The six games below work for a group of friends who may be meeting for the first time. Each takes 10 to 20 minutes and needs only pens, index cards and a bowl. Nobody has to drink, and the bride is never the punchline. The questions in the list above feed the games: the first group is a quiz the bride answers in advance, the rest are for guests.
If the guest of honor isn’t a bride, swap the word and the games work the same way.
Before the party
- Ask the bride which topics are off limits: exes, family, money, anything else she names.
- Send her the quiz questions a few days ahead, or ask her partner to collect the answers.
- Buy a pack of index cards and enough pens for everyone. Bring a bowl or hat.
- Plan when each game happens. Introductions work early; wishes work late, when the group is quieter.
The games
1. How I know the bride
Best for: the start, when guests are still strangers.
Go around the room. Each guest gives their name, which part of the bride’s life they come from and one sentence about how they met her. The bride can add a detail if she wants. It takes about a minute per person and gives everyone a story to refer back to later.
2. The bride quiz
Best for: any size group. Supplies: cards, pens, the bride’s answers.
Read the quiz questions one at a time. Guests write their guess, then the bride reads her real answer. One point per correct guess; the highest score wins. Keep the quiz to the light questions she agreed to, and let her skip any she would rather not answer in front of everyone.
For a twist, collect the answers from her partner instead and see whether the bride agrees with them.
3. Who wrote it?
Best for: groups that mix old and new friends. Supplies: cards, pens, a bowl.
Each guest picks a question from the stories group and writes a short memory of the bride without signing it. Fold the cards into the bowl. Read them out one at a time while the group, and the bride, guess who wrote each one. Ask the writer before a card is shared beyond the party. Anyone can drop in a blank card.
4. Most likely to, bride edition
Best for: loud, playful groups.
Read a “Who here is most likely to...” prompt and everyone points at the person they pick on three. Include the bride in some rounds, not all. Keep prompts about harmless habits, such as getting lost or crying at a movie. Our most likely to questions have plenty to choose from.
5. Two truths and a lie about the bride
Best for: small groups who know her well.
The bride writes two true facts about herself and one invented one. Guests vote on the lie. Then swap: each guest tells two truths and a lie about their own history with the bride. The full rules are in two truths and a lie.
6. The wish bowl
Best for: the end of the night. Supplies: cards, pens, a bowl or envelope.
Each guest writes a wish or a piece of advice from the last group of questions and signs it. Don’t read them aloud. Seal them in an envelope for the bride to open after the wedding.
Keeping it fun for everyone
Let anyone sit out a round without explaining. Skip questions about past relationships or anything she told a friend in confidence. Ask before posting cards, photos or videos from the games.
If the shower is the family event and this is the friends’ night, the bridal shower games are written for a daytime crowd that includes grandparents. For more group games that aren’t about the bride, see party games for adults.