Bridal Shower Game Ideas : The Ultimate List
These are the top 20 bridal shower games I have seen this year!
Pink Jumpsuit / One Shoulder Dress / Bride’s Dress / Blush V-Neck Dress / Blush Petal Dress / Ruffle Shower Dress
Have you ever attended a bridal shower where there are no games and there is no gift opening? I have seen showers like this and let me tell you- they are BORING. I do remember a time when bridal shower games were considered cheesy and YES- some of them can be.
But, it is no secret that I get the best and most stylish brides (see exhibit A above!) I am constantly getting asked what vendors they are using or where they got their dress, shoes, etc. If my brides are doing something, people pay attention. So today, I am bringing their secrets to you. And I promise you- these girls want to have fun and that means playing games at their shower. While drinking mimosas, obviously.
Best Shower Games
So, today, I present to you the best bridal shower games I have seen from the trendiest brides on the east coast. These games are fun and flirty and not at all cheesy! So don’t be afraid to play games at your shower. I promise.
In this post I list the 20 best bridal shower games I have seen, how to play, and where to buy any supplies you may need. And yes, I link to their outfits too when possible- don’t worry! If you have trouble finding something or have questions about anything let me know. I am happy to help! Let’s get started!
Katie’s White Bridal Shower Dress / Venue: Bay Head Yacht Club
Before getting into the big list, I want to answer a few common bridal shower questions.
How Many Games Should be Played at a Bridal Shower?
This is a good question! To me, it depends on the length of the shower. Many showers these days last about 4 hours. I like to include a mix of games. For example, games that can be played at your seat for people who may not like to (or cannot) move around easily. Also, games that get guests talking to each other and making new friends. Games that involve the bride and games that don’t. Ones that involve the groom are always fun to include too! Games that are not games and more activities like flower arranging and photo booth pictures. Basically, the rule of thumb is to have at least one game per hour of bridal shower. So, if the shower lasts 4 hours you will want to have at least 4 games.
Does the Groom Usually Come to the Bridal Shower?
Yes, =n my experience! ! In past years, I used to see the groom escort the bride into her shower for a big entrance and then leave. In 2021, what I am seeing is the bride makes her own entrance (yes, love this!) Then, later on in the shower, the groom arrives and presents the bride with a bouquet of flowers. Then, he sits down to play a game with the bride. Usually it’s the shoe game (see number 1 below). We get a cake cutting shot of the bride and groom. Then, gift opening begins. Typically, when the bride is presented with lingerie, it’s the groom’s cue to leave! 🙂
What are the most fun bridal shower games?
You may be wondering what the most fun bridal shower games are? Well, I’ve got you covered there. These games will have your guests laughing hysterically and winning prizes. Don’t worry- the bride will have fun too! I am going to list all 20 games for you here first. Then, you can scroll down and read more about each one.
Top 20 Most Fun Bridal Shower Games Your Guests Will Love
- The Bridal Shower Shoe Game
- Bridal Bingo
- He Said/She Said OR Guess Who? (I’ve seen this game called both names)
- How Well Do You Know the Bride
- What’s in Your Purse
- With This Ring
- Who Has the Groom
- Silent Auction
- Words of Wisdom
- Recipe Contest
- Flower Arranging
- Date Night Jar
- Hot Bouquet
- Scavenger Hunt
- Hired Entertainment
- Song Request Cards
- Dessert Table Favors
- Wedding Pictionary Emojis
- The Bubble Gum Game
- Photo Booth
1. The Bridal Shower Shoe Game
Get Raven’s Bridgerton Inspired Gloves Here / The Most Gorgeous Clip in Silk Bow Here Venue: Conservatory at the Madison HotelRaven opted to keep her shoes ON and decided to raise a bouquet instead!
Raven’s Dress. Size up to make it longer!
This is the most common game I’m seeing and its a ton of fun! I actually hear that some people also play this game at the wedding, but I have only seen it (so far) at bridal showers. A few notes on this game, because it can actually be a bit confusing. First of all, it tends to be played toward the end of the shower after the groom has arrived. Typically at the showers I photograph, the groom arrives toward the end of the shower and presents the bride to be with a bouquet of flowers. Then they dive into the game. Second, the point of the game is to quiz how well the guests know the couple, not how well the couple knows each other (that’s a different game!) Sometimes, the bride and groom will answer the questions differently. It’s actually really fun and cute when that happens. I love the pictures I get when the couple disagrees! But, at that point, the host will get a “right” answer from the couple (basically they have to agree so the guests can complete their score card.
