25 bridal shower games that will keep every guest entertained

Bridal showers are a chance to gather the bride-to-be’s favorite people and celebrate with laughter, stories, and maybe a mimosa (or two). Between the gifts, the snacks, and the words of advice for future marital bliss, a few thoughtfully chosen bridal shower games can bring just the right amount of structure and silliness to the day.

The best bridal shower icebreaker games will help guests mingle and spark conversation between attendees who may not have met before—think celebrations with family and friends beyond the bridal party. If you’re planning a co-ed gathering, many of these games also work as couples’ wedding shower games. Whether you’re planning something elegant and low-key or lively and laugh-out-loud, these unique bridal shower games can be perfectly tailored to your celebration.

25 fun bridal shower game ideas

As you consider the guest list for the bridal shower invitations (don’t forget to consult the bride herself for this), start thinking about which games would work best. Your choice of bridal shower invitation wording can set the vibe of the party and the games, whether you’re looking to host a sophisticated, elevated event or something more casual and playful. 

For added motivation, offer prizes for the winners and runners-up. For most bridal showers, a modest gift like chocolates or a candle will do the trick. However, if you’re hosting a more intimate event with just your closest people, consider bigger prizes like a gift certificate to a local spa or restaurant. Regardless of what it is, the prize will help build anticipation and excitement (and make the games even more fun)! 

1. The clothespin challenge 

Let’s start with a classic game that’s perfect for any celebration, from a bridal shower to a wedding party weekend. When guests arrive, give them each two to three clothespins and choose a relevant word like “bride,” “wedding,” or even the groom’s name. If someone says the forbidden word, another guest can take one of their pins. Whoever collects the most clothespins by the end of the shower wins! You can also use plastic engagement or wedding rings instead of clothespins to match the theme even more.

2. Where in the world? 

This is a great option for well-traveled couples. Include printed photos from different trips they’ve taken together (8 to 15 photos is a good starting point). Pin these up at the party and label each with a number. Guests then guess where in the world each photo was taken. The guest with the most correct guesses wins!

3. Cocktail contest 

Got a stocked bar? Divide guests into teams and challenge them to create a cocktail or mocktail inspired by the bride and groom—bonus points for the most creative name! Once everyone has mixed their masterpiece, have the bride taste all of the options and choose a winner. The couple might just find their signature drink for the big day. 

 

4. What’s in the box? 

Use a small storage bin or cute fabric box to create a wedding-day emergency kit—think safety pins, stain remover, hair ties, mints, tissues, fashion tape, Band-Aids, and other must-haves. Unpack everything in front of guests, reassemble, and challenge everyone to write down as many items as they can remember. The guest with the most correct answers wins—and should perhaps be the designated keeper of the emergency kit during the wedding. 

5. Would she rather?

How well do you really know the bride-to-be? In this game reminiscent of “this or that,” the host or game planner 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, which should be collected in advance, will 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 bit more time with the bride (Kidding…or are we?).

6. Why do we do that?

Games for bridal showers don’t always have to be specifically about the couple. They can be about wedding traditions in general. For this game, it may be helpful to do a bit of research in advance to develop your answer key. 

At the party, ask guests to explain the origins of specific 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. You might be surprised at the origin stories of some of these traditions—and maybe everyone will learn something new! 

7. Who said it?

Sometimes called the “shoe game” or the “he said, she said game”, this activity consists of a series of statements made by the bride and groom in advance, which are printed on a score card. Players then have to guess which person in the 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.

8. How well do you know the couple?

 

It’s trivia time! This is also a great option for couples’ bridal shower games, since the 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 the same questions to see how well they really know the newlyweds-to-be. If you need a quick version of this game, click here to download and print a set of questions that’s ready to go!  

9. Drink if…

The “drink if” game is a perfect addition to any bridal shower that features boozy drinks.  Fill up a card with a variety of statements and read them to the guests, who then 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.

10. Draw the wedding

Give the classic draw-and-guess game a bridal 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 can lean more risqué, depending on the audience. Then, other guests compete to be the first person to correctly guess the mystery word. It’s a great way to keep the energy up, and the creative juices flowing.

11. Uniquely me

This icebreaker game is a perfect way to get conversations flowing at gatherings where guests don’t know one another. It works best with about 10 to 15 people playing. The best part? No supplies needed!  Everyone tries to come up with something about themselves that isn’t true for anyone else in the room. Ideally, this factoid should relate 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.” 

12. Fill-in-the-blank 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. Click here to view, download, and print this game.

 

 

13. Paper wedding dress

Divide guests into teams and give each team 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 the 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 picks the winning team.

