So, you have been given the honour of planning the bridal shower. You want to make the day just as fantastic as she is, but you have no idea where to start. The most important thing is that the beautiful bride to be gets to spend time having fun with the people closest to her and what is a better way to have fun and connect people from all walks of life than some entertaining games for everyone to enjoy together.
The problem is that there are millions of games out there and picking which ones to use for such a special occasion can seem like a daunting task. That’s why we have compiled a list of 43 fantastic games that can be enjoyed at a bridal shower.
Left Right Game
The Left Right Game is a suitable game for all, whether grandma or the nieces are attending or its just the girls from college this quick paced game is sure to be great fun.
How to play: Firstly, you need to download a short script to use. This can be found online simply by searching Left Right Game. You will then choose a narrator to read the script aloud while everyone sits in a circle. There is a present which starts with the Bride and every time the word right is said she passes it to the right and every time the word left is said she passes it to the left. Whoever is holding the present at the end of the script gets to take it home.
Who Said It
A simple and well-known game that can be altered to suit your guests.
How to play- A quote is read out and guests must simply guess who said it.
Wedding Themed Pictionary
This spin off of the classic party game allows for all-inclusive wedding themed fun!
How to play- Take it in turns to draw a wedding themed pictures while the other quests take turns to guess what it is.
Wedding Trivia
Another classic game and party favourite made to suit this super special day.
How to play- This is simply a wedding themed quiz so choose a quiz master and get guessing!
Wedding Charades
Get everybody moving with this more active party game. This one is sure to shame some people’s terrible acting skills and get everybody having a laugh.
How to play- Simply pick a wedding themed song, film or book and act it out while others guess.
Two Truths and a Lie
Out yourself in this game and see who really knows you best.
How to play- All guests say 3 facts about themselves, and everyone tries to guess which is the lie.
Pass The Poem
This game is very similar to The Left Right Game and is great for a chilled out and traditional bridal shower.
How to play- First download a pass the poem transcript. As you read the poem each line will tell you who to pass the prize to. Whoever is holding the prize at the end of the poem gets to take it home.
Pin The Veil on The Bride
A wedding twist on a traditional kids birthday party game.
How to Play- Buy a pin the veil on the Bride party set. Guests are then blind folded one at a time and span around three times before having to try and stick the veil in the correct place.
Bridal Shower Bingo
A much more fun and personalised version of the archaic game
How to play- Players draw the gifts that they think The Bride will receive in a nine by nine grid. When The Bride opens her presents the players cross off the ones that they have drawn. The first player to cross off five wins.
Would She Rather
A guessing game centred entirely around The Bride to Be.
How to play- Guests are given two scenarios and must all guess which one the Bride would pick.
Find The Guest
An interactive game to get all of your guests interacting and getting to know each other.
How to play- A list of characteristics such as “who owns 3 dogs” is given and everyone must guess which guest it is about.
Interactive Scavenger Hunt
A fun game to get everyone moving around and getting to know The Bride to Be’s hometown.
How to play- Create clues such as “Where the Bride and groom had their first kiss” and get everyone searching.
Paper Bride
This is a good way to get everyone laughing and getting to know one another.
How to play- Firstly, you split the guests into teams of two, three or four and arm them with toilet rolls. You then set an agreed timer (usually five or ten minutes) as they race to dress one team member in toilet roll in the style of a wedding dress. The Bride to be then chooses her favourite wedding dress and this team wins a prize.
Who Can Make The Best Cocktail
A fun way of letting the guests get their creative side out.
How to play- This one really is as simple as it sounds, serve up some yummy ingredients and get the fun going!
Why Do We Do That?
This is a fun tradition which tests peoples knowledge and might teach everyone a new fact or two.
How to play- In this archaic bridal shower game the quiz master presents lots of wedding traditions such as having a dedicated wedding ring finger. The competitors are faced with a list of possible reasons and must guess which one is true for each tradition.
Cold Feet
This challenge isn’t for the faint hearted but will be a sure way to add some excitement to the event.
How to play- Firstly, hide a load of rings inside buckets of ice water. Guests should then place their feet into the freezing cold water and resurface with the rings on their toes. Whoever gets the most rings in two minutes will be crowned the winner.
Fantasy Date
Find out everyone’s favourite celebrity crush in this fun guessing game.
How to play- Everyone writes down their celebrity crush and folds them up and puts them in a hat. You then pull them out one at a time and have to guess which celebrity crush belongs to which guest.
Tie The Knot
This fun and unique game will have everyone in stitches.
How to play- Give everyone a bowl full of cherry stems and see who can tie the most knots in 5 minutes.
