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Looking for fun reception activities for your guests to partake in?

Since you may guests who range in age from children to seniors, you may be interested in offering alternative activities that can help to “break the ice” and engage everyone.

For the older crowd, for the younger crowd, for those who don’t dance, or for those who dance but have some “down time,” here are some ideas to entertain all your guests.

1)”Apples to Apples” Wedding Edition: Familiar with the game “Apples to Apples”? Place 3-5 cards at each guest’s place setting (if you do not have access to the game, cards can be easily made by writing random people, places, things, ideas etc. on stock paper and cut into squares), have pre-made questions such as, “Where should the bride and groom have their honeymoon?” for the DJ/Master of Ceremonies or friend/family member to ask each table, each person at the table will give the card with the answer they think fits best (even though their options may not fit at all, which makes it funny), whoever gives the answer that the bride and groom like best can win a “prize” such as: first in line at the buffet table, the table centerpiece, an extra wedding favor, etc.

2) Raffle: When guests arrive, give them all tickets for a raffle. Winner of the drawing can win a prize.

3) Guess How Many There Are?: Have each guest guess how many. For example, the D.I.Y. project above shows how to spray paint beans; spray paint beans, use marbles, or gum balls that are your wedding colors, place them in a cup, jar, vase, or dish and have guests guess how many are in there. You can play one large game with everyone or make separate “guesses” for certain groups. If kids are going to be at the wedding, you may want to make one just for the kids so they can win a fun prize. Instead of tossing the bouquet or garter, have all the single ladies and gentlemen guess; the winner is next to get married! Everyone else can guess and win a prize as well.

4) D.I.Y. Goodie Bar: Set up a cookie or cupcake D.I.Y. bar for guests to decorate their own sweets. Set out plain cupcakes or cookies, perhaps in various flavors, with a bunch of topping and icing choices. Guests, especially kids, can have fun making their own goodies. Just don’t forgot to set out a couple of aprons so guests don’t get their nice clothes dirty!

5) Board Games: Doesn’t hurt to set up a separate table or two with cards and/or board games. Kids and adults can have fun playing if dancing isn’t their “thing.”

6) Individual Activities: Create fun papers with activities such as, a word search, picture to color in, or a story about bride and groom with blanks to fill in, to place at each guest’s place setting.

7) Finish the Poem: Give each guest a piece of paper that has a sentence, which will be the beginning of a poem (i.e. As Ronnie and Jill start their new life together they will...) and guests can finish the rest; some volunteers can share their poem for a laugh or something touching. Before people leave, make sure everyone turns theirs in so you can keep the poems for memories.

8) Cartoonist: Have a cartoonist come, he or she can draw pictures of the guests so they have something fun and memorable to take home.

9) Musical Chairs: Musical chairs is always fun! Whoever wins can get a prize such as: getting the first slice of cake, first dance with the bride/groom, etc. Making a separate game for the kids to play can be fun too; they might be too small to play with the adults, so have fun watching them play against each other.

10) Limbo: How low can you go? Limbo is fun to play with everyone as well. Both the kids and adults can play this together.

11) Pass the Buck: Another common wedding game, pass around a dollar (or more), like you would in a game of “hot potato;” whoever is left with the money when the music goes off, wins the money!

12) Karaoke: Karaoke, especially if there’s an open bar, can be a lot of fun. Onlookers can be entertained and the brave singers can have a lot of fun.

13) Pinata: Pinatas are yet another great idea that can involve everyone; kids and adults can have fun hitting and collecting what comes out!

14) Photo Booth: Seemingly becoming more popular, renting photo booths for guests to take pictures in is becoming all the rage. Guests can take home for memories and/or leave the photos for the bride and groom to create a photo book with all their friends and family. It’s also fun to have props for guests to use in their pictures as well.

15) Guestbook Scrapbook: Instead of having a guestbook where everyone just signs in, have guests create a scrapbook. Set up a Polaroid camera to have guests take pictures when they arrive (or if you have a photo booth, guests can use pictures from the booth), along with various items such as stickers, papers, ribbons, markers etc., so they can glue their pictures on a page, decorate it, and write a personal message to the bride and groom.

16) Guestbook Questionnaire: Pre-write questions (i.e. What is your best memory you have with the couple?) on each page of your guestbook so guests can sign in and fill out their answers.

17) Jenga: Have everyone play Jenga; make a line and have each person take a block out and try to place it on the top without making it fall over. Loser might have to do something silly!

In Love,

The RiL Girls