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Bridal shower games at a glance
The short answers, before the full list of games.
- How many
- Two or threeEnough to get guests talking, few enough that the bridal shower does not feel like a game show
- How long each
- 10 to 15 minutesA game that ends while everyone is still laughing is better than one that runs long
- The classic
- BingoBridal shower bingo runs during the gift opening, so it keeps the whole room involved
- What it costs
- Under $10Printing, pens and a few small prizes. Most games need nothing else
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Classic and printable bridal shower games
The games that work at almost every bridal shower, with a printed card or sheet for each guest.
Bridal shower bingo
Guests fill a bingo card with gifts they think the bride will open, and mark them off during the gift opening. The first line wins. It is the one game that turns forty-five minutes of unwrapping into something to watch. The bridal shower bingo page covers the cards.
He said, she said
The host reads quotes from the bride and groom, and guests guess who said each one. Collect the answers from the couple a week before, and keep them sweet enough for the grandmothers.
How well do you know the bride
Ten questions about the bride: her favorite food, her first job, where the couple had their first date. The guest with the most correct answers wins, and the bride reads out the answers.
Wedding word scramble
Wedding words with the letters mixed up: bouquet, honeymoon, veil, reception. A quiet printable game that guests can play while they eat.
Wedding mad libs
Guests fill in the blanks of a wedding vow or a love story with random nouns and adjectives, then read them aloud. Funny, easy and good for a mixed age room.
Famous couples match
Match the celebrity or movie couples, or the famous wedding dresses to the brides who wore them. A classic trivia sheet that needs no setup.
Advice cards and recipe cards
Guests write marriage advice, a date night idea or a favorite recipe on a card for the bride. Not a competition, and the cards become a keepsake.
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Interactive bridal shower games for the whole room
Games where guests get up, talk and play together rather than fill in a sheet.
Would she rather
The host reads a choice, would she rather go to Paris or Hawaii, sleep in or watch the sunrise, and guests vote before the bride answers. It is fast, it works for any number of guests, and it is a fun way for guests to learn about the bride.
Two truths and a lie, bride edition
The bride shares three facts about herself or the couple, and guests guess which is the lie.
Don't say bride, the ring or clothespin game
Every guest gets a clothespin or a plastic ring. Anyone who says the word bride or wedding loses theirs to the guest who caught them. The guest with the most at the end of the shower wins.
Musical bouquet
Guests pass a bouquet while love songs play. When the music stops, the guest holding it answers a question about the couple or shares a piece of advice.
Wedding pictionary or emoji pictionary
Guests draw wedding words or decode wedding phrases written in emojis. Split the room into teams so nobody draws alone.
Rom com charades
Teams act out the titles of romantic comedies and wedding movies. It is one of the funniest games for a group that loves movies.
What's in your purse
The host reads a list of items, lip balm, a safety pin, a receipt from last year, and guests score a point for each one in their bag. It needs only a printed list.
Pin the veil on the bride
A blindfolded version of the party classic, with a photo of the bride and a paper veil. Silly and quick, and a good game for a bridal shower with kids.
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Wedding shower games with the bride and groom
For a couples shower or a wedding shower where the groom is there.
The shoe game
The couple sit back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of the other's, and raise the shoe of whoever the answer is to questions like who said I love you first. The couples wedding shower games page has the questions.
The newlywed game
Ask the couple the same questions separately before the shower, then see how many answers match in front of the guests.
How old were they, or where were they
Photos of the bride and groom at different ages or on trips they took together, and guests guess the age or the place.
Name that love song
Play the first few seconds of love songs and teams guess the title. Include the song the couple will dance to at the wedding.
Bridal feud
A family feud format with survey answers from the couple's friends and family. Two teams, one host, and a buzzer if you have one.
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Funny and memory bridal shower games
The funny games, the sentimental ones, and the ones to flag for the right room.
Toilet paper wedding dress
Teams design a wedding dress from toilet paper and tape, and the bride picks the winner. A classic funny game, best for a relaxed room with space to move.
Whose memory is it
Guests write a favorite memory with the bride on a card, and the bride guesses who wrote each one. Funny and touching at the same time.
Date night jar
Guests write date night ideas on sticks or cards for the couple's first year of marriage. A quiet activity that runs all afternoon.
Telephone toast
Guests pass a whispered toast around the room and the last person says it aloud to the bride. Short, silly and good for a big group.
The lingerie game, for close friends only
At a lingerie shower, the bride guesses which guest brought each gift. Keep it for a small shower of close friends, not a room with family.
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Virtual and phone bridal shower games
For a virtual bridal shower, or a room full of guests who have their phones out anyway.
A trivia quiz on phones
A quiz app with questions about the bride, where guests answer on their phones and the scores show on a screen.
Zoom bridal bingo
The same bingo game, with digital cards sent to each guest and the gifts opened on camera.
Playlist battle
Guests suggest a song for the couple's wedding playlist, and everyone votes for the best one.
