually it's played at the hen party so you're separated from your other half and you don't get to see their reactions. But playing this together at the wedding reception can be a lot of fun. To play simply sit back to back, then each remove both shoes, giving one to your new spouse and keeping one for yourself. Then get your MC to start asking questions like "who said I love you first". We have tonnes more questions on this list. To answer, each of you lifts the shoe belonged to the person that represents the answer. If you're feeling brave you can have a roving mic so guests can ask questions at random.
2. Wedding Speech Bingo
This beloved dinner table game works like this: couples issue their guests with tailor-made bingo cards, featuring the clichéd phrases you usually hear in wedding speeches such as "Don't the bridesmaids look beautiful". Just like regular bingo, the first person to complete a full line wins a prize! Luckily for you, we have a whole post on how to play that even includes a printable bingo cards. You could always shake things up and invite your guests to play a version of this game that involves alcohol. Instead of crossing off a box or moving a counter, the guests take a sip when they hear one of the phrases on their card. The prize in this instance... well it's getting a little bit tipsy.
3. A Yam Seng Toast
Yam Seng is a Cantonese term that means “drink to victory" and is used the way we use "Cheers" in English. In Asian culture, it's used as part of a ritual in wedding celebrations to congratulate a couple, and usually done towards the end of the reception. At a typical Chinese wedding, there can be two sets of Yam Seng toasts. The first is done with the newlyweds, their families, and the wedding party on stage. The MC will encourage everyone to raise their glasses and shout "Yam Seng" three times; once for a blissful marriage, secondly for eternal love for the couple, and finally for fertility. Guests usually try to outdo each other, competing to stretch the “yam” and be louder than everyone else on the "seng". It is believed that the longer you stretch the yam, the more the wish will come true. Another way to do this toast is for the newlyweds to move around the room, visiting each individual table to the toast. If this sounds like fun, read our post on how to do a Yam Seng toast here.
4. The After Eight Challenge
The rules for this game are simple, which is ideal (especially if your guests have had a few wines). Simply grab an After Eight chocolate, tilt your head back, and place it on your forehead. The object of the game is to slide it down your face and into your mouth. You must not use your hands, therefore you have to rely solely on your facial expressions to manoeuvre the chocolate. The person who gets it into their mouth first is deemed the winner! Not surprisingly, the only thing you need to play this game is a box of After Eight chocolates. We recommend having a sufficient supply of napkins on the table, just in case things get a little messy. Check out how to play this fun game here.
5. Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger or treasure hunt at the reception is a great way to get guests interacting. Popular at French weddings, it's usually designed by the couple and involves a combination of musical chairs and a scavenger hunt. You pick a person to represent each table and ask them to bring back common items such as a fork or a tie (or even a bridesmaid!). The last person back loses and must return to their table. A less physical approach to this activity is what's known as a 'digital scavenger hunt'. The couple creates a list of 20 wedding moments for the guests to capture with their phones, such as: the newlyweds kissing, someone cheers-ing, a group selfie and so on. Not only does this give your guests a fun activity, but you'll also end up with even more pictures at the end of the day.
6. Wedding Speech Jackpot
This is a great way to get your guests mingling and encourage a friendly bit of competition. It's pretty straightforward. Each table member guesses how long the speech portion of the evening will last. Everybody contributes a certain amount of money to a kitty, and the person whose guesses closest to the actual time wins the money. More often than not they use the funds to buy a round of drinks for the table.
7. Bride & Groom Table Quiz
Let's be honest, who doesn't love a bit of trivia? Again, it's a great way to ignite their competitive spirit! While this quiz is typically a Hen Party fave, it can easily be played at your wedding reception too. The couple will typically create a list of questions for their guests. If you're not sure what to ask, here are a few sample questions to get you started:
- Who cries most easily?
- Who is the messier one?
- Who is the better driver?
- Who is the boss?
- What is one weird habit of the bride/groom?
The couple will of course fill in their answers beforehand. Just like a regular table quiz, each table works together to come up with what they think the correct answer is. There are two ways to make this work - choose an MC to call out the questions and answers, or print out a list and leave them on the table with spaces for their answers, and the correct answers on the back. Either way, it's a great opportunity for your guests to bond.
9. Cards Against Humanity (Wedding Style)
If you're a fan of the outrageously funny (and very naughty) card game Cards Against Humanity, then you’re definitely going to love Cards About Matrimony, which has the same level of ridiculousness as the original, but is tailored specifically to weddings and marriage! If you've never played it before the rules are simple: one player picks a black card and reads out the question or fill-in-the-blank phrase that is written on it. The rest of the players submit a white answer card and attempt to form the most hilarious inappropriate combo. The card picker chooses the winner and points are awarded. This is a great game to get your guests laughing. However, a word of warning... you might want to keep it clean-ish for your more conservative guests.
10. Find Your Match
Playing Find Your Match at your wedding could be the perfect opportunity for you to play Cupid and match up your single friends, and just get people mingling in general who you feel might get along. On the back of each guest’s place card, write one half of a famous couple – this could be an iconic celeb duo or even basic pairings such as salt and pepper. Your guests must then scan the room to find their perfect match. If you always thought your lifelong bestie would be a great fit for the best man, now’s your chance to make it happen!
11. Spin the Wedding Wheel
As wedding dinner table games go, this one is a little more involved as it requires a bit of DIY, but would certainly make the wedding film a lot more interesting. To play ask the MC to invite guests to spin a pre-made big wheel with options like:
- Get the bride or groom to do a funny dance with you
- Slow dance with the maid of honor or best man
- Tell a joke
- Give the newlyweds some advice
- Tell an embarrassing story about the bride or groom
- Get another couple to kiss, dance, or even serenade each other
Again this is a great way to get the whole room involved.
12. Mad Libs/Dingbats - the Wedding Edition
There are plenty of free-to-download wedding word games that you can leave on tables which make for great ice breakers. One option is a wedding version of Mad Libs where one player prompts others for a list of words to fill in the blanks in a story before reading it aloud. These are avilable from Etsy here. The second is a game of Dingbats, which is like a word version of Catchphrase, which uses visual word puzzles from which make up a well known phrase or saying. These are also available from Etsy here.
Planning your hen party? For great games to make your hen a night to remember see our Ultimate List of Hen Party Games!
