Bridal Shower
Bridal Shower Games
You have guests, you have gifts, you have food. The only thing missing in planning your best friend’s bridal shower is entertainment. What are the guests going to do after they eat while they are waiting for the blushing bride to open their gifts? They could chit chat, shoot the breeze, catch up on old times, or better still, play games.
Start the party off by decorating each guest as they pass through the door with a small ornament. Brightly colored, miniature clothespins work well, buttons or pins in wedding themes are also good choices. Upon giving them their ornament, explain that if someone catches them performing a specific act (crossing their legs, touching their hair) or saying a specific word or phrase (something related to weddings in general or to the bride) the person who catches them gets to take their ornament. The person with the most at the end of the party wins a prize.
While that game continues throughout the course of the party there are many other games and fun traditions that will do well to occupy the guests and pass the time quickly (because time flies when you’re having fun right?). Bridal bingo is a fun game that can go on as long as the guests are interested in playing it. Draw six to nine squares on a sheet of paper and give a sheet to each guest along with a pencil and enough “markers’ to cover each square (ideas for markers could include Jordan almonds, Hershey kisses, jelly beans or some other kind of small candy). Have each guest write a unique wedding word; gown, flowers, bells, doves, bride, groom, etc.; in each square. When they have filled all of their squares, have each person read one word off of their list while others mark off matching words, until someone covers their entire game board. (Tips for this game: Giving the guests pencils instead of pens reduces the number of “game boards” that have to be drawn. It may also be a good idea for a large party to have someone writing words on a separate paper as they are read off.)
Trivia games are fun for any party but why not, for this party, put a new spin on the standard trivia game. If there is time before the party begins, have the bride fill out a short questionnaire, 15-20 questions, about herself. Choose questions that will have brief answers and won’t embarrass the bride when the answers are shared with all of her guests. Some questions that could be used would be favorite movie, first kiss, where or how the bride and groom met, and favorite restaurant. Later, give each of the guests the same list of questions and have them fill in the answers they think the bride would have given. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.
If you have a shy bride and would rather play a game that doesn’t put her in anymore limelight than she is already in, try 2 truths and a lie. Sit in a circle, or as close to a circle as possible, and starting with the Maid of Honor or hostess, have each person tell two truths and one lie about themselves. After they have made all three statements, the rest of the party guests have to decide which statement was the lie. Have small prizes, candies work best, to give to each person who correctly guesses a lie.
Prizes don’t have to be wedding related. Remember that most of the guests at the shower have nothing to do with the wedding itself, other than to offer support to the bride and groom. If you are throwing a themed party, it might be fun to coordinate the prizes with the theme (votive candles or bath beads for a spa or relaxation themed party, packages of cookie mix or flavored teas for a kitchen party). For your own benefit, keep the prizes simple, dollar stores or discount stores can be a great place to find prizes, especially if you are looking for candles, cookie mixes or teas.
Most importantly, have fun. If you have fun planning the party, chances are good that your guests and especially your guest of honor, the bride herself, will have fun as well. And remember it’s a party, the whole point is to have fun.
Written by D. Jensen
Reprinted with permission by WeddingPearl.com