14. Treasured (or funny) memories

In this ice-breaking activity, guests will guess each other’s fond memories with the bride and groom. Everyone writes down a treasured memory or moment they had with the bride-to-be on a small piece of paper, but they keep the submissions anonymous. Add all the responses to a basket, then 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. 

15. Bridal shower crossword 

Create a custom crossword puzzle with clues about the couple: trips they’ve taken together, how they met, their favorite restaurants, pets, or any inside jokes. Print copies for guests to complete during the party, and whoever finishes first wins! 

16. Rom-com 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 teams and take turns silently acting out each movie title while their team guesses the name of the film. 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”

17. Guess the wife

Hand out an index card to each guest. Everyone writes the name of a celebrity wife or a fictional TV or movie 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.

18. Scavenger hunt

As you set up the bridal shower décor, 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 receives 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. 

 

19. Marriage advice

Bridal shower game ideas don’t have to be competitive—they can also be helpful, collaborative, and sincere.  

Set up some index cards and pens on a table. Over the course of the gathering, guests choose a card, write a piece of marital advice, and then deposit it in a box. The bride can 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.

20. Recipes made with love 

This collaborative activity doubles as a meaningful keepsake for the couple—especially if they’re foodies. When sending your shower invitation, ask guests to bring along their favorite recipe. Set up a writing station and have each guest fill out a card with their pick. By the end of the celebration, the couple will have a new collection of recipes and ideas for weeknight dinners, all hand-picked with love. For a competitive edge, turn the shower into a potluck and have each guest bring their prepared recipe for a cook-off! 

21. 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 picture. 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?”

22. Musical bouquet

 

In this take on musical chairs, guests seat themselves in a circle. A bouquet 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 only one person is left. 

23. The wedding singer

Ask the bride and groom to put together separate wedding playlists of about 10 songs each—without consulting one another. 

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. 

24. Impersonation improv

A wedding shower game like “impersonation improv” encourages guests to get on their feet and poke a bit of good-natured fun at the bride and groom. 

Divide guests into teams of two. Write some 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 by including as many of their mannerisms as possible. Alternatively, guests can perform their impersonations as a monologue. 

After each team has had a turn, the bride and groom get to decide who did it best.

25. Bridal shower bingo

If the bride is opening gifts in front of guests, turn the activity into a game. Use bingo 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 the prize. This is a fun game to play to keep guests engaged while the bride or couple opens their gifts.

Bridal shower games FAQ

What are fun bridal shower games?

Bridal shower games like “How well do you know the couple?” and “Would she rather?” are a fun way for the bride and guests to mingle and share some laughs. You can also put a bridal-themed spin on classic party games like impersonation improv or charades—keeping it focused on the bride, her spouse-to-be, or their wedding day. 

What games do people play at bridal showers?

Classic bridal shower games like the clothespin challenge, musical bouquet, and bridal shower bingo are great icebreaker games for guests who might not know each other. To get everyone chatting and mingling, consider active games like a toilet paper fashion show or a good old-fashioned scavenger hunt. 

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. 

What are unique bridal shower game ideas?

The best way to make a bridal shower unique is to personalize classic games to focus on the bride, her love story, and her interests. Make the games all about the woman of the hour (or the couple) with themed crossword puzzles, fill-in-the-blank games, and trivia.

How many bridal shower games should be played?

Depending on the length of the bridal shower and the duration of each game, you can plan for two to four games. Just remember to allow plenty of time to eat, drink, and mingle. A good 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 really impress your guests, feel free to download our free printable templates for fun fill-in-the-blank games:

• Download Who Knows the Couple Best?
• Download Bridal Nuptials

What are good activities for a bridal shower?

Bridal shower games are a great way to keep the energy high and conversation flowing. However, as a rule of thumb, it’s a good idea to play one or two games per hour of the party, so your guests don’t get too overwhelmed. Make sure to put out snacks, drinks, and party favors that will also keep guests entertained and mingling (bonus points if you’re able to match the wedding theme!).

What other activities are fun for bridal showers?

Whether or not you decide to include games at the bridal shower, you can offer other activities for your guests to participate in. Set out an instant camera and some fun props to create a budget-friendly photo booth, 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 selection of bridal shower invitations makes finding the right 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 invitations with our easy-to-use design tools and add a Registry Block so guests can pick out a gift with ease. Include other Blocks as needed, like a link to Google Maps, travel or accommodation information for out-of-town guests, or some great pics of the happy couple just for fun. 

 

Once you’ve sent your invitations via text, email, or 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 your party decorations and supplies covered at the Paperless Post Party Shop, where you can find the festive accouterments your party needs, from balloons and banners to cups and cocktail napkins. With Paperless Post, planning a highly enjoyable bridal shower really is a piece of cake.