Wedding Reception Games: 25 Ideas for Guests, Cocktail Hour and the Couple, With an Original Couple Quiz

By The Rondovo team · Published · Updated · 9 min read

Most Likely To on Rondovo: the shared screen during a game

The best wedding reception games are short, optional and about the couple: a shoe game or couple quiz during dinner, a table trivia card about how the couple met, a photo scavenger hunt, lawn games during cocktail hour, and bingo or tambola with small prizes for a relaxed crowd. Plan one game for each part of the evening at most, keep each under 15 minutes, and never let a game embarrass the couple or a guest. Below are 25 ideas sorted by when to play them, plus 30 original questions you can use for a couple quiz.

In short

  • Cocktail hour: lawn games, a photo scavenger hunt, an advice card table. Things guests can drift in and out of.
  • During dinner: table trivia about the couple, the shoe game, a table question card.
  • After dinner: a quick group game from the stage, then dancing.
  • For a mixed crowd: nothing physical for older guests unless seated, nothing risqué with children there.
  • Ask the couple first. Some couples love a shoe game. Others would rather sink through the floor.

How to choose wedding games for guests

A wedding is not a party game night. Most guests came to eat, dance and see the couple, and games are a bonus. That changes the rules.

Optional beats mandatory. A game guests can join or ignore (a quiz card on the table, lawn games) will always land better than one that stops the room.

About the couple, not about guests. Guests know the couple, not each other. Questions about the couple give strangers at a table something to talk about.

Fits the timeline. Talk to the planner or the venue coordinator. Games that run into speeches or the first dance cause stress.

Suits the crowd. Grandparents, children, the couple's bosses and the friends from university are all in the same room. If a game would make any of them uncomfortable, skip it.

Wedding games for cocktail hour

Cocktail hour is often the stretch while the couple takes photos. Games here should be self-running.

  1. Lawn games. Giant tumbling blocks, cornhole, ring toss, bocce, croquet. Rent them or borrow them. Older guests can watch from seats nearby.
  2. Photo scavenger hunt. A card on each table with shots to capture: three generations in one photo, someone wearing the couple's colour, a guest who travelled the furthest. Guests share them on a wedding hashtag or shared album.
  3. Advice and date night jar. Cards for marriage advice or date ideas the couple can open on anniversaries.
  4. Guess the number. A jar of sweets, corks or buttons. Closest guess takes the jar home.
  5. Polaroid guest book. Not strictly a game, but a guest photo with a short note keeps people busy and gives the couple a keepsake.
  6. "Find the guest" bingo. Squares like "has known the bride since school" or "flew in from another country". Great for mixing two families who have never met.

Wedding reception games during dinner

Table games fill the gaps between courses and give strangers something to talk about.

  1. Table trivia card. Ten questions about the couple on a card at each table. Tables fill it in together; the best table wins first dibs on dessert or is first to the buffet. Use questions from our quiz below.
  2. Table question card. A different light question on each table: "Where should the couple go for their tenth anniversary?" The best answers get read out during speeches.
  3. Wedding Mad Libs. A short story about the couple with blanks. Keep the tone affectionate.
  4. The shoe game. The couple sits back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of the other's. The host asks questions; each raises the shoe of the person the answer applies to. It works because the couple sometimes disagree. Questions are below.
  5. The newlywed quiz. The host asks the couple a few questions about each other. Keep it to five minutes.
  6. Kissing glasses alternative. Instead of guests clinking glasses for a kiss, they come up and answer a question about the couple, or the whole table sings a few bars of a love song of their choice.

Wedding games for the dance floor and late evening

  1. Anniversary dance. All married couples on the floor; the DJ calls out years and couples leave until the longest married couple remains. A lovely moment, and they can pass on advice.
  2. Musical bouquet. A smaller bouquet is passed while the music plays; whoever holds it when the music stops leaves. Gentle and good with children joining.
  3. Dance off by table. Tables nominate one dancer each. Only for crowds that want it.
  4. Song request bingo. Cards with songs the DJ might play. Mark them off; first line wins a prize.

Wedding games with prizes

Small prizes make games feel like part of the celebration. Think bottle of something non-alcoholic and nice, a potted plant from the centrepieces, chocolates, or the table centrepiece itself. Bingo and tambola give several winners per game. Keep prizes modest and avoid anything that looks like gambling: no paid entries or cash pots.

  1. Classic bingo with wedding prizes. Paper cards at the table and a caller between courses.
  2. Tambola. At Indian weddings and sangeets, tambola is often the most-played game of the night. Prizes for the first five numbers, each line, the corners and a full house mean up to six winners a game. Our guide to tambola rules and tickets explains each prize, and sangeet games has more for the pre-wedding night.

Our games at a wedding

For most receptions, paper and a microphone are all you need. Screens help in a few situations: a smaller reception, a long gap between ceremony and dinner, a mehndi or sangeet evening, the after party, or guests who couldn't travel and are joining on a video call. Rondovo is free and runs in a browser: one person hosts a room and gets a four letter code, guests join at rondovo.com on any device without an account, and a TV or projector (optional) can show the board to the room. Guests on a video call open the room on their own device, so nobody has to share a screen. Each room holds up to 16 players, so it suits a table or a family group rather than a 150 guest reception.

