Ways you can entertain your wedding guests.
There are so many different ways you can keep your wedding guests entertained on your wedding day. From a photographer’s perspective, it’s always a good idea to have something happening because photos of guests standing around talking can get a bit dull after a while. So if you want to bring a bit of interest, energy and laughter to your wedding photos then this is the place to be!
Disclaimer: This blog is HUGE! I have compiled over 75 ideas to entertain your wedding guests and as with all my wedding planning and wedding inspiration blogs, I vow to update this every time I witness another new idea. So this blog will continue to grow and become even more fantastic as time goes on. There are ideas here for everyone, whatever your budget is you will find something here. So settle in and prepare to be inspired…
Beer Pong!
Let’s start off with one of the most entertaining, edge of your seat, heated competitions I’ve ever witnessed at a wedding - BEER PONG! If you’re not opposed to a bit of mess then this could be the wedding entertainment for you. There was a lot of trash talk and goading between the two sides but don’t worry, as soon as the games finished everyone went back to being lovely to each other.
Run a sweepstake.
An entertainment that will cost you nothing but may potentially win you money - what’s not to love? There’s always someone at the wedding who’s more than happy to go around the room collecting people’s guesses. You could bet on the combined length of the speeches like the example above, but maybe you’ve got some other ideas as to what your sweepstake could be for?
Have a game of LIMBO!
I love limbo at weddings because it’s a game that always results in some hilarious photos. It’s such an entertaining game because even those who don’t get involved in it will enjoy watching others playing. It’s worth pointing out that this game doesn’t have to cost you a penny either - take a look at the slideshow above and you’ll see that the limbo played at Jade and James’ wedding was actually done with a waist tie from someone’s dress. It was a completely unplanned game, born in the moment - proof that you’re guests will always bring something to the day that you’d not anticipated.
Table Games!
Having a selection of table games could potentially be another completely free way to entertain your wedding guests. This is of course providing you have some games at home that you could use or someone who would lend some games to you. When I’ve seen table games at weddings before, they’ve always been played with by someone. But even if no-one plays with them, you’ve not lost out on anything have you? I don’t recommend long games like monopoly or anything that has lots of little pieces to it, but examples in the slideshow here are good places to start. You could potentially even adapt a guess who game with photos of your wedding guests, if you’re feeling creative.
Hide embarrassing photos of your guests in their place name cards.
This was a fantastic idea! It wasn’t just entertaining, it was also a really great ice breaker for the guests, because everyone wanted to show their photos and it became an instant talking point at the table.
Or you could leave a personalised message in each place name card?
It could potentially be a challenge to think of something clever to write in every guest’s place name card. But if you think you’ve got a little in-joke or personalised reference for everyone then why not give this a go?
Tin Can Alley!
If you’re able to have some outdoor games then tin can alley is a great way to entertain your guests. It’s fun to play and it’s fun to watch others play. It’s also a relatively easy game, so all of your guests should be able to enjoy it. This game is also quite easy to make yourself, rather than hiring from somewhere.
Mini Golf!
This mini golf set up was a surprise wedding gift for golf loving Chris, from his wife Lauren. The guests absolutely loved playing this! It made for some great photos and you’ll have to take my word for that (there were a lot of children at this wedding and I don’t always have permission to upload photos of children). What made this even more fitting was that their wedding venue was actually a golf club venue, so it really tied into the vibe/theme of their day.
Give the kids an ‘I Spy’ challenge.
You could provide some disposable or plastic reusable film cameras for this. Giving the kids a checklist of photos to find keeps them engaged with the day and you may also get some nice photos from it too!
Egg & Spoon race!
The Egg and Spoon race is another great outdoor game for your guests to enjoy (and I suppose it could be done indoors too, if you had a lot of free space). This game takes me back to sports day at school and this makes me think it could be a great addition to your wedding if you’re teachers - perhaps you could have a little sports day competition at your wedding. And trust me, this is not just a kids game, the adults love it too!
Top tip - use fake eggs.
Sack race!
Following on from the idea above, a sack race could be one of the events in your sports day competition. The sack racing at Natasha and Tony’s wedding was so much fun to photograph - the determination on people’s faces, the moment they realise they’re going down, the victory, the ties flying all over the place. It was brilliant!
Hire a simulation game.
Yes you’re seeing this correctly… it’s a huge surfing simulation game, set up indoors in the wedding venue! This was a big talking point at Kim and Shane’s wedding, as you can imagine. Guests of all ages enjoyed having a go, seeing how long they could balance. It’s similar to the bucking bronco simulation game and I’m sure there are lots of other games like this.