How Well Does The Bride to be Really Know Her Other Half
Another fun quiz that puts all of the attention on the happy couple.
How to play- This one takes a little bit of preparation. Before the day you must compile a list of questions about himself from the husband to be. On the day guests must guess how many they think The Bride to be will get right, she will then try to answer each question. Whoever’s guess is closest to the correct number wins a prize.
Cell Phone Scavenger Hunt
This one could reveal a lot about your guests.
How to Play- Put together a list of things that may be on people’s phones such as a selfie with the bride to be, The mother of the bride’s phone number and the name of the wedding venue. Each thing on the list should be worth somewhere between one and five points, whoever gets the most points wins.
Musician Bouquet
A more ladylike version of musical chairs.
How to play- Everyone should sit in a circle and the bride should hold the bouquet. Then play some music as the guests pass the pretty flowers around the circle, whoever is holding them when the music is paused is out. Repeat this process until you have a winner.
What’s In Your Purse
They say that the contents of a woman’s purse can reveal a lot about her so this could be a fun icebreaker.
How to play- Award each player with a card which will have a list of potential purse contents on it, each item on the list should also have an amount of points next to it. Guests should then scurry through their bags and give themselves the correct amount of points for each item that they found. The person with the most points wins.
Ring Hunt
This one can be ongoing throughout the shower which could prove to be a lot of fun.
How to play- Before the guests arrive hide some rings around the venue. Throughout the day guests should try and find the hidden rings and whoever has the most at home time wins.
Movie Love Quotes Quiz
This fun quiz should test everyone’s movie knowledge and will reveal who really spends their evenings watching rom-coms
How to play- Simply give all of the guests a list of quotes from romantic movies and get them guessing which films they are from.
Name That cake
What could be better than a game that gets your taste buds tingling.
How to play- Blindfolded guests get to try 10 different cakes and must try to guess what each one is.
How Old Were They
A fun game to get everyone cooing at the bride and groom’s cute baby faces.
How to play- Before the day print out pictures of the bride and groom at a range of ages and let the guests have fun guessing how old they are in each one.
Paint By Numbers
This is such a relaxing way to spend an afternoon with loved ones.
How to play- Simply provide the guests with jars of paint labelled with numbers and then they are free to spend the day painting by numbers and chatting with friends.
Emoji Pictionary
A fun 21st century twist on a traditional family favourite.
How to play- Emoji Pictionary cards are premade and available to print from various corners of the internet. Simply print them off and get people guessing what each set of emojis is trying to tell them.
Tip Jar
A more emotional yet practical bit of fun for everyone.
How to play- Ask all of the guests to write a piece of advice for the happy couple’s married life. This is not only a fun and thoughtful game but will also serve as a guest book.
Bridal Shower Ring Toss
A fun and outdoorsy game to get everyone’s competitive side out.
How to play- Get some sparkly champagne bottles together and take it in turns to throw the rings over them. Whoever gets the most rings around the bottles wins.
How Well Do You know The Bride
A fun quiz to find out who truly knows The Bride to be the best.
How to play- Write a quiz based purely around the bride and let the guests all answer. Whoever gets the most questions right is the winner.
Baking Competition
This one is a bit different but offers a very laid-back approach to the day.
How to play- Simply set a timer, get baking and have a vote at the end.
Kitchen Memory Game
A fun game loved by all generations.
How to play- Place lots of items on a tray and set a timer. Guests have two minutes to closely study the tray, it is then covered up with a tea-towel and they should list off as many items as they remember, whoever gets the most right wins.
Ring Pop Game
A fun twist on a traditional bridal shower game.
How to play- At the start of the event each guest is given a Ring Pop. One word such as “Bride” is banned for the whole night. Whenever someone hears someone else say “Bride” they take their ring. Whoever has the most rings at the end of the bridal shower wins.
A Crafting Station
A fun rule-free way of letting everyone’s creative side loose.
How to play- The exciting part about this game is that there are no how to play rules. Simply set up a crafting station with lots of fun bits and bobs and let everyone build their creations.
Scratch-Off Cards
A hassle-free game that is sure to add a bit of excitement to the day.
How to play- Simply purchase a set of scratch-off cards and let everyone pick one to scratch. Whoever has the winning cards wins a prize, simple!
Three-legged Race
A hilarious and low-cost icebreaker.
How to play- Guests are split into teams of two they must then tie two of their legs together and race all of the other pairs. The first duo to cross the finish line wins.
Guess The Wedding Details
How well do you know the bride to be?
How to play- Pick some categories such as color theme and dress style. Guests must predict which will be used at the wedding. The twist with this one is you wont know who the winner is until the big day!
