Since I was little, my family has played a big game of croquet at every celebration from Thanksgiving to graduations, birthdays and plain old backyard barbecues. As a result, I love the idea of incorporating these classic games into your wedding as a form of entertainment!

Which wedding game is your favorite?

Croquet

Bocce Ball

Horseshoes

Ping Pong

I dread party games with a passionate dislike akin to my feelings for karaoke or line dancing. That being said, I have been to a few showers where the games actually made the entire event more fun. Whether you use games to break the ice, entertain your guests or embarrass the bride, here are a few references to help you get started planning party games that will make your party happier—not horrifying!

• Project Wedding has some cute bridal shower game ideas, including “In Her Words,” which involves writing down what the bride says as she opens each gift (think, “How did you know I wanted this?!”) and then reading back her responses as what she’ll say on her wedding night.
• June Wedding offers some of her own ideas about what makes a bridal shower game fun instead of fearsome, including tormenting the bride with a “get read for your honeymoon in the dark game” instead of tormenting guests with another round of charades.
• Celebrations features a fun list of ice breakers, including one where all guests write a brief synopsis of their first kiss on a card, toss them all together and then try to guess which kiss belongs to which attendee. Unfortunately, in this game, mine would be the only scenario involving Denny’s and a plate of mozzarella cheese sticks.
• Weddings Galore takes the bridal shower game a step further, with entire themes crafted around the idea of fitness, gardening or things a bride simply can’t live without.
• Love to Know has some funny ideas for couples’ showers, including “Love Duets” karaoke. I know I said I hate doing karaoke, but watching the bride and groom sing ridiculous songs to each other sounds too good to pass up.

Looking for a fun and inexpensive way to entertain your guests during lulls in the reception? Just stock your reception tables with these charming little activities that are sure to suit guests of any age!

One classic way to get your guests involved in the reception is to place disposable cameras at each table and encourage everyone to take pictures throughout the evening. Once you develop the film, you will have priceless photos of your friends and family that you can either incorporate into a scrapbook or wedding album, or slip into your thank you notes to remind everyone of all the fun they had on your big day.

Another great way to entertain your guests at their tables is with a crossword puzzle about you. Sites like CrosswordPuzzleGames.com make it easy to build your own free crossword puzzle, which you can then print and set out at each table.

You can even set out lottery tickets at each table as gifts and announce the winning numbers, or use stacks of blank stationery tied with ribbons as a way to encourage guests to write notes to neighboring tables or to the newlywed couple.

There are so many ways to add a little flair to your table settings. If you have any to share with the wedding community, let us know!