Bridal Shower Games- Part 1

Straws spotted on On Purpose Home's Stock the Bar Party, banner on Etsy, Pink candle DIY here

Are you planning a bridal shower for a friend or family member? 

You probably want to choose and prepare a few games or activities to help guests 

get to know the bride & groom-- and each other-- a little better before the big day. 

You want to help tell the couple's story and to get everyone excited for the big day...

...and so you will! Happy planning!

A few things to keep in mind when planning shower games: 
- The Bachelorette Party comes later. Know your audience for this event (mothers, grandmothers, younger siblings/cousins, coworkers, etc.) and understand that this is not a time to embarrass the bride and groom, to tell really embarrassing/inappropriate stories, to give a lot of sexy lingerie (although a nice robe or teddy may be given by an older family member) or to drink like it's a Saturday night in the city. Keep in mind that most showers are classy yet fun and a special tribute to the character and relationship of the bride & groom.

- You'll want to pick 2 or 3 games at the most, you should try to mix up games that include sitting and standing/activity games so guests can get up and move around a bit You'll want to spread them out a bit throughout the shower (not play them all at once) so that nobody feels overwhelmed or frustrated. Also, guests will want to mingle and enjoy the food and drinks (if applicable), and everyone will want to socialize with the bride (and vice versa), so be sure to leave some time for unplanned fun as well as planned fun! A great planning guide and shower planning timeline can be found here!

- Gift-opening can be a long and arduous task, but you can do a few things to expedite the process. Having helpers in charge of passing gifts to/from the bride, writing down gifts and gift-givers, collecting trash, taking pictures, loading gifts onto a cart or into a car, making a ribbon bouquet, etc. will help keep it speedy yet efficient, which is especially important for large showers with lots of gifts. Plan a good amount of time in the middle of the shower for Gift Opening, and consider a game such as Gift Bingo or The Timer Game (see below) to entertain guests during this time. Keep scissors on hand (multiple pairs, as the bride may want one for opening, and a bridesmaid may want one for the bouquet/hat-making process).
  To help move things along, if there's a meal, the bride & bridesmaids can eat first, then move on to gifts while everyone else is eating. Keep in mind that you can also take a break in the middle for dessert and keep it relaxed so guests know they can get up and stretch/use the bathroom/etc. in the middle.

- Prizes motivate game-weary guests to participate and encourage everyone to have fun, so grab or prepare some prizes in advance! Starbucks Gift Cards, Seasonal Soaps from Bath & Body Works, Purse Hooks, Handheld Cosmetic Mirrors, Scratch Lottery Tickets, Candles, Treats, Centerpieces, Stationery, whatever you would want! You'll want to decide how many prizes you'll need for each game and be sure to have enough (or to be safe, more than enough) in advance.

- Plan games for guests of all ages. You don't want them to be so easy that everyone will finish right away and it'll be difficult to determine the winner, but you also don't want it to be so hard or complicated that anybody feels excluded or doesn't have fun.


Individual Games (Good to play upon arrival): 

Whatever You Do, Don't Say ________- Early in the shower, inform guests that they are not supposed to say a certain word (Bride, Wedding, Honeymoon) during the party. Give each guest a ring (a ring pop, a plastic ring or a light-up ring would all work). If you hear someone saying the word, you can call them out on it and take their ring. At the end of the shower, the guest who has collected the most rings wins.

Found at this Etsy shop, variations on Pinterest! 

Who Said It? - Guests each have a piece of paper with 15-20 quotes (you can use fb, twitter, texts, in-person conversations, and even 'interview' the bride and groom with questions about their relationship prior to the shower). They have to check if they think it was the bride or the groom who said it. Answers are revealed and guests with the most correct answers receive a prize.

Found at this Etsy Shop, variations on Pinterest!

Found at this Etsy shop, variations on Pinterest

Couple's crossword puzzle- Go onto a site like this one and enter a bunch of clues and answers that relate to the couple, their relationship, their engagement and their wedding. Create a crossword puzzle, print out copies for everybody, and ask guests to figure it out. The first person (or first 3 or 5) to finish receive(s) a prize.

