After you say “I do,” it’s time to shift the mood from sweet and romantic to celebratory and loving. Outdoor games are a great way to ensure your guests have fun on the big day. People need something to do before the dance floor opens, and chances are not all your guests are dancing machines anyway. Add some of these lawn games for guests to enjoy to your list of must-haves for your backyard wedding.
Giant Connect Four
Connect Four is a classic game enjoyed by people of all ages. And when you supersize the board, playing becomes even more fun. This outdoor game will easily capture guests’ attention as they arrive at your reception, and children and adults will have fun playing against each other. Guests can even form teams or rotate challengers to allow everyone to interact with one another.
Ring Toss
Like Connect Four, ring toss is a classic game for all age groups. Of course, you could spice things up by making it a drinking game where guests have to sip their beverages each time they miss. Spray paint the bottles so they align with your wedding colors and make them appear unique. During this DIY project, you could also make the rings for the game out of wire and craft them to look like wedding rings.
Cornhole
If you’ve ever lived in the Midwestern region of the US, you know that Cornhole is the cornerstone of lawn games. It’s a great addition to your reception because most guests will understand how to play—and if they don’t, learning is easy.
Instead of buying plain cornhole boards, shop for ones that coordinate with your wedding colors, theme, or interests. For instance, if you and your partner bonded over a favorite sports team, get a set of boards with that team printed on them. On the other hand, you could buy from a vendor on a website like Etsy to order customized boards. This way, you can pick out specific colors and have your name, your partner’s name, and the wedding date printed on them.
Jenga
This is a fun game, whether it’s a standard-size set on a table or massive foam blocks on the lawn. Jenga is another wonderful lawn game for guests to enjoy at your backyard wedding since there’s no limit on the number of players per round.
Inject a bit of your personality into the game by stamping your name and your partner’s name on the blocks, or by writing prompts on each block, such as “have a drink,” “do a dare,” or “draw another block.” This adds some spontaneity to the games and helps crank up that party atmosphere!
Croquet
Looking for a classic game for your elegant affair? Croquet is exciting and a great way to encourage guests to interact. Not only will they get to enjoy the game, but they will also have to work as a team, as this outdoor game requires two teams of two to three people. And who doesn’t love a bit of friendly competition? Your guests can take turns playing and form groups with people they may not know well. This game is especially perfect for a summer wedding, as guests won’t break out in a sweat while playing.
Scavenger Hunt
If traditional lawn games aren’t your style, don’t worry—an outdoor scavenger hunt is thrilling and unique. Craft a list of items that guests need to search for, such as specific bouquets, members of the wedding party, or romantic poses of you and your partner sharing a kiss. Some work may need to go into that last one, such as guests clinking their forks against their glasses. Have guests take photos of everything they need to collect, then give a prize to the fastest participant.
If you want to make the scavenger hunt a bit more challenging for guests, disguise each item on your list with a riddle. This way, guests have to decipher what they must search for, then they can track it down and snap a quick photo.
A Closing Note
On your big day, the last thing you want to worry about is whether others are having an amazing time. Lawn games are one of the many ways to get guests to mingle at the wedding. Some of your guests will be total extroverts who are ready to meet new people, but others may be shy.
At the core, a wedding is all about unity between partners, family, and friends. Strive to set up a variety of games so all your guests can easily engage with one another throughout the big day. By the time the party ends, they’ll all be ready for the next big gathering.
