Creative Ways to Help Loved Ones Connect at Your Wedding and Foster New Relationships
- cloudydayweddings
- Mar 28
- 3 min read
Weddings, engagement parties, bridal or baby showers… no matter the event, you’re bringing together all the people you love, and many of them will meet for the first time. Crossing your fingers and hoping people will find something in common isn’t the worst idea, but it’s leaving a lot to chance!
A little structure helps your events go more smoothly, gives people something to talk about and connect over. I especially encourage planning some or all of these into your reception if you are having a dry wedding or if you know your circle isn't big on dancing!
Here are some ideas we’ve loved at weddings over the years:
Find-Someone-Who Bingo: this gets people talking! Before your event, you and your partner (or a loved one!) create bingo cards with fun facts that could apply to one or several of your guests. For example, find someone who is from the bride’s home state, find someone who plays trumpet, etc. Guests find someone who matches the prompt in each square and get them to sign the square. Depending how challenging you make the prompts and how chatty your group is, you can make it a game of regular bingo (five across) or blackout bingo (all the squares signed off). Don’t forget to choose motivating prizes and to designate someone guests can bring their cards to for bingos, such as a member of the wedding party!
Board Games: This can be as simple as a pack of cards at every table or as elaborate as a station filled with your favorite games! Remember you'll want the games to either already be familiar to most of your guests or for the games to be simple enough that folks can learn on the spot!
Lawn games: these are kind of a staple at this point! Cornhole (or beanbag toss depending where you live!), giant connect four, giant jenga, and ladder ball are all hits! They work great at outdoor weddings, but you can even tuck beanbag toss into the alley next to the venue (just make sure the venue allows it first!). This gives folks who want to step away from the noise and intensity of the party a quieter place to connect.
Interactive food: You know the trend of pizza at the end of the night? It soaks up all the alcohol and fills people’s bellies before they leave. It was a great trend! But we’ve seen some awesome post-dinner and late night food-related activities that get people talking and connecting. Coffee or ramen bars are great options, and it can be as complex or as simple as you’d like. Another easy, nostalgic one is an ice cream truck. “Oooh what did you get!?” is an easy, low-stakes conversation starter. “I loved that growing up!” Opens the door to more chatting and connection!
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DIY party favor station: People LOVE a DIY station at a party. You can try“make your own bouquet," "make your own flower crown," or even "make a friendship bracelet."
The Shoe Game on Hard Mode: You’ve probably seen the shoe game! The DJ or host states some prompts (“Who sleeps in more often?”) and each member of the couple, facing away from each other, holds up the corresponding shoe. On Hard Mode, you get the guests involved! You can choose a color for each member of the couple or even print out little pictures of each person, and guests hold up the person they think, before the couple responds. It’s just a little more interactive and gives guests another something to do.
Whatever activities you choose, make sure to clue in your photographer and videographer. You’re putting time, energy, and love into these activities, and you’ll probably want them documented! Make sure you’ve shared with your photographer what the activities are, when they’ll be happening, and if there are any specific details you want captured!
What ideas have you seen that you loved? Fill us in!
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BIG LOVE,
Beeh & Mars
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