There are plenty of perks to getting married, and that includes the series of gatherings you get to enjoy before the big day. There are engagement parties to plan, pre-ceremony getaways, and eventually a rehearsal dinner, all designed to celebrate the happy couple. Also sandwiched somewhere in there are celebrations reserved only for the wife-to-be and her family and friends, including the bridal shower. Most bridal showers include decorations, food, and games. But the last element can be the most difficult to come up with. If you're not sure what activities to arrange for your guests, read on. We've put together a list of the best bridal shower games the internet has to offer.
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20 Bridal Shower Game Ideas
1. How Well Do You Know the Couple?
What better way to kick off the festivities than with a little trivia? This game doesn't require any props or accessories, making it easy to plan and even easier to play. How Well Do You Know the Couple? is also a great option for events that the couple are planning to attend together. All you need to do is gather everyone in a circle and take turns answering trivia questions about the couple. It's best to prepare the questions in advance so you don't have to come up with anything on the spot. Some examples may include:
- Where did the happy couple share their first kiss?
- Where are they going on their honeymoon?
- Where did they first meet?
- How long have they been together?
2. Put a Ring on It
This is a super fun game that doesn't actually take too much time or energy. Here's how it works: everyone is given a plastic ring as they arrive at the bridal shower. Whenever a guest is caught saying a wedding-related word such as "dress" or "honeymoon," another guest is allowed to steal their ring. Whoever ends up with the most rings by the end of the shower wins.
3. Where Were We?
This trivia game is a little more guided than the last one listed. Instead of firing off random questions, each prompt will correlate to a photo hanging somewhere around the room. Guests will walk around, examine the pictures, and jot down where they think each photo was taken. The guest with the most correct answers wins.
4. Mad Libs® Wedding Vows
There are plenty of printable shower games on the internet that will do most of the work for you. To play this game, find some traditional wedding vows. Copy and paste into a document and remove a few words or phrases for guests to fill in like Mad Libs®. Don't forget to be specific about whether they should choose a noun, verb, or adjective for each blank. Make copies to pass around on the day of the event, and invite the bride to read each reworked set of vows at the end of the party.
5. The Bridal Shower Shoe Game
This one requires the bride's partner to be present, so if you're planning a more unconventional bridal shower—this game is for you. To begin, grab two chairs and place them in the center of the room. Sit the duo facing back to back and have them take off their shoes. Ask them to swap one shoe each so that they both have a one of each pair in hand. Select someone to read off statements that point to one member of the couple or the other. Instead of calling anything out, the couple will hold up the shoe belonging to the person they believe the blurb is describing.
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6. He Said, She Said
There are a lot of unique bridal shower games out there, but some are particularly great for testing guests on how well they know the couple they're there to celebrate. For He Said, She Said, you'll need to sit down with the bride and groom before the event, read off a series of statements, and have them say which one of them each best describes. (For example, "I am a neat freak," or "I'm always late.") This will be your answer key. Once the bridal shower eventually rolls around, have the guests guess who said what.
7. Save the Date
Meet up with the bride before the shower and ask her to provide you with a few important dates that are significant to her and her future spouse (their anniversary, first kiss, future wedding date, etc.). Make game index cards that list the name of the occasion on one side and their respective dates on the other—just be sure to mix up the order. See who can identify the most correct matches in the shortest amount of time!
8. Whose Memory?
For this bridal shower game, ask your guests to jot down their favorite memories with the bride-to-be on a piece of paper. Throw them into a basket and have the bride read them aloud at some point during the party. You can even include the request along with the shower invitation so that everyone has time to put some thought into the memory they'll share.
9. The Newlywed Game
Someone will need to sit down with the bride's fiancé a few days before the shower to play this game. Ask them a few questions about their relationship and record their answers. On the day of the event, present the bride with the same set of questions and see how many times the answers match. To make this activity even more fun, you can record the Q&A and play it for everyone at the event.
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10. Heads Up
Give each guest an index card and ask them to write down the name of a celebrity wife or a famous fictional bride. Shuffle the cards and lay them out on a table. Ask each guest to pick one up and tape it to their forehead—and remember, no peeking! As the party attendees mingle, encourage them to give one another clues as to whose name is on their card.
11. Wedding Pictionary®
To get started, divide the group into two teams. Team A comes up with a series of wedding-related terms, such as "wedding cake," "wedding dress," or "wedding venue." Someone from Team B will try to draw the term, while the rest of their teammates guess what it is.
12. Would She Rather
Before the event, sit down with the bride and ask her for her preferences on a number of topics. For instance, does she prefer sweet or savory dishes? Would she rather vacation in the mountains or at the beach? Does she like waking up early or sleeping in? Create a game card to present these same questions to your guests and see who knows the bride best.
