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Bridal Shower Games
By Megan Mercer
Last Update: November 5, 2004

At a typical bridal shower, the hostess plans about 2 to 3 games for the guests to play. Games are used to encourage the guests to socialize and to provide entertainment. The hostess should also buy some inexpensive gifts to be presented to the winners as prizes.

Prize Ideas
Address books, day planners, calendars, pound of gourmet coffee beans, coffee mugs, special soaps, bath salts, ring dishes, movie passes, plants, telephone message pads, photo albums, etc.

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Wedding Dress
Before the shower, purchase several rolls of white toilet paper. At the party, divide the guests into two or more groups of 3-5 people. The goal is for each group to design and fashion a "wedding dress" out of toilet paper. Each group must choose a person to model the dress. Accessories are allowed (earrings, bouquets, trains, headpieces, wedding ring, etc.), but they must all be fashioned out of toilet paper. Once the groups are finished, the bride must pick the winner of the contest.

VARIATION: Supply the teams with items other than just toilet paper to use on the dress, such as scotch tape, ribbons, beads, etc. Either way you play this game is lots of fun and makes for great pictures and memories!

Who am I?
A perfect ice breaker to start a shower. Prepare ahead of time by writing the name of a famous person, singer, or actor/actress on a 3x5 index card or piece of paper. As each guest arrives pin one of the "tags" on her back without her knowing her "secret identity". The task is for the guest to find out who she is by asking others questions which can only be answered with a yes or no. This is a great way for guests to get mingling right away so they can learn who they are. First one to learn their identity is the winner. You may want to lengthen the game by offering 2nd and 3rd place prizes.

Honeymoon Escapades
This activity isn't a game for the guests to play, but it is still very fun and is great for getting the party started! Tell the guests and bride to pretend the wedding is over and it is the wedding night. The hotel that the couple is staying in looses all electricity and the bride must prepare for her wedding night in complete darkness. Next blindfold the bride and hand her a suitcase. She must put on everything in the suitcase. Put items in it such as sunglasses, men's underwear, big bra, work gloves, or anything else that may bring a laugh. She puts all this on over her clothes! When she is done take a picture ...it's hilarious!

Touchy-Feely.
You can use paper or cloth bags, so that the guests are able to feel the item. Find about 10-15 common items around the house (remote control, video tape, pen, tooth brush, etc.) and place the items in each bag. Pass the items around for the guests to feel. They're allowed 15-30 seconds to hold the bag, and then they must pass to the next guest. Number the bags and give the guests a paper and pencil to record their answers. The guest with the most correct answers wins.

Blind Drawings
Every person gets a piece of paper, pen and a hard covered book. Have the guests write their names on the paper and put it on the book (with the clean side of the paper facing upward). Then have everyone put the books on their heads. Tell the guests to draw what the bride will look like on her wedding day. They should make the drawings as detailed as they can with a veil, jewelry, a train, etc. Allow about 2 minutes for everyone to finish their drawings. Then take the books off their heads and look at the masterpieces. What a crack up!!

Hand all of the papers to the bride to decide which one she thinks is the best. Then turn the paper over to see who drew it. The bride can keep all of the drawings and look at them fondly over the years!

The Groom
Prior to the shower, someone contacts the groom and asks him a list of questions (about 10 or 15) about himself and the "intended" Be sure that whatever you ask him remains a secret so that the bride doesn't know ahead of time. Write out each question on a 3x5 index card and write the groom's answers on the back.
For example:
     1. What is the groom's favorite food?
     2. What is the groom's favorite movie?
     3. Where did you go on your first date?
Be creative! You could even make some fill in the blank, true/false or even multiple choice questions.

At the shower, read the questions to the group. Each person writes down how many they think the bride will get right. To get the question "right", the bride must match the groom's answer. Then ask the bride the questions and let her answer, then read the groom's answers out loud. It's a lot of fun and can get very interesting.

Trivia
This trivia game is a variation of the previous game. Make up some trivia questions about the bride or groom. Prior to the shower have the couple answer all of the questions. Then ask the guests these same questions to see how many people "really" know the bride and groom. The questions could include things like how they met, where was their first date, where they going on their honeymoon etc.

Have the guests write down their answers to each question and the person with the most correct answers at the end wins. This works well for small, intimate showers where the guests are close friends and family members who know the bride and groom very well.

Purse power!
Tell all the guests to put their purses in front of them for this game. Prior to the shower make a list of common and uncommon things that can be found in a woman's purse. Assign each item a point value. Uncommon items should have a higher point values. For example

Items	Points		Items	Points
credit card	1		stick of gum	11
cell phone	2		lotion	12
lipstick	3		calendar	13
pen or pencil	4		bandage	14
receipt	5		photograph	15
nail file	6		safety pin	16
hair brush/comb	7		postage stamp	17
check book	8		battery	18
tissue	9		nail polish	19
mirror	10		tampon	20

The possibilities are endless! Keep the items simple and not too uncommon or you may wind up with an unhappy guest who doesn't have anything but a wallet in her purse!!

VARIATION: Have the bride-to-be be hold the "master" list and let her announce what "item" should be found. The first person to present that item receives the points for that round.

Word Jumble.
Find out just how much your guests know about organizing a wedding by having them unscramble the a list of wedding related words. The first person to unscramble all of the words correctly is the winner. If no one completes the list within 5 to 10 minutes, then the one with the most correct answers is the winner. Here is a sample list...

Scrambled Words:	Unscrambled Answers:
morgo digwend rnsig grealcmny esruhs ercoymen nirg rebare trarge sbmiedsirad stigf worfsel oterpecin kace steb mna helacp idreb	groom wedding rings clergyman ushers ceremony ring bearer garter bridesmaids gifts flowers reception cake best man chapel bride