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! In this blog post I´m listing a couple of fun wedding games for your dinner and reception! Which activities are the most fun for both you as a wedding couple and your guests – and do you want any games at all at your wedding? The best outcome is usually achieved if the games are slightly modified to make them a bit more personal and if the toastmaster/toastmadame adapts them to what the couple prefers and feels comfortable with, as well as what kind of wedding party they want.

If you prefer a more relaxed and cozy 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 as their photographer 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 the wedding games – there are indeed some cringeworthy games out there that are best forgotten! Not everyone feels comfortable being touched so the Kissing game as we call it here in Sweden may not be suitable for all couples. This is very important to communicate to your toastmasters!

For the best photo results your wedding coordinator/toastmasters needs to have a 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 and not later on during the wedding dinner. Most of my wedding couples at international weddings choose one person of each language so every guest can get help in each language. A lot of them speaks English though.

Communicate with Your Toastmadame/Toastmaster!

Take a moment and discuss which games you prefer with your toastmadame/toastmaster and 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 you thought. It’s best to communicate all of this in writing so that nothing is forgotten amidst all they need to think about – they do have a big job on your wedding day keeping everything in check. My tip for you is to create a mood board on Pinterest together where you invite the toastcouple, there 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 how far they can go 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 actually only a handful of weddings that I’ve photographed where this game was not part of the reception! A very popular game in other words! The premise is that the couple sits on chairs back to back and exchange one shoe with each other so that they have one of each. The toastmadame/toastmaster reads a couple 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 of their answers.

The timing for this game can vary during the wedding dinner – it can be from when the couple first arrives at the reception venue to later in the evening during the dinner. It’s also important that your toastmadame/toastmaster knows your boundaries to avoid making the statements too personal or revealing. This should be a fun part of the evening, not a embarrassing one.

THE BEST GROUP PHOTO

This game is, of course, the wedding photographer’s favorite! The 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 you can set up silly signs and costumes at your Photo booth along with a box of funny hats, paper glasses and other 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! Create a PDF with tips on various things that guests should document – like the best shoes, funniest face, coolest Photo booth outfit etcetera. Buy some Instax cameras so that the guests don’t have to use their own phone, otherwise you might miss getting the pictures when everyday life resumes and your guests forget to upload their images. Several of my couples have used these and been satisfied.

This game is also an excellent complement to your booked wedding photographer who can´t be everywhere during the reception. Some of my couples have chosen to use the mobile app Celebrate: share photo & video, which I find very user-friendly. Several of my couples have actually added a few photos with a greeting during their 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 this app exists – write it on your wedding website or in your invitation!

THE KISSING GAME

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

The idea is that when one partner leaves the wedding dinner (commonly during the first bathroom break) all the guests who identify as the same gender as the departing partner go up to remaining partner and give them a kiss on the cheek. From my experience as a wedding photographer the guests that define themselves non-binary choose which partner to approach by themselves and regardless of the gender of the wedding couple. All of my queer couples have in fact opted out of this game.

As long as everyone is on board this can be a joyful moment and you´ll get some fun images with the guests. Since it has to happen quickly before the partner returns the kisses can be somewhat haphazard which can result in many funny pictures from your wedding photographer. But as I mentioned – communication is key! You can also opt for a variation where kisses are omitted (clearly communicated by the toastmadame/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 or a couple of big signs where statements are displayed for them to guess. All the 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 can see the answer, but this is one of those games that should be discussed when it comes to how personal the couple wants to be. I’ve heard a lot while working at weddings and not all statements have been appreciated by every couple.

I recommend that the toastmadame/toastmaster create the 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 either. Lagom is best as we say here in Sweden, ha ha!

WHO IN THE COUPLE DOES IT APPLY TO?

This wedding game can be fun either as a quiz during the mingling or as a separate activity during the wedding dinner. The 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 after each marshmallow decides 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 toastmadame/toastmaster! This wedding game involves the couple winning all the prizes! Prizes can range from dinner invitations and spa experiences to babysitting services etcetera. 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. Play a melody for a few seconds between courses 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 toastmadame/toastmaster or wedding coordinator hands out clothespins for the guests to secretly clip onto the wedding couple without them noticing. It can get really entertaining especially when guests go all in and secretly clip clothespins on each other as well.

A NOTE UNDER THE CHAIR

In this game secret notes with various tasks are placed under the guests’ chairs – the 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 for both the couple and the guests but it is one of those wedding games where the toastmadame/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 so they should not push guests that don´t want to play the game. 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. For example you can give some homemade gift certificates for activities you’ll do together with the winners or something more tangible like funny 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 toastmadame/Toastmaster and Couples Planning Their Own Weddings