Found here

Wedding Trivia- I like this one! Put together a trivia 'game show' with questions that deal with general wedding knowledge and specific marital fun facts. Check out theknot for 50 Wedding Traditions & Superstitions for help! Little Known Facts has a great collection of little-known-facts and backgrounds, too!  Split into two teams, give teams a 'buzzer' (a bell or noisemaker) and ask questions aloud. After 15-20 questions, the team with the most points wins and guests on that team receive a prize.

Date Night Ideas- Give guests a large wooden popsicle stick, an index card or something to write on. Ask them to write down ideas for a date night for the bride & groom. Collect and present to the bride.

Found on frugelegance.com

Write A Special Message for the Bride- Ask guests to write a special message to the bride (and groom) on an index card or special small piece of paper. Take photos of each guest solo or with the bride at the shower, then compile it all into a small scrapbook and give it to the bride on the morning of the wedding. This is sure to be a pleasant surprise for the bride and a sweet collection of memories for a long time to come.

Found in 10 Wedding Shower Games by the DIY Network

Word Scramble- Give guests 2-3 minutes to unscramble a bunch of wedding words, such as these: 

G R I N (Ring)

G R E A L C N M Y (Clergyman)

E D B I R (Bride)

S T E B A M N (Best Man)

C R E I (Rice)

S H E U S R (Ushers)

S F I T G (Gifts)

W R O E L F S (Flowers)

S M I E D S I B R A D (Bridesmaids)

O M O G R (Groom)

D A M I F O N O R H O (Maid of Honor)

R I N T O A Y M M (Matrimony)

P E H C L A (Chapel)

N E M O Y H O N O (Honeymoon)

G I R M A R E A T R A T E C I F C E I (Marriage Certificate)

The guest with the most correct words wins a prize!

Multiple Choice Trivia Game About the Bride & Groom- Give guests a sheet of paper with multiple choice questions about the bride and groom, how they met, their favorite foods/colors/places to travel, etc. Take advantage of moms and sisters who may be involved in the planning and ask questions about when the bride and groom were younger as well! Ask guests to answer the best that they can, and the person with the most points wins a prize. Alternately, you can print out these questions and split them onto 2 sides of a paper (one about the bride and one about the groom), as shown below. Another variation on this game, What Would the Bride Say?, involves a bunch of questions that guests answer AND the bride answers. Any guests who write the same answer that the bride does, get a point. The guest with the most points, wins.

Found on Martha Stewart Weddings 

How Old Was She? Look at photos of the bride and guess her age in each photo. Whoever has the most correct answers gets a prize.

Found in the post for this Tiffany themed Bridal Shower

Recipes- Ask guests to write down a favorite recipe on an index card to share with the happy couple. Collect recipes in a box and organize by meal. You can send this card with your invitations to give guests some time to plan and write recipes in advance.

Found on Catch My Party's "Recipe for a Happy Marriage" Cooking-Themed Shower

Self-Address an envelope on the way in-  A quick and easy step for your guests,that saves the bride a lot of time while writing thank you cards!

Spotted on Catch My Party, variations on Pinterest

Keys to Marriage- LOVE this one! Buy 5 decorative keys (can be found at a craft store) and attach each of them to a ribbon with a tag that says 'finances', 'romance', 'home management', 'parenthood', or 'communication'. Ask guests to write 1 piece of advice for each category (shown on round tags), and as they present their advice to the bride, they can tie them onto each key's ribbon with another little ribbon.

Spotted on the Journey With Johnsons blog 

Continue on to Part 2 for Some Icebreaker/Partner/Team/Group Games! 

Don't Forget About Your Honeymoon!

Your honeymoon, no matter where you go or what you do, will undoubtedly be one of the most memorable, magical and momentous trips of your lives. It is one of the few big things that you can work on in the lull between booking your venue and vendors, and the big day itself. Take advantage of that time to plan, and if you're not sure where to start, just thinking about your 5 W's (and an H) for Basic Information Gathering: 

Who...is going?
   Typically, this is an easy 1st question to answer. The bride and groom are the who, because it's your honeymoon! However, if you're having a destination wedding and family members/friends will be staying after the I Do's, you may want to consider who else will be around when planning your trip.
  You could also plan a special trip with friends or family members that you will consider your 'honeymoon' trip, even though it's not just the two of you. Just be sure to plan some quality alone time!

