Wedding trivia questions for guests: 80 about the couple, 25 on traditions

Wedding trivia works because every guest knows a different slice of the two of you. Your school friends know one half, your new in-laws the other, and a table only wins by talking to each other. Below: 80 questions about the couple, 25 about wedding traditions with answers, and how to run it.

Pick 15 to 20 and answer them first

Read through, tick the ones that fit, and write down the official answers together before the day. Disagreements are part of the fun, but settle them now, not at the microphone.

A good round mixes:

• About a third anyone can get, from the speeches or the invitation (where you met, the month he proposed).
• About a third for friends and family (her first car, his childhood nickname).
• A few only your closest people will know. Those decide the winner.

80 wedding trivia questions about the couple

Write "she", "he" or a first name to suit you. Two brides, two grooms, or simply your names all work.

How you met

1. Where did they meet?
2. Who spoke first?
3. What year did they meet?
4. Who introduced them?
5. What was the first thing one said to the other?
6. Which app, bar, class or job brought them together?
7. Who made the first move?
8. How long before they went on a first date?
9. What did they think of each other at first?
10. What were they both doing that day?

First date and early days

11. Where was their first date?
12. What did they eat?
13. Who paid?
14. Who said "I love you" first?
15. Where did they go on their first trip together?
16. What was the first film they saw together?
17. When did they meet each other's parents?
18. What was the first gift one gave the other?
19. Where was their first home together?
20. How long had they been together when they moved in?

The proposal

21. Who proposed?
22. In which city or place?
23. What month was it?
24. Where was the ring hidden?
25. Who knew about it beforehand?
26. Who was the first person they told?
27. How long did the proposer plan it?
28. What happened straight after?

Favourites

29. Her coffee order?
30. His comfort food?
31. Their favourite takeaway?
32. The show they have rewatched the most?
33. Her favourite flower?
34. His favourite sports team?
35. Their favourite holiday destination?
36. Her go-to karaoke song?
37. His favourite film?
38. Their favourite restaurant?
39. The song they cannot stop playing?
40. Their favourite season?
41. Her favourite dessert?
42. His favourite drink at a party?
43. The book one of them recommends to everyone?

Who is more likely to

44. Who is the better cook?
45. Who takes longer to get ready?
46. Who is always late?
47. Who falls asleep first on movie night?
48. Who is the bigger spender?
49. Who apologises first after an argument?
50. Who is more likely to get lost?
51. Who has more shoes?
52. Who hogs the duvet?
53. Who is the early riser?
54. Who controls the TV remote?
55. Who would survive longer on a desert island?
56. Who cries at films?
57. Who plans the holidays?
58. Who is the better driver?
59. Who is more likely to adopt another pet?

Family and growing up

60. Where did she grow up?
61. Where did he grow up?
62. How many siblings do they have between them?
63. What was his childhood nickname?
64. What did she want to be when she grew up?
65. What was his first job?
66. What was her first car?
67. What is the name of their pet, or their first pet?
68. Which family holiday spot comes up every year?
69. Who is the youngest in their family?

The wedding itself

70. How long have they been engaged?
71. Who chose the date?
72. What is the first dance song?
73. Who chose the venue?
74. How many guests are here today?
75. What flavour is the cake?
76. Where is the honeymoon?
77. What is the wedding hashtag?
78. Which detail was the hardest decision?
79. Who cried first today?
80. How many years have they been together?

25 wedding tradition trivia questions (with answers)

Mix five or six into your round so guests who barely know you still score.

1. Which finger traditionally wears the wedding ring? The fourth finger of the left hand, once believed to have a vein running straight to the heart.
2. Finish the rhyme: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue... And a silver sixpence in her shoe.
3. What does "something blue" traditionally stand for? Faithfulness and loyalty.
4. Which queen made white wedding dresses fashionable? Queen Victoria, at her wedding in 1840.
5. What is the traditional gift for a first anniversary? Paper.
6. And for a 25th? Silver.
7. A 50th? Gold.
8. A 60th? Diamond.
9. Who gave the first recorded diamond engagement ring? Archduke Maximilian of Austria, to Mary of Burgundy in 1477.
10. Which advertising line from 1947 tied diamonds to engagements? "A diamond is forever."
11. What colour veil did brides in ancient Rome wear? Flame orange (the flammeum).
12. Why did bridesmaids once dress like the bride? Folklore says to confuse any evil spirits looking for her.
13. Which wedding tier is traditionally saved for later? The top tier, for the first anniversary or the first christening.
14. What does the guest who catches the bouquet supposedly do next? Marry.
15. In Jewish weddings, what does the groom traditionally break at the end of the ceremony? A glass.
16. In which tradition do couples jump the broom? African American weddings, a custom also found in Welsh and Romani history.
17. In a Hindu wedding, how many steps does the couple take together as they make their vows? Seven (the saptapadi).
18. What is often hidden in a bride's mehndi design? The groom's name or initials, for him to find.
19. What colour do brides traditionally wear in China? Red, for luck and joy.
20. How many sugared almonds go in a traditional Italian wedding favour? Five: health, wealth, happiness, fertility and a long life.
21. Which phrase for getting married is linked to handfasting? Tying the knot.
22. What is the honeymoon named after? The sweetness (honey) of the first month (moon) of marriage.
23. Why were tin cans tied to the getaway car? Folklore says the noise scared off bad luck.
24. In a traditional church ceremony, which side does the bride stand on? The left, as guests see it. The old story: it kept the groom's sword hand free.
25. What is thrown at the couple as they leave, for luck and plenty? Rice, petals or confetti, depending on the venue's rules.

How to run it

Printed sheets on every table. One sheet and two pens per table, answers collected before dessert, and the MC reads the answers after the speeches. It turns the whole table into a team, which is the point. The Bride or Groom game is a ready-made version of the "who is more likely to" round: edit the lines, print, done.

Read out by the MC. Ten quick questions between courses, tables write answers on a card. Works for big rooms where people will not read a sheet.

The shoe game. The two of you sit back to back, each holding one of your shoes and one of the other's, and raise a shoe for "who is more likely to" questions. Guests score themselves against your answers. Best with 10 questions, no more.

At the shower. "How well do you know the bride" is the same game with one person; we have 75 questions just for her.

Prizes and scoring

• One point a question, two for the questions only close family will know.
• A bottle of wine or the table centrepiece for the winning table.
• Tie-break: closest guess to "how many days have they been together?"

Keep it under 15 minutes. Trivia that runs into the dancing loses the room.

Easier alternatives

Wedding bingo runs all day with no MC and suits kids. A wedding crossword uses the same facts about the two of you in a puzzle a table can work on through dinner; our crossword clue ideas list 60 to start from.