The Ring Of Fire
If your event is intended to involve a lot of drinking then this game could be your go to.
How to play- Firstly make sure that you have some playing cards, drinks and empty glasses. Download a list of game rules which will tell you what each card means. Put the cards face down in a ring shape and take it in turns to pick one up and do the task that that card equates to.
Jewellery Making
This is a great idea whether your guests are a crafty bunch or complete novices in the jewellery making department.
How to play- Simply provide the guests with a table full of beads, pendants and wire and set them free. A way to make this even more fun could be to create masterpieces to wear on the big day.
Cake Decorating
This is another more relaxed option for those with guests from across numerous generations. It can be as serious or as fun as you like and should be the foundations of a crafty bridal shower.
How to play- Bake or buy a lot of cakes on the days leading up to the gathering then provide the guests with these and a lot of icing and decorations. It is up to you whether you want this to be some friendly fun or you would like to make it a competition to give it that competitive edge.
Flower Arranging
This floral fun is a great way to get everyone thinking about the big day.
How to play- All you need to do to prepare for activity is to gather lots of flowers and plants and provide these along with equipment such as scissors. To make it even more fun the flowers could be to be used on the big day as table centerpieces or for the bridesmaids.
Guess The Dress
We all know that one of the most exciting parts of the wedding day is the dress. Let this game build the anticipation.
How to play- Everyone gets a piece of paper/card with an outline of a woman on it they must then draw a wedding dress on her. They should try to get the dress as close to the one that they think the bride to be will wear on the bid day. Take the drawings to the wedding to see how close you were!
How Much Should the Bridal Shower Cost?
This is totally up to you and depends on your own individual budget and circumstances. On average a bridal shower can cost anywhere between $10 and $40 per person.
So, let’s say you decide to invite the bride’s mother, the groom’s mother, the bride’s three older sisters, the groom’s little sister, the four grandmas, the bride’s three bridesmaids, ten friends and four work colleagues. That’s anywhere between $270 and $1080. Of course, this price can be made lower or higher depending on what exactly you want the shower to include.
What Prizes Should I Give at a Bridal Shower?
Once again, this is completely your own choice. Prizes can vary depending on many factors such as budget, the theme and the games played. As a general rule it is not expected that the prizes will be expensive, it is more common to find that prizes range between a value of $5 and $15. Some examples of bridal shower prizes could include:
- Bath and Body Sets– These are a good allrounder that most women will appreciate.
- Bath Bombs- These are a fun and popular prize that people of all ages can enjoy.
- A Small Bottle of Prosecco– As long as most of the guests are over 21 and drinkers then this could be a thoughtful option, after all, prosecco screams that its time to celebrate!
- A Gift Voucher– This is a gift that is much less likely to be left at the back of the cupboard for the next two years and much more likely to be used as it gives people the freedom to choose their own prize. It could be difficult to find a gift voucher to suit everybody so try and go as generic as possible.
- Flowers– Flowers can be a cute and more personal addition to any prize list. They will more then likely be put straight on display and admired by all. The only thing with this prize is that you can’t buy it ages in advance so it might add to time pressures.
- Chocolate and Sweets– This is a classic game prize enjoyed by everyone. Try having a range to choose from as everybody’s taste is different.
- Theme Related Prizes– This may or may not be relevant to you depending upon whether you have a theme. If you do have a theme, it’s a great idea to make the prizes match. If it is a rather niche theme this may seem difficult but don’t forget you can always get prizes personalised to meet the showers needs.
Who should I Invite to the Bridal Shower?
This question is impossible to provide a definitive answer to as it can vary so drastically. Most bridal showers typically are held for the bride to be’s closest female family and friends however sometimes this may not be a good idea. For instance, you don’t want drama on such a special day so sometimes it’s best to avoid inviting certain combinations of people which can lead to some tricky decisions.
You also want the bride to feel as comfortable as possible at her bridal shower so it is important to invite people that will make her feel this way (consider whether work colleagues are a good idea or not). Overall, when it comes to who to invite, the most important thing is that the bride to be will be happy.
Final Thoughts
Planning a bridal shower is a huge responsibility but also a great honor. You want the day to be as enjoyable as possible and picking the right games and activities is at the epicenter of that. There is no hard and fast rule when it comes too choosing games as it all depends upon who is attending and the vibe that you want to achieve as well as budget.
Our list contains 43 games some of which are popular traditions and others which would give your day a unique twist. The best idea may be to use somewhere between two and four of the games listed including a couple of traditional bridal shower games and one or two less well-known ones, this could provide the perfect balance between tradition and individuality.
Finally, it is important to remember that you know the bride to be best and therefore only you can know what would suit her best.