What...kind of trip are you imagining? What...is your budget?
   A good 2nd question, you and your guy/gal should sit down early in your engagement and discuss what type of honeymoon you'd like to have.  Do you want a tropical getaway? A snowcation? A mini-moon (a smaller version of a honeymoon, likely closer to home)? A trip to a big city? A cruise? A European backpacking/hostel adventure? A romantic Parisian trip? Are there countries you've always dreamed of visiting?  The possibilities for your honeymoon are endless and totally up you. You may have different visions and dreams here, so find one that you can agree on and know that you'll have the rest of your lives to continue your travels together.
   Your budget is important to consider here, because while you may have visions of laying on a beach in Fiji, your funds just may not allow it, and you don't want to spend all of your money immediately after your wedding.  If somebody is helping you pay for your honeymoon, or gifting part of your trip to you, graciously communicate with them along the way and work together to get everything figured out as far in advance as possible.  If you do not have anyone helping and you do not know what your budget will be for the honeymoon, consider a low-key honeymoon or mini-moon.  This can save a lot of money, and will allow you to get on your feet as a married couple so that you can save for a bigger trip for your 1st anniversary! Plus, if you don't know your budget, you're safer spending less on your honeymoon and potentially having extra money in the bank, than the opposite. There's also an option to register at a travel agency and give wedding guests the opportunity to contribute to your dream honeymoon.
 

Where...will you stay? Where...do you want to go once you get there? 
  Again, this is something you can research in the middle of your engagement. Once you've chosen your destination, your first steps in booking (.yeah!) are to secure your hotel/room/sleeping arrangements, and to book your flights if you'll be flying.  Also, consider whether you'll be renting a car, and find the best deals in advance if so.  I can tell you from experience that you'll pay at least twice as much if you get to your destination and decide to rent a car there, than if you do it from home beforehand. Will you want to drive around? How much would it be to take a cab to and from your day-to-day activities? If your ideal trip involves sitting on the beach and at the pool at your all-inclusive resort, there's a good chance you won't need a car, but if that's not the case, you may want to consider it. There's a freedom and luxury to being able to drive out to a grocery store instead of 'shopping' at your hotel's convenience shop. Something to consider.
   Then you can look up some activities, restaurants and hot spots and be sure to ask friends and family for their recommendations. Visit wedding boards online and see what other couples have enjoyed in the same place. Consider what you like to do and find out whether you need to book it in advance or you can decide when you get there.  If you're traveling to an area where you have family or friends, consider contacting them in advance and seeing if you can arrange a day/time to meet up and do something together.

When...will your honeymoon take place? When...will you pack?
  Traditionally, the bride and groom have been given a great send-off from their wedding, left to go right to an airport and flown off to their honeymoon destination. Luckily for us (I get stressed just thinking about that!), this has changed over time.  What we're seeing more and more is a couple planning their honeymoon a few days after the wedding (allowing them to enjoy the entire wedding weekend with guests, giving them a little extra time to get ready for their trip and possibly even put some checks into the bank before they go away) or even a few WEEKS after.  Some couples- based on their schedules- are taking a few days after the wedding to relax, relive, rejoice and recuperate (a must!) and then heading back to work before a honeymoon that may take place sometime in the next YEAR. Whatever works for you is what's right, so pick what works and go with it!
  If you are planning to leave right from your wedding, you'll want to do some super packing before the wedding weekend. Make sure you have everything that you need about 2 weeks in advance,  have a separate bag for the honeymoon and move over any last minute things before the wedding ceremony begins.  If you're leaving a few days after, you'll still want to have everything that you'll need in advance so you're not rushing around at the last minute, looking for a bathing suit in October when there aren't any in the stores.  Plan ahead here, and you'll be golden. If the trip is weeks or months away, you can relax but still be in an ongoing planning phase for what you'll wear or need.

