Wedding Reception Game Ideas

For most couples, a wedding reception involves the usual events: speeches, a first dance, parent dances, cake cutting, and cutting lose on the dance floor. But if you want to go old school or you have a particularly boisterous group of guests, then you may want to schedule a few games during your reception. In today’s blog post, I have a list of wedding reception game ideas to liven up your party. So get your shoes out and your Jenga tower ready, and let’s dive right in.

Meet Talia and Fahad

You may already be familiar with Talia and Fahad from their beautiful Brooklyn Bridge Park engagement photos. These two met in high school and fell in love while camping out under the stars in New Hampshire. They have known each other 20 years. It was an eventful trip to the altar, but they eventually walked down the aisle in June of 2022 at The Loft Story in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

Fahad first proposed to Talia at Brooklyn Bridge Park in August of 2021. Sadly, rain interrupted their grand proposal plans. However, Fahad re-proposed in a much more romantic (and dry) fashion on Valentine’s Day of 2022.

Rain may have been in the forecast for Fahad’s proposal to Talia, but it was bright and sunny on their wedding day. The couple had approximately 60 guests, and their wedding was a mix of western and eastern cultures. They wanted to bring both sides of the family together, and elected to play the shoe game to get the party started. It was a fun group, and everyone enjoyed the revelations.

Wedding Reception Game Ideas – Why Play Games?

I love participatory weddings, where guests can get up from the table and interact with one another. All too often at weddings these days I see people focused on their phones instead of each other. If you have activities planned – either in an organized fashion or as a game center in your reception space – then you are offering a great way for guests to meet and greet one another. This works out wonderfully, especially if you have a lot of guests who have never met one another or guests from far away who have made the trek for your big day. Games are understood by people of all cultures, and having a fun activity is a great way to put a smile on your guest’s faces if English is not the common language.

For some more example of participatory activities at weddings, check out my article here.

Wedding Reception Game Ideas – When To Play Games

Games are a great way to insert energy into any party, but the timing is key. You want to schedule your game session so that it either starts the party, or livens up an evening just after the meal.

One of the most successful weddings I have photographed where games played a key role was Kate and Nick’s Greenpoint Loft nuptials. They had a game room of sorts set up on the mezzanine level of their venue during cocktail hour. This was a fantastic way to pump up the energy level for guests when they arrived.

The other option is to liven up the evening after dinner is served, as Talia and Fahad did during their wedding. The shoe game is always popular and guarantees smiles on your guests faces because it is mainly the bride and groom at the center of attention. Don’t be afraid to throw other couples into the mix, like the best men and maid of honor if you want to broaden the list of players.

Wedding Reception Game Ideas – Examples of Games

Go big for outdoor games. What is it about a giant chess board or Connect Four game that makes us all feel like little kids? If you have an outdoor venue and can swing the amount of space necessary, then go big with oversized Jenga, chess, or Connect Four sets. And don’t feel you need to buy these items either. You can easily rent them online.

Online game rental options:

Classic lawn games are perfect. If your reception or cocktail hour will be in spring or summer and you’ve got good weather, then use the glorious forecast to your advantage. Bocce, shuffleboard, or croquet are classic outdoor games that get everyone together.

Indoor/outdoor options. Just in case the weather turns gloomy, there are plenty of games that can be moved indoors. Corn hole, ring toss, and ping-pong or just a few examples.

Piñata. I’m currently traveling in Mexico, and this seems like an obvious game to play. As long as it doesn’t get too rowdy and guests don’t end up hitting each other, who wouldn’t want to crack open a piñata and get some candy? Piñatas are perfect for any type of party.

Scavenger hunts. Photo scavenger hunts, complete with disposable cameras provided to your guests, is a great way to get some silly photos into your album. You get to go behind the scenes at your own wedding and see some things you probably never imagined.

Board game corner. This is a great idea, especially if you have kids and want to have an area off to the side to keep them occupied. Make sure you have plenty of seating and space for drinks so your guests can play at leisure.

