The wedding games at swedish weddings – the photographer’s best tips for fun times at the reception!

Wedding games for the reception – what should the couple consider while planning them?

It’s time for the photographer’s next wedding tip for your swedish wedding – below I list fun wedding games for the dinner and reception! Which activities are the most fun for both you and your guests – and do you want any at all? The best outcome is usually achieved if the games are slightly modified to make them more personal and if the toastmaster or toastmistress adapts them to what the couple prefers and feels comfortable with, as well as what kind of wedding party they want.

If you, as the wedding couple, prefer a more relaxed atmosphere, then it’s probably not the best idea to have colorful shot trays between courses and a so-called ”Hora Loca” – a crazy hour in the evening when masks and costumes come out. (However, I can promise that your wedding photographer will love it!)

I always recommend the couples who book me to follow their gut feeling and skip the traditions that don’t fit into their vision of how the wedding should look. The same applies to wedding games – there are indeed some cringeworthy games out there that are best forgotten! Not everyone feels comfortable being touched, for example, so the kissing game may not be suitable for all couples, which is important to communicate to your toastmasters.

For the best photo results, ask your wedding coordinator/toastmasters to maintain clear communication with your wedding photographer so that they can position themselves correctly for the games and capture the moments. It’s crucial that your wedding photographer eats at the same time as you and your guests, not much later. Most of my wedding couples at international weddings choose one person each so that you´ll have two that can help in each language.

Communicate with Your Toastmistress/Toastmaster!

Discuss everything with your toastmistress/toastmaster, and also maintain clear communication with your wedding coordinator if you have booked one. Discuss the boundaries regarding the games to avoid creating a dull atmosphere on the wedding day and the feeling afterward that the wedding dinner did not turn out as intended. It’s helpful to communicate in writing so nothing is forgotten amidst all they need to think about. One tip is to create a mood board on Pinterest together with them, where you can save different types of games on pinboards and help them understand your wedding vision.

Every couple has their own limit for what is okay, and respect and clear communication are usually the best approach. ♥ Keep the wedding games in mind when planning your schedule for the day.

Have you attended a wedding and want to suggest a game that isn’t listed here? Share your tips in the comments!

15 Fun Wedding Games for the Reception!

THE SHOE GAME

This is one of our most traditional and popular wedding games here in Sweden – there are only a handful weddings I’ve photographed where this game was not part of the reception! The premise is that the couple sits back to back and exchange one shoe with each other so that they have one of each. The toastmistress/toastmaster reads a series of statements, and the couple must hold up the shoe they think best fits the statement, often resulting in lots of laughs – especially from the guests who can see both answers.

The timing for this game can vary from when the couple first arrives at the reception venue to late in the evening during the dinner. It’s also important that your toastmistress/toastmaster knows the boundaries to avoid making the statements too personal or revealing.

THE BEST GROUP PHOTO

This game is, of course, the wedding photographer’s favorite! Guests compete to take the best group photo, ideally following the seating arrangements! Which table will win?! It becomes even more fun when the couple joins in the game. To add more fun, set up silly signs and costumes at your photo booth along with a box of funny hats, paper glasses, and other props. Check out My Perfect Day for props! These can often be resold to other couples as long as they are in good condition.

PHOTO COMPETITION FOR THE GUESTS

This is another of my personal favorites, of course! Create a nice PDF with tips on various things that guests should document – like the best shoes, funniest face, coolest photo booth outfit, etc. Buy Instax cameras so guests don’t have to use their own phones; otherwise, you might miss getting the pictures when everyday life resumes. Available at places like Clas Ohlson, Elgiganten, and Scandinavian Photo! Several of my couples have used these and been satisfied, though I’ve only tested them occasionally, so I can’t guarantee the quality. Read more about them at Instax.

This game is an excellent complement to your booked wedding photographer. Some of my couples have chosen to use the mobile app Celebrate: share photo & video, which I find user-friendly. It’s also fun that several of my couples have added a few photos and a greeting during the honeymoon – a lovely way to include the guests. ♥ If you prefer to get the pictures digitally, the tip is to prepare your wedding guests from the start that the app exists – write it on your wedding website or in your invitation!

THE KISS GAME

It’s important for everyone involved to discuss whether this game is acceptable to play, as not everyone feels comfortable being touched in this way. ♥ Fundamentally, this is a traditional and very gender-segregated wedding game where the wedding guest chooses whether they want to participate.

The idea is that when one partner leaves the wedding dinner (commonly during the first bathroom break), guests who identify as the same gender as the departing partner stand up and kiss the remaining partner. From my experience at weddings I’ve photographed, non-binary guests choose which partner to approach.