13. Rom-Com Charades
Next up on our list of bridal shower games is a classic round of charades—only this time, with a bridal twist. Divide the room up into two or more teams and give each team a list of wedding-themed or romance movies to work with. Here are some you can include:
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding
- The Wedding Singer
- Wedding Crashers
- The Wedding Planner
- Father of the Bride
- 27 Dresses
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14. Musical Bouquet
This shower game puts a spin on musical chairs. Have your guests form a circle and hand a single bouquet to someone at random. When the music starts, they will pass the bouquet to the person next to them and so on, until the music stops. Whoever is caught holding the bouquet when the music is cut is eliminated, and then play continues.
15. Couples Jeopardy
Put together a DIY Jeopardy game board consisting of questions in wedding-related categories as well as a few specific to the couple. Divide the guests into two teams and encourage each group to "buzz in" once they've figured out whatever question corresponds to a specific answer on the board.
16. Paper Wedding Dress
Start by dividing your guests up into about four groups or more, depending on the size of your party. Instruct each group to select a "bride" and provide them with 2-3 rolls of toilet paper for them to construct a makeshift wedding gown. See what they can come up with in 15 minutes or less. The team that comes up with the most stylish creations wins.
17. Marriage Advice
You can't get through a day of wedding shower games without someone wanting to offer up a little advice. Give everyone a chance to put in their two cents on how to achieve marital bliss by setting up a station somewhere in the room. Stack a table with index cards and plenty of pens. Instruct your guests to deposit their cards into a box and have the bride read them aloud at the end of the party for everyone to enjoy.
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18. Bridal Shower Bingo
Is the bride-to-be planning to open gifts during the shower? If so, turn that tradition into a classic game of bingo. Create a set of cards featuring typical bridal shower gifts, such as lingerie, towel sets, kitchen knives, etc. The guests will cross off whatever items appear on their cards while the bride opens her gifts. Whoever is able to eliminate a full row first, wins.
19. Pin the Lips on the Groom
Purchase a traditional pin-the-tail on the donkey game and tack it to the wall. Then, print out a picture of the groom's face and tape it over the donkey's head. Grab some bright and inexpensive lipstick to have on hand. Blindfold each guest during their turn and ask them to apply as much lipstick as they see fit. Have them spin around a few times and then plant a kiss on the "groom." Whoever gets closest to his lips, wins.
20. The Bride's Poem
Seat all the guests in a circle. Grab a piece of paper and jot down a line about the couple, almost as if it were the first line in a poem. Pass it to the person on your right as the bride opens her presents. Every time the paper reaches someone new, they'll have to come up with a new line. Instruct them to read what was written immediately above so that there's some cohesion to the group's creation. Then, have them fold the paper so that everything is covered except for the last line written before handing it over to the next in line. Once the paper has made its way around the room, the hostess can read the whole poem out loud.
Bonus: Bridal Shower Prizes
Attending a bridal shower is an important way to show your support for the soon-to-be bride and participating in any games is also a part of that mission. From the bride's perspective, it's amazing to see people go out of their way to help them celebrate such a momentous chapter in their life. It's also something that warrants a gesture of thanks, such as some simple but fun prizes. Some of the most shower game prizes include home goods, cosmetics, or food items. If you're having a hard time coming up with ideas to gift your guests, consider some of the suggestions below:
- Candles
- Cupcakes
- Perfumes
- Wine glasses
- Kitchen utensils
- Hair accessories
- Face serums
- Ceramics
FAQ
How many games do you play at a bridal shower?
You can play as many games as you'd like during your bridal shower, though some suggest sticking to playing just one game per hour. That way, your guests won't feel overwhelmed and can still have plenty of time to eat, drink, and mingle with everyone else in attendance.
Does the groom usually come to the bridal shower?
Most bridal showers are designed to celebrate the bride independently from her betrothed, though these traditions have certainly loosened up over the years. More modern etiquette holds that the groom or partner can show up towards the end of the party to say hello to their future wife and her guests. If you want, you can even invite them to sit in on a few games with everyone else. Some activities may actually be much improved by their participation, in fact.
How long should your bridal shower be?
The duration of your bridal shower is up to you, but most brides decide to wind things down after about three hours. This provides enough time to enjoy the catering, open presents, play games, and chat with other guests. Any shorter, and guests may feel as though they didn't get enough time to connect with the bride-to-be. Any longer, and attendees might start getting tired and a little too eager to get home.
Wrapping Up
That's it for our list of fun bridal shower games, but be sure to check back in with us soon for even more ways to celebrate someone special. You can also sign up for our newsletter to enjoy similar content, as well as the latest in wellness, entertainment, and travel.
