The couple that decides to throw an engagement party to announce their pending nuptials to family and friends may find themselves facing a long to-do list. There are cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to arrange, decorations to purchase and place, possibly a dinner to be catered, and all of this is only leading up to the main event: the announcement. Of course, many engagement parties these days actually occur after the happy couple has announced their impending union, which means you may also be on the hook for entertainment. If you’re looking for a way to keep your guests grinning until the main event (the toast), then here are just a few games to get the party started.
1. Newlywed game. They may not be married quite yet, but it’s never too soon to test their intimate knowledge of one another. As long as the people creating the questions skirt touchy subjects (like past relationships, stints in the clink – hey, we were all stupid kids once – and starting a family) it should be a hilarious peek into the private lives of the lovebirds.
2. Ring toss. This will not involve making the bride chuck her engagement ring around the room, so don’t worry about losing the precious rock. Instead, the bride will be given rings of some sort (doughnuts are a good option since they’re soft) and blindfolded. She must then toss the rings onto the groom’s upheld finger (he could also hold a stick of some sort to make it easier) with only his guidance to tell her where to toss. At worst, the groom gets pelted (always fun) and at best she lands him on the first try!
3. Forbidden words. As guests mingle and get to know each other, give them each a token of some kind. The goal is to collect as many tokens as possible and to do so guests much catch others using forbidden words related to the couple, which could include items like wedding, bride, groom, engagement, and so on. The person with the most tokens at the end of a set time period gets a prize.
4. Wedding Taboo. Create a number of cards with specific words related to the couple or their upcoming wedding. Have each table form up into two groups and then guess the word on the card with clues given by another team member. The caveat, of course, is that the team member reading the card cannot say the word (or five related words) while giving clues.
5. Who’s who. Breaking the ice can be hard, especially when mingling two families, so help guests get to know each other by asking each to provide you with some wacky facts about themselves before the shindig. Print up fact sheets (sans names) and tell guests to try to find out which facts go with which guests by asking questions. Of course, they can’t actually use any of the key words listed. For example, if one guest rode a barrel over Niagara Falls, others couldn’t use the words barrel or Niagara Falls in their questioning. Instead they would have to ask things like, “Have you ever been to New York State?” or “Do you participate in water sports?” for example. At the end, award a prize to the person who gets the most facts straight.