As long as everyone is on board, this can be a joyful moment. Because it has to happen quickly before the partner returns, the kisses can be somewhat haphazard, which can result in many funny pictures from your photographer. But as mentioned – communication is key! You can also opt for a variation where kisses are omitted (clearly communicated by the toastmistress/toastmaster) and replaced with hugs instead.

HOW WELL DO THE COUPLE KNOW THEIR GUESTS?/COMMON DENOMINATOR

The couple stands with their backs to a screen/sign where statements are displayed for them to guess. Guests who identify with the statement stand up, and the couple has to guess what the statement could be. Examples of statements include ”You are shorter than NN,” ”You have children under 18,” or ”You were born in the 80s.” This game often generates a lot of laughs as the guests see the answer, but you should also consider how personal the couple wants to be. I’ve heard a lot while working at weddings, but not all statements have been appreciated by every couple.

I recommend that the toastmistress/toastmaster create statements with varying levels of difficulty – it’s fun when the couple has to scratch their heads a bit and not solve it immediately, but they shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out.

WHO IN THE COUPLE DOES IT APPLY TO?

This wedding game can be fun either as a quiz during mingling or as a separate activity during the wedding dinner. Guests answer different questions and statements about the couple and guess which partner it applies to. Examples include ”Who loves to swim?” and ”What year did we start dating?” After the guests have answered everything, the couple goes through all the answers. A tip is to make the questions/statements have varying degrees of difficulty. One variation is that guests answer by table and compete against each other. Give fun and quirky prizes to the winners.

EATING MARSHMALLOWS

In this game, the couple has to stuff marshmallow after marshmallow into their mouths while clearly saying, ”I’m the one in charge!” Engage the guests, who decide after each marshmallow whether the couple has managed it and can add another one. The couple doesn’t actually eat the candy; they can spit it out once the game is over if they wish.

THE MINGLING GAME

Have you invited wedding guests who don’t know each other? This game lightens the mood and gets conversations going at your wedding! Forms with various statements are handed out, and the guests must mingle and find other guests who match each statement.

CROSSWORD AT THE TABLE

Solving a crossword puzzle with your table neighbor also lightens the mood and generates conversations with new acquaintances. Start this when your guests sit down for a fun beginning to the dinner!

RAFFLE FOR THE COUPLE

This tip is mainly for the toastmistress/toastmaster! This wedding game involves the couple winning all the prizes! Prizes can range from dinner invitations and spa experiences to babysitting services, etc. Only your imagination sets the limits! It’s a lovely way to include guests in the couple’s everyday life over the coming year. ♥

PORTRAIT OF THE TABLE NEIGHBOR

Place an A4 sheet of paper and pens in various colors at each guest’s seat. This is a fun wedding game that involves both speed and execution. During the dinner, play a melody for a few seconds and ask your guests to quickly draw a portrait of their table neighbor before the music stops. It brings out many laughs as guests compete to draw the best portrait and finish before the melody ends. It’s usually appreciated to have a fun prize for the winner.

QUIZ

Let your guests compete against each other! Place slips of paper with questions around your wedding venue featuring fun and personal questions about the couple, ideally illustrated or with cut-out pictures as mentioned earlier.

CLOTHESPIN GAME

A fun game where your toastmistress/toastmaster or wedding coordinator hands out clothespins for guests to secretly clip onto the couple without them noticing. It can get really entertaining, especially when guests go all in and secretly clip clothespins on each other as well.

NOTE UNDER THE CHAIR

In this game, secret notes with various tasks are placed under the guests’ chairs – tasks can range from shouting “Hear, hear!” after every speech to giving a high five every time the guest’s name is mentioned. This can be very fun, but it is one of those wedding games where the toastmistress/toastmaster really needs to be sensitive and know where to draw the line. They need to remember that not everyone is comfortable performing all sorts of tasks. It’s crucial to have respect and ensure that guests do not feel forced to participate. ♥

RAFFLE FOR THE GUESTS

This can be a fun surprise for your wedding guests! Create a quiz with questions about the couple and their history – the table with the most correct answers wins. You can give homemade gift certificates for activities you’ll do together with the winners or something more tangible like mugs with a picture of the couple. This can be done during the wedding dinner or as a quiz during mingling – it’s especially fun if the tasks include various pictures of the couple over the years.

Fun Tips for Wedding Games and Activities for the Reception and Mingling – Recommendations for Both Toastmistress/Toastmaster and Couples Planning Their Own Weddings