  1. Tambola, 2 to 16 players. Tickets on everyone's own screen, the called number large on the TV if you use one. The host can turn on automatic marking so older relatives only need to tap to claim a prize.
  2. Bingo, 2 to 16 players. A 75 ball game that can pay up to three places.
  3. Most Likely To, 3 to 16 players. Our prompts are light and general ("most likely to name their houseplants") rather than wedding themed, and fun with a bridal party who all know each other.
  4. Two Truths, 3 to 12 players. Each guest writes two truths and a lie about themselves. Good at a mixed table where nobody knows each other yet.
  5. Mindline, 2 to 16 players. One person gives a clue for a secret spot between two ideas; everyone else guesses on their own screen. Gentle enough for every generation.
  6. Scrawl, 3 to 16 players. A drawing and guessing game for the after party.

Honestly, none of our games let you add your own questions about the couple. For a couple quiz on screens, a quiz tool that takes custom questions, like Kahoot, is the right choice (its free plan caps how many players can join a live game, so check the limit first); or print the questions below.

Wedding games online for guests who can't travel

  1. A virtual table. Set up a laptop with a video call at one table, or a separate call during dinner. Guests at home can play the same table trivia card (send it in advance) or join a game room with the guests at the venue.

Original couple quiz questions

We wrote these for table trivia cards or a newlywed quiz. Ask the couple for the answers in advance and keep them sealed until the reveal.

How it started

  1. Where did the couple first meet?
  2. Who spoke first?
  3. What was their first date?
  4. Who said "I love you" first?
  5. How long had they been together before the proposal?
  6. Where did the proposal happen?
  7. What was the first trip they took together?
  8. Which friend or relative met the partner first?

Everyday life

  1. Who is the better cook?
  2. Who takes longer to get ready?
  3. What is their favourite takeaway order?
  4. Who controls the TV remote?
  5. Who is more likely to be late?
  6. Who does the washing up without being asked?
  7. What is the one chore they both avoid?
  8. Morning person or night owl: which is which?

The future

  1. Where do they want to travel next?
  2. Dream home: city, seaside or countryside?
  3. Who will plan the first anniversary?
  4. If they adopted a pet tomorrow, what would it be?

Shoe game questions

The couple holds up the shoe of whoever the answer fits. Mix sweet and silly, and keep it clean: the grandparents are listening.

  1. Who is the better dancer?
  2. Who apologises first after an argument?
  3. Who is more likely to get lost with the map open?
  4. Who sings in the car?
  5. Who is the bigger spender?
  6. Who fell in love first?
  7. Who remembers birthdays?
  8. Who would survive longer without a phone?
  9. Who is the better driver?
  10. Who will cry first during the speeches?

End on "Who is luckier to have married the other?" Both should raise their partner's shoe, and if they don't, that's even better.

What to avoid at a wedding reception

  • Garter and bouquet games that make a single guest the centre of attention against their will. Ask before calling anyone up.
  • Drinking games. Many guests don't drink, and it can turn the evening.
  • Roasts and embarrassing stories. Save them for the stag or hen; even then, keep them kind.
  • Long games. Anything over 15 minutes eats into dancing and speeches.
  • Games that need a phone signal if the venue has none. Check the wifi before relying on a screen.

Questions people ask

What games do you play at a wedding reception?

The shoe game, table trivia about the couple, bingo or tambola with small prizes, the anniversary dance, a photo scavenger hunt and lawn games during cocktail hour are the most common.

What are good wedding games for guests during the reception?

Table trivia cards, table question cards and "find the guest" bingo let guests play at their own table without stopping the room.

What wedding games can you play during cocktail hour?

Lawn games, a photo scavenger hunt, an advice jar and guess the number in a jar. They need no host while the couple are away for photos.

What are fun wedding games for the bride and groom?

The shoe game and a short newlywed quiz. Ask the couple first, and use questions that are affectionate rather than embarrassing.

Are there free wedding games online?

Yes. Quiz tools like Kahoot have free plans for a custom couple quiz, though free plans cap the number of players, and free browser games such as our Tambola, Bingo and Most Likely To work for a table, a sangeet or remote guests, with no download or account for guests.

Planning the hen or stag too? See our bachelorette party games. Our party games guide covers every other occasion.

Kahoot and Mad Libs are trademarks of their owners. Rondovo is not affiliated with them.

Play free tonight

Host a room, share the four letter code, and everyone plays on their own screen. Nothing to download, and the TV is optional.

  • Tambola: Tickets out, eyes down. A number every few seconds; the first valid claim takes the prize. 2 to 16 players, about 15 minutes.
  • Bingo: Build your own card square by square, then race the room to the shape. 2 to 16 players, about 10 minutes.
  • Most Likely To: The TV asks who is most likely to. Everyone points at someone, even themselves. Read the room to score. 3 to 16 players, about 10 minutes.
  • Two Truths: Write two truths and a lie on your screen. The TV puts one player on the spot; spot the lie or get fooled. 3 to 12 players, about 15 minutes.
  • Mindline: Give a clue for a secret spot on a spectrum. Your friends guess where your mind went. 2 to 16 players, about 15 minutes.
  • Scrawl: Draw on your screen, it appears on the TV, everyone else guesses on theirs. 3 to 16 players, about 15 minutes.

Keep reading

Every game night guide · Rondovo