How to Play this Bridal Shower Game
So, the way it works, is each guest has a card like this one where they will have the opportunity to answer each questions with either the bride or the groom. The questions vary but some examples are: who is funnier? Who is the better dancer? Who made the first move? etc. First, the couple each exchanges a shoe so they are each holding one shoe of their own and one shoe that belongs to their fiancé. The host asks the question and the guests answer on their card. The couple sits back to back in chairs so they can’t see each other. Then, they hold up the shoe of the person that is the answer to the question.
Venue: Villa Lombardi’s, Holbrook, NY
Sometimes the couple can’t agree on the answer! This is always super fun, but don’t forget- the point is for the guest to get the answers right, so the couple must come to an agreement!
2. Bridal Bingo
Bridal shower bingo is a staple at most showers. Its a fun way to get the guests involved while the bride is opening her gifts. Each guest has a bingo card that is either blank that they can fill in, or is already filled out with typical items the bride might receive. You can see a bridal bingo card here. Then, if the bride opens a gift that is on their card, the guest marks off that box. 5 in a row wins a prize!
3. He Said/She Said or Guess Who Bridal Shower Game
Photos from Taylor’s Madison Hotel Bridal Shower
Always go for matching stationery. You can bundle all of your bridal shower games and stationery on Etsy to create a cohesive look.
This is a fun and simple game the guests can play while they are at their seat. They simply answer each question with bride or groom. Later in the shower, the host/mom/made of honor goes over each question and the bride answers for the group. Guests tally their correct responses and the person with the highest score wins a prize!
4. Bridal Shower Game : How Well Do you Know the Bride?
Amanda’s Bridal Shower at The Garrison / Brianna’s Villa Lombardi’s Bridal Shower
This is another fun and easy bridal shower game. You can get a free printable for it here. It’s just a list of questions to answer about the bride. They can be open ended or you can give options for answers. For example, “Does she like coffee or tea?” Guest with the most points wins a prize!
5. What’s in Your Purse?
My brides love Island to East Side for their custom clutches. Get 15% off yours with code KERICALABRESE
Mia’s Madison Hotel Shabby Chic Tea Party Bridal Shower
This is a fun one because its focused on your guests. Guests receive a card with a list of items that could be found in their person. Some are your typical items and some get a little crazy! You can find a list for this game here to make your own. Zazzle also has a bunch of prepaid cards for this game and you can also find more on Etsy. On Etsy you can buy printable and print on your own or order printed cards from the sellers.
6. With this Ring
Did you know you can buy engagement rings online?
I recently saw this game played at a few showers this year and can easily be adapted for a baby shower. The host orders a bunch of rings on amazon before the shower and passes one out to each guest when they arrive. Each guest wears a ring. Anytime they hear anyone say the word “bride” or “wedding” or whatever you decide the rules are they take that person’s ring. The guest with the most rings at the end of the shower wins!
7. Who Has the Groom?
Another super popular game I see at almost every shower. It’s fun and easy and requires no skill or even getting up out of your seat! Order these scratch off cards on Etsy. All of the cards except for one will have a celebrity’s face under the scratch off part. One lucky guest will see the groom’s face and she wins the prize!
8. Silent Auction
Jenna’s Bridal Shower at Casa Belvedere on Staten Island
I love this one! It may be my favorite! And honestly, I’ve only seen this done once so far at my beautiful bride-to-be, Jenna’s shower this summer. It looks like a lot of work for the bride or the hostess but it definitely gives that wow factor if that’s what you are going for. Basically, you create a bunch of baskets, or prizes. In the beginning of the shower, you give the guests a few raffle tickets. They put their tickets in the bag labeled with the prize they want to win. At the end of the shower, the bride draws a ticket from each bag and the person with the matching ticket wins the basket! Super fun!
9. Words of Wisdom
Kaitlin’s Upper Montclair Country Club Bridal Shower
This is another classic bridal shower activity where guests can fill out a card with words of wisdom and advice for the couple.
10. Recipe Contest
Amanda’s Lemon Themed Bridal Shower at The Garrison in the Hudson Valley
To be honest I see a recipe collection box quite a bit at showers but I’ve never actually seen it turned into a contest. The idea is that the favorite recipe wins, but really with this “game” the bride wins because she has a whole new collection of recipes to try!