It even gets me thinking about other larger hire entertainment options like arcade games. There’s the dance machine, Pac-man, air hockey, the list goes on.
Get your guests to draw themselves (or you)!
Guests often really struggle to think of what to write in a guest book. So these advice cards are a nice alternative and they give people a little bit of guidance/inspiration on what to write. But what I love the most about these is the little box where guests are encouraged to draw themselves - you know you’re going to get some really funny results from something like this. And again it reminds me of school - did you draw yourself at school and have the drawing put on a huge tea towel? I’m not sure if all schools do it but mine did. And I think it would be awesome to get a tea towel made up of all the guests self portraits - make two, one to use and one to frame. I’m not sure how you make them, I’m just the ideas girl. The portrait tea towel idea would be great for couples who work in teaching but I’m sure it would look great in your kitchen, whatever your careers are. It’s entertaining for guests too because they get to have a giggle at everyone’s drawings - another great ice breaker for the table!
Trivia questions for table talk?
Scattering some short and sweet trivia questions on the tables is a good way to get your guests talking. If you consider yourselves pub quiz masters or trivia masters then something like this could also be a way of injecting your personality into your wedding day.
Have a RAVE!
Here’s a friendly reminder that weddings don’t all have to be a certain way. They don’t need to be formal, they don’t need to be mainstream. If you’re a raver, rave! Shaunna & Cody’s first dance song was called ‘Right by Your Side’ by N-Force v Darren Styles. It starts off a bit slow and romantic but then it kicks into a full blown rave! The foam glow sticks really helped to create an incredible atmosphere!
This couple told me that they did consider lots of slow and romantic love songs for their first dance but none of those felt like ‘them’. Then the penny dropped and they realised they don’t need to conform to that norm, they can make this their own.
I’ve also seen moshing at a wedding before - it was actually the first wedding I ever photographed. The couple hired a Metallica tribute band and they moshed the night away. Not sure if Grandma appreciated the band playing ‘So What?’ which has the controversial C-word in it, but I think the wedding music was everything the guests expected from the heavy metal loving couple.
Create a cosy chill out space for the kids.
If you built any dens as a kid, you’ll know how awesome this exclusive space for the kids to hang out in is! Whether they want to sit back and relax or role play that they’re neighbours - this space will be very much appreciated by little ones.
Hire a singing waiter.
A singing waiter/waitress is a great way to get people in the mood to party! This singing waiter started his performance between the main course and the desert and just look at how much the wedding guests got involved! They loved him! By the time the actual party started in the evening, these guests had fully warmed up and had no trouble getting on the dance floor.
Side note: Charles (the singing waiter pictured above) is currently touring around the world with his Elton John show ‘Are You Ready For Love?’ where he plays the legend himself. Go check it out if you’re an Elton fan!
Croquet.
Here’s another outdoor game that you might want to include at your wedding. Croquet requires a bit of patience and skill, but people of all ages will enjoy giving it a go.
Hire a bouncy castle!
A bouncy castle is something the kids AND the adults will love!
Mould The Thing!
Joanne and Mark had an Italian themed wedding and one of their guests arranged this team building task for guests to do at the table. The task was to mould a gondola (because of the Italian theme) using putty/play dough. The guests worked as teams (with the people on their tables). It was a timed task and when the time was up, the gondolas were collected and randomised and the Bride and Groom selected the winner. I can’t remember if there was a prize or not, perhaps the prize was glory over all the other tables. But this game proves that you don’t need fancy things to entertain your guests and a game that gets all your guests talking is always a winner, especially if you have people sat together who don’t really know each other.
Live music!
As you can see from the examples here, live music doesn’t always have to be loud and doesn’t always have to be a full band. Whatever genre you’re after, there’s something out there for your wedding!
Photo Booth!
There a lot of different types of photo booths out there and all of them are guaranteed to go down well at any wedding.
Or have a giant frame for people to take photos with…
This is a fun way to encourage your guests to take some photos at your wedding.
Hire a DJ
Hire a DJ to keep the party going.
Or put a banging playlist together.
If you’re a music lover, you may want to personalise your wedding by putting a playlist together for the day. This means a playlist for the daytime, to have on in the background while you’re mingling with guests or eating your meal; but then a separate party playlist for the evening. Putting a playlist together could be quite a challenge if your guests are all into different genres of music and if you’re not up for the challenge then go with the DJ instead. But theoretically, you’ll know your guests and what they’ll enjoy so putting your own playlist together could potentially go down a storm.
