Bridal shower games that aren't lame: 15 ideas, plus 20 questions about the groom

Good bridal shower games put the bride at the centre, take one sentence to explain, and work for her college roommate and her future mother-in-law alike. Below: 15 games sorted by crowd, 20 questions to test how well she knows the groom, and the ones to leave out.

How many games to plan

Two or three for a two-hour shower. One that runs quietly all afternoon, one the whole room plays together, and one spare. Ten minutes each, then back to the food.

Games for big groups

1. How well do you know the bride? Guests answer questions about her, she reveals the real answers, and the best score wins. Our 75 bride questions are ready to pick from.
2. Don't say "wedding." Everyone gets a clothespin at the door. Say "wedding" and whoever catches you takes it. Most pins at the end wins, with no host needed.
3. Gift bingo. Guests fill a card with gifts they expect (towels, a stand mixer, wine glasses) and mark them off as she opens. It keeps the room watching the gifts. Our bingo card maker prints a different shuffle on every card.
4. Bride or groom? Read out statements ("is always late," "cried at Toy Story 3") and guests guess which of the two it fits. The Bride or Groom printable is the sheet, ready to edit.
5. Find the guest. A grid of prompts like "has known the bride over 20 years" or "has been to the honeymoon destination." Guests find someone who fits each square and get them to sign it. Great when the two families have never met.
6. Finish the love song. Read the first half of a lyric, tables write the rest. Ten songs, five minutes.

Games for small groups

7. Two truths and a lie, bride edition. She tells three stories from her life; guests vote on the fake.
8. Who said it? Collect quotes from the bride and groom ahead of time. Guests guess who said each one.
9. The groom quiz. She answers the questions below about her partner, and her answers are checked against his, recorded ahead of time. A quick phone video of him answering is the best part.
10. Date night jar. Every guest writes one date idea on a card. The couple draws one a month for their first year.

Games for the office

Seated, quick, done in a lunch hour.

11. Wedding trivia. Ten tradition questions read aloud. Our wedding trivia guide has 25 with answers.
12. Guess the dress. Show four dress sketches or photos; guests guess which one is closest to hers. She reveals after the wedding.
13. Word search. A free word search with the couple's own words, handed out at the door.

Silly, for a crowd that likes it

14. Toilet paper wedding dress. Teams of four get three rolls and ten minutes to dress a model. The bride judges.
15. Ring hunt. Hide plastic rings around the room before guests arrive. Most rings found by the end wins.

20 how well do you know the groom questions

The groom answers first, privately. The bride answers aloud at the shower, and she can be scored per correct answer, or with a sip, a candy or a sticker for each one she gets.

1. What is his middle name?
2. Where was he born?
3. What was his first job?
4. What is his go-to order at a coffee shop?
5. His favourite meal?
6. The food he refuses to eat?
7. His favourite film?
8. The team he would cheer for at any cost?
9. What did he think of her the first time they met?
10. When did he know she was the one?
11. What is his favourite thing about her?
12. What is his most annoying habit, in her words?
13. Who said "I love you" first?
14. Where would he go on a dream holiday?
15. What did he want to be as a kid?
16. Who is the better cook, according to him?
17. What is the first thing he would grab in a fire?
18. His favourite memory of the two of them?
19. What song reminds him of her?
20. Where does he see them in ten years?

Games to skip

• Anything with a gross reveal or a dare. Funny to some, a hard no for others.
• Lingerie or racy questions with family present. Save them for the bachelorette.
• Games where one guest performs alone. The quiet cousin will dread it.

Prizes

Small and nice: a candle, a face mask, a mini prosecco, a plant. Let the first winner pick first so people stay for the next round.

Put the games on the invitation

Ask guests for a date night idea, a recipe card or a photo of them with the bride in one line of the invitation. Our bridal shower invitation wording has 40 ideas. A digital bridal shower invitation from Paper & Seal (our product) collects the RSVPs so you know how many cards to print, and on The Invitation and up it can carry a quiz guests play on their phones, with a leaderboard.