EXCITING ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS & ADULTS https://the-crawleys.com/
GUEST POST BY ASHLEY COTTRELL
From postponed weddings to virtual ceremonies, the pandemic had made it difficult for the newlyweds to celebrate with their loved ones. Now that in-person gatherings are allowed with limited people, couples are searching for bigger and better ways to make their special day more festive and exciting.
Since the newlyweds generally take time for photos and outfit changes after the ceremony, having several activities prepared during the wedding reception is a great way to keep the guests entertained and engaged.
So, in order to keep them busy, while you pose for photographs or change into another set of wedding wear, here are 15 of the most exciting activities for kids & adults to enjoy during your wedding reception:
What’s a wedding celebration without champagne!? You can have a self-serve bar in the reception area for your guests to make their favorite DIY margaritas and martinis.
Has someone ever dared you to do a crazy dance in front of strangers? Now, you can get them back! Create fun and silly truth or dare cards and place them on the wedding reception tables for your guests to have some fun. Just make sure to keep the activities eligible for kids, unless you’re having an adult-only party!
Note cards are a great way for guests to send the newlyweds their well wishes and marital advice. Place index cards or customized note cards near the entrance of your reception for guests to fill out before the night ends. You can download both of Zola’s Newlywed Note and Truth or Dare reception game here!
How well do the newlyweds know one another? The Shoe Game, for example, is an all-time favourite for wedding guests to participate in. In this game, the newlywed couple sits in the middle of the reception area, such as the dance floor, and exchanges one shoe with each other. The wedding guests will ask the couple a series of funny (or embarrassing) questions such as “Who is the worst dancer?” for the couple to answer by raising the respective shoe! Need inspiration? Here are some great newlywed game questions to get you started!
Trivia is another fun table game for guests to get busy with. Set a box full of trivia questions on each table for guests to ask one another. Insist that they pair off as teams to make it competitive!
If you have children aged 9 and younger at the wedding, coloring pages can keep them occupied! Place a basket of crayons and paper at each reception table to make them easily accessible. Download some coloring pages here! Your guests will thank you for this, especially the parents who have travelled with kids.
For the older kids, Word Search is more ideal. You can keep it wedding-related by taking inspiration from wedding registry websites like Zola!
For outdoor wedding receptions, you can rent inflatable bounce houses or bouncy castles for kids to enjoy. These are a very good way to keep the little ones busy throughout the reception.
You can set up a photo booth for guests to create their own memories. Simply hang a fun backdrop, such as a designed fabric, flowers or string lights. You can also keep a box of props there and insist that your guests strike a pose with at least one. The photos can be clicked by a dedicated photographer with an instant camera or by the guests themselves (with their mobile cameras).
Want to include something out of the box? Hire a sketch artist! You can set up an area for guests to get their portraits sketched by a professional. Of course, this will be a hit and your guests can take their portraits home, too.
One of the most important things that you need to do is hire an awesome DJ (Disc Jockey) who will keep your guests dancing all through the reception. Make sure you inform the DJ about the age groups that will be present so that he creates his playlist accordingly. Don’t forget to include kid-friendly songs that also make some adults children again.
If the wedding reception is at a rustic barn or farmhouse, cornhole is a classic lawn game that everyone can enjoy. Split the teams up, such as men vs. women or kids vs. adults, to make it a friendly competition.
Use large wooden blocks to create a DIY ‘giant’ jenga game! This activity is another lawn, family-friendly game and wedding favorite.
A live entertainment show at a wedding reception will definitely make it a night to remember. From Bollywood dance performances to professional wedding bands, the options are endless.
Last, but not the least, the wedding send-off is a great way to end the night and bid farewell to the newlyweds for their honeymoon trip. Wedding guests can light sparklers or blow bubbles around the couple as they exit the reception. Make sure these are given to the guests towards the end of the party or you will find kids running around with them before it’s time to say goodbye!
The above ideas will surely keep your guests engaged and their kids happy by the end of it. We hope that this will help you organize a fun-filled wedding reception. Additional ways, in which you can incorporate exciting activities into your wedding reception, can be from your culture, family traditions or other fun events. Enjoy!
What are some activities that you’ve enjoyed at weddings?
