June is traditionally the month for weddings, even though, obviously, weddings take place throughout the year. One of the customary events that takes place before the actual wedding is, of course, the bridal shower, at which friends and relatives of the bride (and in the case of a co-ed shower, the groom as well) come together for a time of fun, food, and giftgiving to the bride-to-be and her groom. Games play a part in this time of celebration, and below is a list of some of the most popular bridal shower games.
For wordsmiths, the Word Scramble Game is a popular one to play at bridal showers. Simply make up a list of 20-25 words pertaining to the bride and groom, the wedding ceremony, and the honeymoon, and scramble them up so they are not easy to figure out. Give each shower guest a copy of the list, and give them 15 minutes to figure out the words on the list. The person who gets the most words correct wins the game.
For a kitchen-themed shower, the Spice Game is a very fitting choice to play. Pass around unlabeled, numbered bottles of different spices and seasonings and have the guests try to figure out what they are. Smelling and tasting are NOT allowed! The person who guesses the most correctly wins…..and the spices, correctly labeled after the game is over with, can be given to the bride-to-be as a gift. (Make sure to keep a list of the correct names of the spices and seasonings in the numbered bottles so they can be relabeled correctly after the game is played.)
Bridal Bingo is another fun game to play. A take-off of the old favorite Bingo, cards are made up with a 25-square grid. Gift ideas, taken from the bride and groom’s gift registry lists, are written on the cards beforehand; these are passed out to the guests, who can fill in the free space in the middle with whatever gift they brought. As the bride-to-be opens the gifts, guests mark off on the card any space that has that gift written in it. The first person to get a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal on their card wins the game.
A game that tests how well each guest knows the bride (and groom) is also a fun one to play. Make a list of trivia questions about the bride (and groom, if you wish), such as birthday, age, number of siblings, parents’ names, school, where the couple met, favorite hobbies, interests, foods, etc. Give the guests 15 minutes to answer the questions. Whoever has the most correct answers wins the game.
Another game tests memory. At some point during the shower, have the bride-to-be leave the room for 10 minutes. Hand out paper for the guests to write on with questions about the bride-to-be’s appearance: is she wearing a dress or slacks, a blouse or sweater, what kind of jewelry (or is she wearing any jewelry), how is she wearing her hair, what color are her eyes, is she wearing makeup, etc. Again, whoever has the most correct answers wins.
A couple of games that include physical activity and get people moving around a bit are Pass the Balloon and Hunt the “Thimble.” In Pass the Balloon, everybody stands in a circle. While music plays, a balloon is passed from person to person; when the music stops, the person holding the balloon has to sit down. When the music starts up again, the balloon proceeds to be passed around until the music is stopped again. The process is repeated until one person, the winner, remains.
Hunt the “Thimble” is a game where a thimble is hidden and guests have to find it. Clues as to its whereabouts are given by the hostess saying “You’re warm,” “Getting warmer,” “Cold!” “Hot!” etc. If there is a main theme to the shower, such as a kitchen, bathroom, or personal shower, an object in keeping with the theme can be hidden instead. Obviously, whoever finds the hidden object is the winner of the game.
Draw the Groom is another fun game where participants can show their artistic expertise (or not!). Guests are given a paper plate on which to draw a picture of the groom….while holding the paper plate on top of their head! They have 30 seconds to accomplish this masterpiece of art. The bride-to-be picks the best picture as the winner.
One more idea for a simple game is Lucky Chair. Simply tape a coin underneath one chair, and at some point during the shower have the guests look under their chairs. Whoever has the coin taped under their chair wins a prize.
These are just some of many ideas for games to play at a bridal shower. Two to three games is plenty, as guests will want to spend some time visiting with each other and the bride-to-be, snacking on refreshments, and also watching the bride-to-be open her shower gifts.
If you are planning a bridal shower and need game ideas, consider using some of the above listed, and have fun! More game ideas for bridal showers can be found at the following websites:
www.my-wedding-blog.com/ideas-for-your-wedding-shower-games.html
www.abbee.com/bridal-wedding-shower/
www.blissweddings.com/library/games.asp
Other resource: Personal experience.