Honeymoon where
Show photos of places around the world, and guests guess where the couple is going on the honeymoon.
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How to choose bridal shower games guests will love
The guest list, how many games, when to play them, prizes, and the activities that are not games.
The best bridal shower games are the ones that fit the room: the guest list, the space and the bride's style. A list of games is only useful once those are clear, so start there, then pick two or three games from the lists above.
Choose games for the guest list
A bridal shower often brings together the bride's college friends, her coworkers, her grandmother and the groom's family. Choose games that include everyone: bingo, would she rather, how well do you know the bride and advice cards work for every age. Keep the funny or adult games for a shower of close friends, and flag them before playing.
Think about the space too. A seated room suits printable games and bingo; a room where guests can move suits musical bouquet, pictionary and the toilet paper wedding dress.
Match the games to the bride
A bride who loves attention will enjoy the shoe game and would she rather. A shy bride will prefer games where guests do the talking, like advice cards, whose memory and bingo. Ask her which game she would rather skip, and skip it.
How many bridal shower games to play
Two or three games is the right number for a bridal shower of about two hours. One game while guests arrive and eat, bingo during the gift opening, and one short interactive game before the cake. More than that and the games take over the celebration.
Keep each game to ten or fifteen minutes and end it while guests are still enjoying it. One friend should run the games, with the questions and answers printed on a card, so the host is free and the bride can simply play.
When to play the games
Play a quiet printable game while guests arrive, so nobody stands alone. Save the interactive game for after the food, when guests are settled. Run bingo during the gifts. Finish with the cake and toasts rather than another game.
Bridal shower game prizes
Small, useful prizes work best: a candle, a chocolate bar, lip balm, a plant, a tote bag or a coffee gift card, all at the same price. Two or three prizes per game keeps a game going after the first winner. The bridal shower game prizes page has more ideas.
Bridal shower activities that are not games
Not every bride wants games. Activities fill the same role without the competition: a flower bar where guests build a bouquet, a photo backdrop, a recipe card station, a craft like decorating tote bags, or a date night jar. Pair one activity with one game, or replace the games entirely.
Free printable bridal shower games
Most classic games only need a printed sheet: bingo cards, word scrambles, mad libs, trivia and he said she said. Download one design so the games match the invitations and the bridal shower theme, print one per guest on card stock, and put pens on every table. The bridal shower ideas page covers the rest of the afternoon.
Games to skip
Anything that embarrasses the bride in front of her family, games that single out one guest, drinking games at a mixed shower, and anything that needs a long explanation. The right bridal shower games feel easy, include everyone and leave the bride feeling loved.
Two or three games, ten minutes each, and one friend running them. The shower stays a celebration, not a game show.
How many gamesThe rule
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Bridal shower games, answered
The questions hosts ask while planning the games.
What are the best bridal shower games?
Bridal shower bingo, how well do you know the bride, he said she said, would she rather and advice cards work at almost every shower.
Add a funny game like the toilet paper wedding dress for a relaxed room.
How many games should you play at a bridal shower?
Two or three for a shower of about two hours, each ten to fifteen minutes.
More than that and the games take over the celebration.
Do you have to play games at a bridal shower?
No. Activities like a flower bar, advice cards or a photo backdrop can replace them.
Ask the bride what she would enjoy.
What are funny bridal shower games?
The toilet paper wedding dress, rom com charades, what's in your purse, wedding mad libs and whose memory is it.
Keep adult games for a shower of close friends.
What games work for a mixed age group?
Bingo, would she rather, advice cards, musical bouquet and how well do you know the bride.
Grandmothers and college friends can all play them.
What games can you play at a couples shower?
The shoe game, the newlywed game, name that love song and bridal feud.
They put the couple at the front and the guests in teams.
Should you play games before or after gifts?
One game before the gifts, bingo during the gift opening, and the cake after.
Play a quiet printable game while guests arrive.
What are good prizes for bridal shower games?
A candle, a chocolate bar, lip balm, a small plant or a coffee gift card, all at the same price.
Two or three prizes per game.
What are free printable bridal shower games?
Bingo cards, word scrambles, mad libs, trivia, he said she said and famous couples match.
Print one per guest and put pens on the tables.
What bridal shower games can you play virtually?
A trivia quiz on phones, Zoom bridal bingo, a playlist battle and a honeymoon guessing game.
Send the cards before the call.
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What to read next
The afternoon these sit inside, the gifts being opened, and the louder version of the same question.
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Where this comes from
The costs are Revelwick estimates. The two game rule is ours.
What the figures are
Every cost on this page is a Revelwick editorial estimate for a bridal shower of about eighteen guests. It is a starting point for a budget conversation rather than a quote, and prices move, so check the current price before you book anything.
What is ours
Cutting the list to two games is ours, and keeping bingo is not because it is the best game but because it covers the gift opening, which is the only part of the afternoon that needs covering.
The ten minute ceiling is arithmetic for a room of eighteen rather than a rule anybody publishes. We do not name shops or brands.