Mad Libs. It’s a classic for a reason, and there are plenty of options on Etsy if you want to create your own Mad Libs. I’ve had this played in a number of different weddings.

Group crossword puzzle. Etsy also offers the option to create your own crossword puzzle. At Sarah and David’s wedding, the couple set up a gigantic crossword puzzle along a bookshelf, and let guests come up and write in the answers with a washable pen. By the end of the reception, all the guests were crowded around the puzzle trying to solve it together.

Photo booth contests. Turn your photo booth into a competitive arena and get your guests trying to out do one another while wearing silly hats. You provide the prop inspiration, and let your guests surprise you.

Guest table games. If you have several tables of guests who do not know each other, this could be a good opportunity to get the conversation started. You can have guests answer questions about each other or answer trivia questions about the bride and groom. These games usually require you to answer a question or take part in a dare and will have the whole table working as a team.

DJ-Assisted Games. The shoe game is a classic here, with the DJ serving as emcee. In short, the couple sits back-to-back in the middle of the dance floor. The bride and groom each hold a shoe of their own and one from their spouse. Then the DJ says something along the lines of, ‘Who takes the longest to get ready in the morning?’ Whomever is the answer to the question, that shoe gets lifted into the air. This game never fails to not entertain. Other options include ‘name that tune,’ or bingo.

Shoe game question examples:

Who said I love you first?
Who made the first move?
Who has better handwriting?
Who dresses better?
Who is the better dancer?
Whose phone battery always 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?

Dancing and physical competition games. Put your DJ to work and have her/him lead a game of ‘freeze dance’ or ‘stand up, sit down’ with the bride and groom as judges. Often dancing challenges will be played so that the couple that has been together the longest is the last one on the dance floor.

Wedding Reception Game Ideas – Things To Avoid

Don’t get your guests too sweaty. If your wedding is a super casual, outdoor affair then go for the flag football with gusto. But if it’s a normal wedding with everyone dressed in cocktail attire, then aim for games that are a little less physically exerting. Say no to volleyball, but say yes to badminton.

Don’t select games that take too long or are too complicated. The idea is that the game is a side entertainment to the main event – your wedding. You don’t want guests to miss watching your first dance because they have one more round of Monopoly to finish.

Talia and Fahad’s Loft Story Wedding

So now you know how to entertain your own guests, let’s hear about Talia and Fahad’s big day. First, if you have not heard of the Loft Story, then you are in for a treat. This is a completely customizable venue, meaning that you can dress up (or dress down) the space as you like. The venue provides all of the tables and chairs necessary, while you provide the decor inspiration. The staff at the Loft Story is well versed in floral arranging, and they handled all of the décor for Talia and Fahad’s wedding. They also have separate rooms available for bridal suites and ceremonies. Case in point, Talia and Fahad began their wedding with a Muslim nikkah ceremony in a separate space before they said ‘I do’ with a western-style ceremony on the roof.

Your best bet for portraits in the area is the East River waterfront, the colorful graffiti along Milton Street, and the beautiful shaded neighborhood along Noble Street. I scheduled Talia and Fahad’s emotional first look at the WNYC Transmitter Park. This park is always pretty crowded, but we lucked out with having the dock pretty much to ourselves.

From the park, we moved quickly to the colorful graffiti murals in front of Milton Street. This is where we took the bridal party portraits. Bear in mind that this location is exceptionally bright in the middle of the day, but the colorful background just can’t be beat. If there had been more time, I would have loved to take more bride and groom portraits in front of the quaint little brownstones on Noble Street. All of the family portraits were taken inside the Loft Story venue.

This is my first time taking photos at the Loft Story. The staff there really has their act together and did a wonderful job. I look forward to photographing more weddings there in the future, and I wish Talia and Fahad the best of luck as they enjoy married life. Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

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Are you in the market for a Brooklyn wedding photographer? Drop me a line, and let’s chat about your photography needs.

If you would like to view more images from my NYC wedding photography portfolio, then please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com

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