ALT-1 Great Bridal Shower Games
You've probably been to the bridal shower where you barely knew anybody. You sat up against a wall, a drink gripped in your hand, as you smiled woodenly at people you didn't know, and wondered how soon the ordeal would be over. A great bridal shower ice-breaker game would have ended that horrible beginning-of-the-party discomfort.
A bridal shower hostess should start with games as soon as the guests arrive. Here are 3 great bridal shower games specifically designed to ease awkwardness among your guests, from the moment they arrive.
THE GUESTS ARRIVAL GAME:
Hand out a scratch-to-win lotto ticket to each guest as they arrive. Tell them they are not allowed to scratch their ticket until the end of the shower. Also instruct them that the groom's name is OFF-limits during the party. If a guest hears another guest say the groom's name, they can claim that person's ticket, or tickets. Yes, the unlucky guest who spoke the groom's name will lose all the tickets they may have won off other individuals.
At a specific time, perhaps a half hour before the party ends, the person holding the most tickets receives a bigger prize, like a gift or a more valuable scratch ticket. Everyone can then scratch the tickets in their possession. This is a lot of fun especially if someone hits a jackpot.
THE GETTING-TO-KNOW-THE-OTHER-HALF GAME:
The first half hour of a bridal shower can be very uncomfortable. Ease your guests' discomfort by sending them on an informational scavenger hunt. This is done via a sheet of prepared fill-in-the-blank questions dealing with the history of the bride and groom. Questions about their childhood, their families, their trips, their schools, their embarrassing moments, their awards, their education, their past jobs, and their siblings are perfect for this quiz.
Since the shower attendees represent both the bride and the groom's families, guests must talk to one another in order to answer the questions. This is a terrific conversation starter.
About an hour into the shower, have guests exchange their papers with another guest. Read out the answers, mark the papers, and give the person with the highest number of correct answers, a prize. If there is a tie, have the bride choose a winning paper.
THE SCRAPBOOKING BY COMMITTEE GAME:
Scrapbooking is a hugely popular activity; this game provides a fun twist. Break the guests into random groups of 2-4 people (mix guests with strangers.) Arm each group with a stack of magazines and catalogs, scissors, and glue sticks. Give each group a large piece of construction paper and a short FUNNY story about the bride and groom. Each group must then cut out pictures that represent the story words, and glue those pictures in storyboard fashion to the paper. Set a finite amount of time on this event.
When the time is up, have each group show their creation, explain it, and then deliver the whole bunch to the bride as a keepsake. This is a hilarious way to encourage interaction among strangers. The laughter is infectious making this party game one of the best.
The beauty of these bridal shower games is that they are appropriate for any age of player, they encourage socializing, they can't possibly be viewed as offensive, and best of all, they are fun.
By incorporating great ice-breaker bridal shower games, a hostess can ensure a lively party that will be fondly remembered by all attendees. Especially the guest of honor: the bride.