Space Hopper Racing!!
Kim and Huw might have bought these space hoppers as a way to entertain the children at their summer wedding. What transpired was SPACE HOPPER RACING and of course the adults got involved too! This was great fun to photograph and something the guests will always remember.
Hook a Duck!
If you’re able to have some outdoor games then hook a duck is a great way to entertain your guests. It’s a game that requires a bit of patience and a lot of accuracy - not the easiest game for all guests. But it’s also really fun to watch others playing, so it entertains even those who aren’t joining in. Most of the time there are points written on the bottom of the ducks so you can see who gets the highest score.
Hammerschlagen!
I’ve only seen Hammerschlagen played at one wedding thus far. Here’s how it works… one player starts and in clockwise order everyone gets to hit their nail once. The goal is to drive the nail all the way into the stump. Anyone who succeeds is out of the game, while the last one standing (with their nail still sticking out of the stump) is the loser.
Encourage your guests to get creative with their drinks!
What a refreshing idea! Wedding entertainment doesn’t always have to be a game, it’s anything your guests can interact with. Grabbing a drink at a wedding isn’t typically entertaining but a little fruit, some juice and the opportunity to get creative suddenly makes getting a drink really fun. Your guests will love being able to enjoy something that they’ve personalised.
It’s always funny to see people’s school photos…
I often see photos being used as decoration at weddings and usually it’s romantic holiday snaps of the couple or cute selfies. But this couple decided to use their school photos as decoration which provided a bit of light entertainment because let’s face it, we all like to have a giggle over someone’s yearbook picture.
Have a pub quiz!
For this idea, you’ll need someone to be your quiz master (unless you want to be quiz masters). A pub style quiz is a great way to get guests interacting with the people on their tables. The quiz you see in the slideshow above was Italian themed because the wedding was Italian themed. But perhaps you could make your quiz all about the two of you?
Have your wedding reception on a boat!
Laura and Daniel had an intimate wedding with just 16 people in total. They married at their local registry office and then had their wedding breakfast in a very fancy restaurant, which had a private function room. After the meal, we all boarded on a boat for a tour around the Plymouth Sound. The happy couple had their cake cut and first dance on the boat and it was an awesome alternative to the usual wedding reception.
Play the peg game!
You’re going to think I’m mad but this game actually gives you a little rush of adrenaline! Trying to put a peg onto someone, without them knowing isn’t always easy. Then you have to play cool and not give the game away for as long as possible. I don’t think this is the sort of game where you score points and have a winner and a loser and it’s not really a team game either. It’s mainly just a bit of childish fun.
Have a soft play area for the little ones?
If you’re wondering how you’ll keep the little ones entertained at your wedding, why not have a small area of the venue set up as a soft play area? This didn’t look out of place at a wedding and I think the colours have a lot to do with how well it blended into the rest of the wedding. Soft play can often be incredibly vibrant and multi-coloured but this white and grey set up with a little splash of pink was just perfect and of course, the kids loved it!
Give your guests a team building task.
Okay, so I’m going to need to give you some context with these pictures… Joanne and Mark had an Italian themed wedding and one of their guests arranged this team building task for guests to do at the table. The task was to make the Colosseum, using only spaghetti and marshmallows. If you’re a fan of Taskmaster the TV show (like I am) I’m sure you’ll love the simplicity and brilliance of this. The guests worked as teams (with the people on their tables) and every table had a slightly different approach. Some people tried heating the spaghetti with a lighter to get it to bend - very smart. It was a timed task and when the time was up, the Bride and Groom went around the tables and selected their winner. I can’t remember if there was a prize or not, perhaps the prize was glory over all the other tables. But this game proves that you don’t need fancy things to entertain your guests and a game that gets all your guests talking is always a winner, especially if you have people sat together who don’t really know each other.
Coconut Shy.
Coconut Shy is another great outdoor game (similar to Tin Can Alley but perhaps a bit trickier).
Have a ceilidh band.
If you love to dance or just love having a good time then a Ceilidh band would be perfect for your wedding evening. They are so much fun for all your guests and your photographer will love capturing the action on camera for you too!
Have a game of Mr & Mrs.
I don’t think there’s a gender neutral name for this game but don’t let it put you off incorporating it into your wedding, whatever your pronouns are. I’ve even seen wedding guests enjoy playing it with their friends and family, it doesn’t have to be just the married couple who play.
Hoopla/Ring Toss.
