21 fun bridal shower games that everyone will enjoy
Bridal showers are a time-honored tradition where friends and family get together to celebrate the upcoming wedding of a beloved couple. Guests shower the bride or couple with love, support, gifts—and maybe a few solicited words of advice for achieving marital bliss. Bridal showers are especially fun when you include some well-timed and carefully crafted bridal shower games for guests to enjoy.
Games for the bridal shower help break the ice so everyone can get to know one another a little better—and the best bridal shower games are the ones that keep everybody in stitches. If you’re planning a coed gathering, many of the games below also work as couples’ wedding shower games.
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21 fun bridal shower games
As you consider the guest list for your bridal shower invitations (it may be smart to consult the bride, herself, for this), start thinking about which games would work best. Your choice of bridal shower invitation wording can guide the overall vibe of the party and the games, from sophisticated to silly.
A quick tip—for some added motivation, offer up some small (but desirable!) bridal shower game prizes for the winners and runners-up.
1. Would she rather?
How well do you know the bride-to-be?
In this game of “this or that,” the host or game planner (that’s you) asks the bride-to-be a series of questions before the party: Does she prefer coffee or tea? A big party or a quiet evening at home? Rock or rap? Her responses serve as the answer key.
All the guests get a game card with the same questions and guess her responses, earning one point for every correct answer. The player with the most points wins, and the one with the lowest score should probably spend a little more time with the bride (kidding! Or are we?).
2. Where were we?
Part of the fun of bridal shower games, particularly couple bridal shower games, is getting to know the soon-to-be-wed couple better.
Ahead of time, ask the bride for about 10 pictures of the couple in various locations—these could be taken at a local park or coffee shop, somewhere in Paris, at a concert, or in their own living room. Guests then guess where the photos were taken, and the person with the most correct answers wins the game.
3. Why do we do that?
Games for bridal showers don’t have to be about the couple specifically. They can be about wedding traditions in general. For this game, it may be helpful to do a bit of research ahead of time to come up with your answer key.
At the party, ask guests why they think there are certain wedding traditions, such as:
- Why does the bride usually wear a white dress?
- Why does a young boy act as a ringbearer?
- What’s the story behind throwing the bouquet?
Play this game verbally or with a pencil and paper.
4. Who said it?
Sometimes called the “shoe game” or the “he said, she said” game, this fun activity consists of a series of statements made ahead of time by the bride and groom and printed onto a scorecard. Players then have to guess which person in the happy couple said it.
Example statements might include “I made the first move” or “I am the better dancer.” The winner is the person who guesses the most statements correctly.
5. How well do you know the couple?
It’s trivia time! This is also a great option for couples bridal shower games since the trivia questions can relate to both partners.
Sit down with the couple and gather some fun trivia facts, such as:
- Where was the groom born?
- How long have they been together?
- Where was their first date?
- Who is the better cook?
- Where is their honeymoon going to be?
Create your answer key, and ask guests to pick which member of the happy couple is the correct answer to these questions.
6. Drink if…
If your bridal shower is also functioning as a bachelorette party—or if it’s a bridal shower involving cocktails rather than party punch—the “drink if” game is a blast. Fill up a card with a number of statements, and read them to the guests, who take a drink if the statement applies to them.
The statements can be tame, like “drink if you went to school with the bride,” or they can be more adult-oriented, like, “drink if you’ve ever had a one-night stand.”
This is a great game for a bachelorette party, too.
7. Wedding-themed Pictionary®
Take inspiration from the classic game of Pictionary and give it a bridal shower game makeover.
Players take turns going up to a large sheet of paper or a whiteboard to draw the word or phrase on a randomly selected card. The mystery words can be wedding-themed, like “bridal bouquet” or “wedding cake,” or they can be more risqué, depending on the audience.
8. Uniquely me
This game works best if the bridal shower has around 10 to 15 people playing. Everyone tries to come up with something about themselves that isn’t true for anyone else in the room. Ideally, this factoid should relate back to the bride-to-be in some way, like, “I’ve known Carrie since kindergarten.” It could also be more general, such as, “I held a koala in Australia.” This game is a great icebreaker and is a great way to get the conversation flowing.
9. Mad Libs® -inspired wedding vows
Here’s another twist on an age-old favorite. Find a simple set of wedding vows online, but remove several of the words. Indicate whether the blank spaces should be filled with a noun, verb, adjective, or other part of speech. Make copies of the vows, and have guests fill in the blanks with their own words. Once everyone is done, the bride-to-be can read the new wedding vows out loud for some guaranteed laughs.
10. Paper wedding dress
Divide guests into teams of about four people, and provide each team with a roll or two of toilet paper. Each team selects one person as the “bride,” and the other team members try to make a wedding dress for their “bride” out of toilet paper.
Set a 15-minute time limit to keep the party moving. Once everyone is done, the “brides” strut down the runway, and the actual bride-to-be gets to pick the winning team.
11. Treasured (or funny) memories
In this game, everyone writes down a fond memory they have of the bride-to-be. Guests shouldn’t include their names on the piece of paper. Add all of the responses to a basket, and give them a shake.
One by one, the bride takes a note out, reads it aloud, and guesses who wrote it. Alternatively, have the guests match the memory to the person who wrote it.
12. Bridal shower Jeopardy!
What is – The best bridal shower game ever?
This game is ideal for smaller gatherings since it can get a bit chaotic with too many people.
Divide guests into three teams. Build a Jeopardy! board with a series of answers to questions about the couple, like their favorite restaurant or what they did on their first date. Each team can then “buzz” in if they think they know what the question is.