Why...do we go on a honeymoon? 
According to Wikipedia,
   This is the period when newly wed couples take a break to share some private and intimate moments that helps establish love in relationship. This privacy in turn is believed to ease the comfort zone towards physical relationship, which is one of the primary means of bonding during the initial days of marriage. 

In Western culture, the custom of a newlywed couple going on a holiday together originated in early 19th century Great Britain. Upper-class couples would take a "bridal tour", sometimes accompanied by friends or family, to visit relatives who had not been able to attend the wedding. The practice soon spread to the European continent and was known as voyage à la façon anglaise in France from the 1820s on.

Honeymoons in the modern sense (i.e. a pure holiday voyage undertaken by the married couple) became widespread during the Belle Époque as one of the first instances of modern mass tourism. This came about in spite of initial disapproval by contemporary medical opinion (which worried about women's frail health) and by savoir vivre guidebooks (which referred the public attention drawn to what was assumed to be the wife's sexual initiation). The most popular honeymoon destinations at the time were the French Riviera and Italy, particularly its seaside resorts and romantic cities such as Rome, Verona or Venice. 

  And what about the word 'honeymoon'?
     The Oxford English Dictionary gives examples dating back to the 16th century suggesting that the etymology of the word honeymoon comes from the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest.

How...excited are you? 
  Once you have the big stuff nailed down, the details in mind and the dates in your calendar, relax and get excited!! You're going to have an amazing time with your new husband or wife, and you will have the last few weeks before the wedding to focus on the wedding itself. Phew!

*PASSPORT NOTE: If you'll be traveling outside of the country, you'll need a current passport. Passports are good for 10 years, and take some time to get, so plan to do this a few months in advance. Visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/ for information on getting and updating your passport then get ready to collect some stamps!!

All You Need is Love...Bridal Shower Tunes to Make the Ladies Smile

I recently co-planned a bridal shower for one of my best friends, and wanted to be sure we had a variety of music that would fit the dual theme of love and wine (it took place at a winery, and was a blast). I looked through my iTunes, did some searching online, downloaded a few new songs, and came up with (what I think is) a great playlist. Then, we put an ipod on a dock and played it during the party. There were higher-energy songs (Build Me Up, Buttercup), slower songs (Michael Buble, Frank Sinatra, and the like), and just plain nostalgic songs (I Get Lost in Your Eyes, Straight Up, Forever Your Girl).  So here's the list. Enjoy and share it around, because when it comes to love songs, we probably share a lot of the same favorites:


Blurred Lines (feat. T.I. & Pharrell) 4:23 Robin Thicke
Happy 4:07 Pharrell Williams
Something Like That 3:14 University Of Oregon, Boca (a capella version)
Somewhere Out There 3:59 Feivel Goes West
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 3:50 Cyndi Lauper
Be The Lake 3:58 Brad Paisley
Falling For the First Time 3:41 Barenaked Ladies
I Saw Her Standing There 2:56 The Beatles
I Get Lost (In Your Eyes) 3:36 Debbie Gibson
I Got My Mind Set on You 3:53 George Harrison
I Want To Hold Your Hand 2:27 The Beatles
I Wanna Dance With Somebody 4:51 Whitney Houston
Country Girl (Shake It for Me) 3:46 Luke Bryan
Summer Wind 2:56 Michael Bublé
Sugar, Sugar 2:47 The Archies
Don't Stop Me Now 3:32 Queen
The Way You Make Me Feel 5:00 Michael Jackson
Easy Silence 4:04 Dixie Chicks
Come A Little Closer 4:42 Dierks Bentley
Lover of the Light 5:15 Mumford & Sons
Is This Love 3:52 Bob Marley & The Wailers
Restless 2:53 Alison Krauss & Union Station
Time After Time 3:08 Quietdrive
Answer The Phone 3:59 Sugar Ray
Can't Help Falling In Love 2:58 Elvis Presley
I'm Gonna Make You Love Me 3:08 Diana Ross & The Supremes
Just What I Needed 3:43 The Cars
Red, Red Wine 5:21 UB40
Days of Wine and Roses 2:18 Frank Sinatra
Such Great Heights 4:28 The Postal Service
Sweet Escape 4:07 Gwen Stefani
My Girl 2:59 The Temptations
I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) 4:15 Meatloaf
Can't Hurry Love 3:09 Diana Ross
Here It Goes Again 3:00 Ok Go
Love Somebody 3:49 Maroon 5
That Thing You Do 2:49 The Wonders
Save the Last Dance for Me 3:39 Michael Buble
Dancin' In The Moonlight 3:52 Toploader
Stand By Me 2:57 Ben E. King
Heart of Mine 3:05 Peter Salett
Can't Fight The Moonlight 3:36 LeAnn Rimes
Crazy Little Thing Called Love 3:11 Michael Bublé
Dog Days Are Over 4:13 Florence + The Machine
The Best Is Yet To Come 3:05 Michael Bublé
How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) 3:00 Marvin Gaye
Straight Up 4:11 Paula Abdul
You And I 2:29 Ingrid Michaelson
She's Got A Way [live] 3:03 Billy Joel
The Edge Of Glory 5:21 Lady Gaga
In My Life 2:30 The Beatles
Marry You 3:50 Bruno Mars
Question 2:14 Old 97's
Marry Me 3:25 Train
Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Yours 2:41 Stevie Wonder
Shining Star 4:39 The Manhattans
I'll Be There 3:57 The Jackson 5
The Prayer 4:25 Josh Groban, Charlotte Church
First Day of My Life 3:09 Bright Eyes
Can't Get Enough Of Your Love Babe 3:11 Barry White
All Will Be Well 4:10 The Gabe Dixon Band
Lucky (feat. Colbie Caillat) 3:10 Jason Mraz
God Only Knows 2:52 The Beach Boys
The Luckiest 4:25 Ben Folds
Forever 2:58 The Beach Boys
Chapel of Love   The Dixie Cups

Stereo Love 4:08 Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina

All You Need is Love 3:49 The Beatles

Kiss the Girl 3:21 Stellar Kart (fun version of Disney song)

Love Shack 5:23 B52's

Forever Your Girl 5:00 Paula Abdul

Stay The Same 3:51 Joey McIntyre

Strawberry Fields Forever 3:39 Jim Sturgess & Joe Anderson

Kernkraft 400 (Sport Chant Stadium Remix) 5:31 Zombie Nation

Empire State of Mind 4:37 Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

Endless Love (Glee Cast Version)

Drink In My Hand 3:11 Eric Church

Toes 4:21 Zac Brown Band

Paradise 4:38 Coldplay

Instrumental (Great for a wedding ceremony, we played these while she opened gifts):

The Wedding Song- There is Love (Instrumental) 3:38 The O'Neill Brothers
Bittersweet Symphony (Instrumental) 5:06 Vitamin String Quartet
Pathetique Sonata 5:17 Beethoven 10/16/12 6:10 PM
You Are So Beautiful (Instrumental) 4:15 Wedding Music Artists
Kiss the Girl 2:43 Samuel E. Wright, The Little Mermaid
Feels Like Home 4:42 Chantal Kreviazuk

We saved some fun ones for the end, and since I accidentally put it on shuffle and couldn't figure out how to take it off, we got a nice random selection throughout the party. Oh well, some things happen for a reason! I had signed our card 'With Endless Love and Happiness' and as she opened our gift, Endless Love came on. It wouldn't have happened if we'd played the playlist in order, and it was a funny/memorable moment, for sure!

Tips: If you have a special song with your bride friend and want to put it on your playlist, make sure to listen to it all the way through and watch out for REALLY inappropriate language.  It may not be a big deal when you listen to it together, but her future grandmother, mother-in-law and/or niece may be there, and you never know what will be happening when that part comes on (pretend it's going to play at the worst possible time. If that would be embarrassing, take it off the list). Blurred Lines would be one of those songs.

These are mostly popular songs among younger ladies. For an older crowd, ask parents and grandparents their favorite love/girl power songs from yesteryear. Add them to the playlist- they'll love it!

To recreate this delicious and musical treat, line up sugar wafers, cover with vanilla frosting, use a knife to make lines in between, then add Kit Kat mini bars (or full size bars, cut in half for sharps and flats).  Yum!