Hoopla/Ring Toss is another outdoor game that guests of all ages can enjoy. A bit more skill is required for this game, compared to Tin Can Alley but it’s not as challenging as Hook a Duck.
Surprise your guests with a choreographed dance!
Saoirse and her friends surprised her guests (including her new husband) with a choreographed dance to Spice Up Your Life by The Spice Girls. They even dressed up as the Spice Girls too! A for effort! Everyone loved witnessing this super fun performance.
Giant connect 4!
Connect 4 is a great two player game! If you’re planning on having some outdoor games then this giant version would be a fantastic addition to the garden fun. It could potentially be played indoors too, if you have the room for it in your venue.
Activity packs for children.
You can’t go wrong with an activity booklet and some colouring pencils. Even if this isn’t used on the day of the wedding, I’m sure it will be appreciated at some point. If you have kids that are travelling from far away, they might even want to save these to keep them entertained on the journey home. You can have these booklets personalised to your wedding which is a lovely keepsake for the kids too!
A food stall, for an extra treat.
You may be wondering if this really counts as wedding entertainment, and I think it does. Having something to do and something to discuss with others is all a form of entertainment at a wedding. Things like this provide a talking point for the day. And years after the wedding, people will still be talking about those amazing s’mores they had at your wedding. If s’mores aren’t your thing then fear not, there are so many other options. Perhaps you could hire an ice cream van or have someone serving churros. You may have seen doughnut walls at weddings before and these are great too, but I do think if you can have a stall-type set up with someone serving your guests, it does feel a bit more novel and exciting.
Hire a magician!
Most weddings have a period of time where not much is happening… usually this is after the meal and before the band or DJ starts. This quieter part of the day can be a great time of the day to hire a magician. Your magician will make their way around the venue, introducing themselves to your guests and blowing their minds with some jaw-dropping magic tricks!
Provide toys for the kids to play with.
Rather than hiring lots of new things to keep the children at your wedding entertained, why not just bring along some toys you already have at home? If you have a child who’s happy to share their toys for one day this can be a really affordable way to keep the kids happy. Set aside a corner or a table and put a selection of toys, colouring books and sweets out. The kids will appreciate having an area that is just for them.
Bag Toss!
Bag toss is another outdoor game that requires a bit of patience and skill but everyone loves giving it a try!
Glitter Bar!
Okay so these photos aren’t from a wedding, they’re actually from a hen do that I photographed (if you’d like your hen or stag do photographed then contact me here). But I know that glitter bars are something people sometimes have at their wedding so I wanted to include it as an idea in this blog. This would be great for a festival themed wedding.
Giant Jenga!
Giant Jenga is a classic party game! Perfect for outdoor garden entertainment but it could also be played indoors (if there’s space) on a carpeted area or a rug.
Bowling!
I’ve only seen this at one wedding so far (a Halloween themed wedding). It was a great way to keep the kids entertained but it could also be fun for adults.
Hire a cocktail bar…
This cocktail bar designed the cocktails with the couple and I believe they named some of the drinks after the couple’s cats which was a lovely personal touch.
Hire a live artist.
Hiring a live artist on your wedding day is entertainment for your guests, plus you also get something lovely out of it which you can keep forever.
You could also have the artist draw/paint your guests and then that work of art can be a wedding favour AND entertainment. There are lots of different artists for you to choose from, so you can choose a style you love. Perhaps you could hire a caricaturist for something a bit comical?
Release some butterflies or doves…
Okay so these butterflies didn’t fly out as planned - they didn’t want to leave the box because it was quite cold outside (which was unfortunate as it was August). But imagine how cool it would have been if they had flown out.
This butterfly release was actually part of a ceremony (led by a celebrant). According to legend, by making a wish to a butterfly and then giving it its freedom, the wish will be taken to the heavens and be granted’.
You might also consider releasing Doves because they symbolise peace, love and a new beginning. Doves are so symbolic for a wedding because they pair for life and both share in the caring of their young.
And… I have loads of other ideas that I have not yet photographed…
A ‘Hot Ones’ eating challenge
Giant Chess
Welly Throwing
Paper airplane throwing competition (yes like in The Office USA… beep beep coming through…)
Mallet Smash
Darts
Lego
Include animals at your wedding - Alpacas, Owls etc.
Piñata
Skipping ropes
Hula hoops
Silent disco
Casino
Fireworks
Fire performers
Circus performers
Face painting
Treasure hunts
Pass the parcel
Axe throwing
Temporary tattoo station
REAL tattoo station
Karaoke
Drag Queen entertainers
Battleshots (like battleships but with shots of alcohol)