Remind guests that their answers must be phrased in the form of a question.
13. Romcom charades
Everyone likes a cheesy romantic comedy, right?
Write the titles of romantic comedies on pieces of paper, and put them in a basket. Split the guests into two or more teams, who take turns silently acting out the movie titles while their team guesses what the movie is. Set a time limit of one to three minutes.
Here are some classic romantic comedies you might include:
- “Wedding Crashers”
- “The Wedding Singer”
- “Father of the Bride”
- “27 Dresses”
- “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”
14. Heads up!
Hand out an index card to each guest. Everyone writes the name of a famous celebrity wife or fictional TV wife on their card. Shuffle the cards, lay them face down, and ask each guest to tape one of the cards to their forehead without peeking. As guests mingle, they give each other clues about whose name is on their card, and at the end of the game, each guest guesses what name they have.
15. Scavenger hunt
As you set up the bridal shower decor, hide small sticky notes behind (or on the bottom of) a few items. Write a number on each of the sticky notes. For example, you might put the number 2 on the back of a vase of flowers.
Each guest gets a list of items for the scavenger hunt, like “the bride’s favorite flowers.” When they find the sticky note, they write down the number next to the item on the list. The person who collects the most by the end of the party wins.
16. Marriage advice
Bridal shower game ideas don’t have to be competitive—they can be helpful or collaborative too.
Set up some index cards and pens on a table. Over the course of the gathering, guests choose a card and write a piece of marital advice, then deposit it into a box. Have the bride read them out loud at the end of the party for everyone to enjoy. You can even take turns guessing who wrote each piece of advice.
17. How old were they?
Ask for some help from both families, particularly the parents, for this fun bridal shower game.
Gather some photographs of both the bride and groom at different ages, from infancy to the present day. Guests guess how old they were in each of the pictures. You can also include questions like, “How old was Jake when he learned how to ride a bike?” or “How old was Jane when she went to Europe the first time?”
18. Musical bouquet
In this take on musical chairs, guests seat themselves in a circle. A single bouquet of flowers is handed to someone at random. As the music starts, guests pass the bouquet around the circle. Whoever is holding the bouquet when the music stops is eliminated. The game continues until there is only one person left.
19. The wedding singer
Ask the bride and groom to put together separate wedding playlists of about 10 songs each—they should not work together on this!
Keep their lists as the answer key, and build a playlist on your own device that includes all of their songs. At the bridal shower, play a short clip from each song and ask guests whether the bride or the groom picked it.
20. Impersonation improv
A bridal shower game like “impersonation improv” encourages guests to get on their feet and poke a bit of fun at the bride and groom.
Divide guests into teams of two. Write a number of scenarios on slips of paper and put them in a basket. Each team picks a slip of paper and acts out the scenario, impersonating the bride and groom. Remind them to try to include as many of their mannerisms as possible. Alternatively, the game can be played with teams of one, as a monologue.
After each team has had a turn, the bride and groom get to decide who did it best.
21. Bridal shower bingo
Will the bride be opening gifts in front of guests? If so, turn the activity into a game with bingo playing cards featuring common bridal shower presents—such as a knife set, stand mixer, Dutch oven, and lingerie. Whichever guest crosses off a full row of gifts first (and shouts “bingo” of course) gets to take home a small prize.
FAQs about bridal shower games
Do you have to play games at a bridal shower?
No, you don’t have to play games at a bridal shower, but including a few games is a great way to break the ice and give the party a bit of structure. Games get everyone engaged and talking with one another, minimizing awkward silences.
How many bridal shower games should be played?
Depending on how long the bridal shower will last and the time duration of each game, you can plan for two to four of them—just be sure to leave guests plenty of time to eat, drink, and mingle, too. A general rule of thumb to follow is one long game or two short games per hour of the party’s duration.
Where can I find templates for bridal shower games?
For many of these games, you don’t need to have special stationery or templates, but if you want to stay on the theme of your party, you can look for inspiration on Etsy and Pinterest for designing your party game handouts—or for finding ready-to-print templates. Or, use our easy-to-download templates in this article!
- Download Who Knows the Couple Best?: Bride, Groom, Couple, Blank.
- Download Bridal Libs: Bride, Groom, Couple.
What other activities are fun for bridal showers?
Whether or not you choose to include games as part of the bridal shower, you can offer other activities for your guests to participate in like photo booth props guests can wear for selfies—simply set out an instant camera, and encourage guests to pin their snapshots on a corkboard. Another fun activity is to set up an origami station with instructions for making paper flowers or cranes for the wedding reception or to take home as a memento.
Bridal showers are a piece of cake with Paperless Post
Our elegant selection of bridal shower invitations makes picking out the perfect one simple. Choose from themed invitations, or browse collections by our talented design partners, like Rifle Paper Co. and kate spade new york. Customize your invites with our easy-to-use design tools, and add a Registry Block so guests can pick out a gift with ease. Then include other Blocks as needed—link to Google Maps, provide travel or accommodation information for out-of-town guests or include some great pics of the happy couple just for fun.
Once you’ve sent your invitations via text, email, or shareable link, you can track RSVPs with our guest management tools and include a Comment Wall where guests can ask questions or leave messages.
We even have you covered for party decorations and supplies—visit Paperless Post Party Shop for all of the festive accouterments your party needs, from balloons and banners to cups and cocktail napkins. With Paperless Post, planning a highly enjoyable baby shower really is a piece of cake.
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