11. Flower Arranging
Kaitlin’s Iconic Flower Bar
Again, the “prize” is that the guests get to take their arrangement home, so this isn’t really a game per se, but I’m including it because it’s an activity. The guests love this one and technically the bride could choose a favorite arrangement and gift the winner a prize!
Get the stationery here and similar pink jars here.
12. Date Night Jar
Rita’s Madison Hotel Bridal Shower. Theme: Vintage Tea Party
This is another one of those bridal shower games where the bride is the real winner because she walks away with a jar full of fun date night ideas! But at the end of the shower she can pull out a card and gift the winner a prize!
13. Hot Bouquet
Sylwia’s Bridal Shower at The Legacy Castle in Pompton Plains, NJ
This is a fun bridal shower game that works really well if you have a dj. Have all your guests come to the center of the room or dance floor in a circle. The dj plays music while the guests pass the bouquet. The bride sits in the middle in a chair with her eyes closed. When she raises her hand, the dj stops the music and whoever is holding the bouquet when the music stops wins a prize. This one is really fun and you may want to have a few prizes so you can go a couple of rounds!
14. Scavenger Hunt
Mia’s Madison Hotel Bridal Shower
My son just played this game during his first week of school in his second grade class but I’ve seen it played at bridal showers and its a really cute and fun way to get the guests moving around and talking to each other. Basically, you give the guests a list and they have to walk around and find someone who has done or has something on the list. For example, someone who is a mom, someone who lives at the beach, etc. Here is a printable you can get to play this game. You can also do a real scavenger hunt where people have to collect items but I feel this way is more fun!
15. Hired Entertainment
Rita’s sister, Natalie hired a violinist for her Madison Hotel Vintage Tea Party shower.
I’ve been to bridal showers where they have hired a violinist, a dj and dancing, a comedian, a Photo Booth and more!
16. Song Request Cards
Taylor’s Madison Hotel Garden Party Shower. Love her white Lacey BCBG Dress. It’s perfect for a bridal shower!
This bridal shower game is pretty self explanatory. You can get cute song request cards like this one here on, where else? Etsy of course!
17. Dessert Table Favors
Kaitlin’s garden party bridal shower.
Almost every bridal shower I shoot these days has a dessert table. I love when brides make it interactive and provide bags for the guests to take a few treats home! I also love taking a few cookies to bring to my kids 🙂 I’ve seen some truly incredible bridal shower dessert tables so if you are looking for inspiration on this, you will definitely want to check out this post.
18. Wedding Emoji Pictionary
Lucy’s Revel Garden City Shower
Don’t forget to pick up a cute wedding emoji printable like this one. Its a super fun way for the guests to pass the time between activities!
19. The Bubble Gum Game
20. Photo Booth
Bridal Shower Game Ideas: Prizes
Don’t forget to reward your guests with great prizes! That will have to be my next post. I will link it here for you when its ready!
Make sure you check out our post on Bridal Shower Signs!
I hope you loved these bridal shower game ideas and that it was super helpful! For more bridal shower ideas, click here.
More Bridal Shower Inspo: Favorite Bridal Showers
And here are a few of my favorite Bridal Showers of all time!
Kaitlin’s Upper Montclair Country Club Bridal Shower
Kaitlin’s bridal shower was the first shower I ever photographed! It was held on the patio of this beautiful golf club. The tent provided the perfect amount of shade from the midday harsh light. This shower is quite popular online and I am still getting questions from potential brides about Kaitlin. They always want to know what she is wearing and where she gets the items she uses for her parties.
Blog / Gallery / Press: Martha Stewart Weddings (#44) Wedding Chicks & Shutterfly
Amanda’s Bridal Shower at the Garrison
Katie’s Bay Head Yacht Club Bridal Shower
Madison Hotel Bridal Showers
As you know, I shoot at The Madison Hotel quite a bit. Their conservatory boasts the most beautiful light. I have photographed weddings, bridal showers and baby showers in this room. The showers in this space are simply stunning. I particularly love it for bridal showers because the daytime light is so beautiful in that room. Here are a few of my favorite Madison Hotel Bridal Showers.
Deanna’s Stylish Blush Bridal Shower
Raven’s Bridgerton Themed Bridal Shower
Mia’s Shabby Chic Tea Party Bridal Shower
Taylor’s Garden Party Bridal Shower
Kayla’s Outdoor Tented Bridal Shower with Planner, Angi & Co
