Weddings can go both ways: they can either be one of the most fun and memorable experiences of your life or represent the unpleasant culmination to a month (or several!) of intense stress and worry.

The truth is, weddings don’t need to be flashy and opulent to be enjoyable. Often, people are too drawn up on pleasing all of their guests and impressing them that they forget what brings people together even closer than food: activities!

Therefore, let us show you our chosen list of the best games and activities for a wedding reception. We’ve taken the research out of it so that you can have all the fun!

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Why Do Activities During Reception?

While the actual wedding might mean something to you, your partner, and both of your family members, the fact of the matter is that the rest of the guests will probably be looking forward to the reception instead. To them, that is the “meat” of the wedding.

Your average reception consists of maybe a cocktail hour, your usual dining experience, making toasts, and perhaps throwing garters or bouquets around. Typically, the guests start sweating when the dancing starts. That is, of course, assuming they even join the dancing, since most people tend to be shy on the dancefloor.

What if you found a way to include everyone in the fun? Having a memorable reception doesn’t mean getting drunk or dancing with a handful of people. It means sharing beautiful memories and emotions with the people around you.

And isn’t that what Jenga does? Here’s our pick of group activities you could perform during the reception!

Jenga

Odds are everyone has either played or heard of Jenga before. That means that a lot of people will be looking forward to playing once you pull out the Jenga boxes! Blocks worth a single medium-sized tower stack can be distributed to each table for at least several minutes’ worth of fun.

Think about collecting all of the blocks when you’re done, though. Nobody likes having three dozen wooden blocks lying haphazardly on the tables. But, conversely, you can set up a special play area instead of turning the whole reception into one.

Bocce Ball

There’s nothing that says wedding games like bocce ball. You don’t need a court setup, although it’s sure to impress the guests if you can afford one. Playing bocce ball is easy as long as you have an open lawn, more than a couple of bocce balls, and willing guests.

However, the price for eight bocce balls runs between $25 to $30 on average, so you’ll have to plan your finances around that.

Caricatures

As previously mentioned, the best way to ensure your guests remember your wedding is to include them within it. Sure, they can appear in pictures and maybe catch the bride’s bouquet, but is that really interacting with them?

An extraordinary way of giving them a keepsake is by hiring a caricaturist. Going to a wedding and coming back home with an exaggerated drawing of yourself sounds far more interesting than with just a bellyful of good food.

Board Games

A good way to bond your guests is by having them play a board game together. You can either share one with each table or set up a dedicated play area as per Jenga. Our suggestion would be to purchase board games that are team-based and not competitive. It’s easier to make friends when you’re all fighting against Sauron together!

Try Your Best

The key to a great reception is to remember to have fun! Don’t be afraid to mingle with the guests, participate in the activities, and forget about all of your worries, if only for one night. The reception is as much for the guests as it is for you!