About the Author
Ashley Cottrell is a freelance writer based in Puerto Rico. Throughout her writing career, she’s had the pleasure of contributing blog posts on topics ranging from lifestyle to wellness. When she’s not writing, you can find her jogging at the beach or nose-deep in a game of chess.
This blog post is part of the blog challenge
‘Blogaberry Dazzle’
hosted by Cindy D’Silva andNoor Anand Chawla
and sponsored by Bakez by Daizy.
Special thanks to the amazing feature picture by Crawleys
36 Comments
Very interesting post. Though it doesn’t seem applicable to a Punjabi wedding scenario – at any given time, there is so much going on that even random acquaintances can never be bored! Hahaha
Hahaha! totally agree!
This is such an interesting post! I am saving this for the next party planned in my family.
I loved the idea of Bounce house and custom sketches. Its good to make some wonderful memories
All these activities sounds very interesting during the wedding. It’s difficult to manage large gatherings and these are definitely gonna help
I loved all these fun ideas. At my sister’s wedding we played Chinese whispers and Truth or Dare . Such good ideas to implement on wedding.
oh wow that’s so cool.
I love these ideas for making a wedding reception entertaining one for every guest. I also like the photo booth idea and activities to engage kids best.
Such innovative ideas! I wish I could host my marriage reception again and involve some of these games. I loved the idea of truth and dare!
Hahaha, that’s an expensive wish, Shail.
Some new and some old ideas make for a great list of activities for a wedding. Table Trivia sounds interesting. Giant Jenga could be a giant task! Truth and dare is very interesting anywhere. A different and interesting blog post, Cindy.
Thanks, Harjeet!
All activities are interesting, we have an upcoming wedding in our family, I would try a few of these. Being in a mom 2 little boys, I believe -Best one would be to keep printouts and colors, I will definitely try this so that Mothers can relax a bit and enjoy.
Wow, Pooja, do let me know how it goes.
Many interesting suggestions. Liked the trivia one….we can use it for parties as well. That gaint jhenga game sounds fun as well! As an event planner, I have used the personalised gifts as well on mugs or drawing paper which can be framed. Makes for nice ‘return-gift’ for the guests.
Of course these would be ideal in a modern wedding setting. Usually traditional Indian weddings are more conservative and involving many rituals.
Yeah, no time for games, but then the kids could be kept busy during these rituals, right?
I am saving this one for my cousin’s wedding this December. It’ll be a great change from the just traditonal games we play on our weddings. Thanks.
Cool, Raghav, let me know how it works.
This post is full of ideas which make the party memorable and joyful. Photo Booth is one of the attractive ideas which can make guest engage.
Wow, these activities will make weddings and other get-togethers complete fun! Thanks for the amazing list, shall keep in mind for future celebrations:)
Live entertainment is mostly going on. Instead of Bollywood actor, family members are doing dance on the floor. Cocktail hour is new for me. Love all the adults activities ideas, something new and incredible.
Thanks, Neeta. I’m surprised that cocktail hour is new to you.
I’ve found that live entertainment, photo booths, and sketch artists are a big hit with guests. Truth or Dare gets awkward sometimes when people refuse to play along or get angry, but the Shoe game guarantees plenty of laughs.
Yeah, TOD could be for groups that are close or can take a joke or two.
Very well complied list of activities at a wedding to enjoy…i liked the idea of Photo booth so much and shoes game one seems fun too.
Plenty of new ideas to explore…highly creative post.
These look like fun. Apart from the photo booths and bounce house, I haven’t seen such activities pick up in India. It is all about eat, drink, and be merry.
Hahaha, that it normally is, but to keep the kids from running around and breaking things, we could try these activities, I’m sure.
These are excellent activities. Particularly for children who can be quite a handful during weddings. Although the chat sessions are never-ending when it comes to adults, such activities are always welcome. The photo booth is already quite popular.
True, Ritu, just attended one in February and have a photo memory from that day!
I really love the ideas of photo booth and custom sketches. Actually I experience custom sketches in one of my friends’ wedding and enjoyed a lot by making one for myself.
That’s awesome, Shreemayee, thanks for sharing your experience.
I love the idea of custom sketches. So personalised. Table Trivia is something I am book marking for later, as it sounds super interesting. Great tips, Cindy!
Thanks, Mayuri!
Photo booth is a good idea , it will help to have some memorable clicks 🙂
True, Ghazala, I’ve already seen this at some events.