Wedding Reception Forum

Activities for Guests at Tables

Does anyone have any creative ideas for activities that guests could do at tables during dinner or after if they are not big dancers? Thanks!

Re: Activities for Guests at Tables

  • You will find most people are perfectly capable of holding a conversation and amusing themselves.Photobooths and/or quirky guestbooks (i.e. Doodles/ typewriters/poloroids/where will we be in 5 years etc etc) can provide alternative fun amusement if you are really concerned.As long as people have refreshments they should be more than happy to sit back and soak up the atmosphere.
  • I made kid's activity/coloring books for the kids, but I really don't think you need anything at all for the adults.  Adults know how to mingle and talk and socialize, they don't need activities.
    image
    Baby Birthday Ticker Ticker
  • If this is for kids, coloring/activity books and crayons are fine. If this if for adult, trust me, they know how to entertain themselves at a wedding.

    If you fire a WP member, you're against America.
    image

    "Meg cracks me up on the regular. Now she gets to do it in two different forums. Yay!!" ~mkrupar
  • Presumably your guests are adults who have for years been able to entertain themselves in social events.  They'll be able to do it at your wedding as well.When I'm at a wedding, I love socializing, visiting, catching up with friends and family that I haven't seen in a while.  I do love to dance as well, but the other mingling things are great too.Please don't worry about trying to "entertain" your guests.  It's a lot of time and effort that simply doesn't need to be expended at all.
    "Trix, it's what they/our parents wanted. Why so judgemental? And why is your wedding date over a year and a half ago? And why do you not have a groom's name? And why have you posted over 12,000 posts? And why do you always say mean things to brides?" palegirl146
  • You do not need activities for your adult guests.  I did not have a DJ or dance floor, and everyone was capable of entertaining themselves simply with enjoying the music, eating, drinking, and mingling.  I don't even like the activities at bridal showers.  Just say no.
    imageFollow Me on Pinterest
  • Your guests are perfectly capable of entertaining themselves without activities; they aren't children that need to be given something to do.  If they don't want to dance they'll mingle and when they are done with that they'll leave.
  • Plus, do you really want to encourage your guests to be antisocial while they complete a crossword puzzle or some other activity? At that point they might as well stayed home and you could have had their meal delivered to their house.
  • I've heard of people having board games and such on their tables, but usually those couples are known to be big into games.  I find that most efforts of the bride to railroad her guests into a particular activity don't go over very well.
    This is a neglected planning bio.
    This is a belated married bio, with no reviews yet because I'm lazy.

    image
    Sometimes I feel like people think that brides are delicate little flower princesses who get all dressed up and pretty for one special moment of their dreams, when really they're just normal people who just happen to be getting married. Things shouldn't have to be sugar-coated for grown-ass women. -mstar284
  • you are overthinking this.  Adults like to mingle at parties.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • Adults who don't dance are more than capable of entertaining themselves. It's called mingling which everyone knows how to do. Very few people will appreciate other activities because it comes across that you don't trust them to behave like adults.
  • Ditto to 1st poster - you don't need to provide activities.
    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • Hey!! I'm just having a crossword puzzle about us they can do while they wait for us to take pictures. I went to a wedding that did this,and it was nice because people started talking to each other about what some of answers were and stuff like that....once they got there though, most of them stopped doing the crossword puzzle and got on the with the party. If they wanted to dance they did and if not they just mingled.
  • Thank you! I think I should have clarified better what I meant by "activities" - probably not the best word choice. I saw some card decks at a National Bridal Show that you can have your Engagement photos printed on and then on the reverse side have questions about you - either as individuals "Where did Jenny go to college?" or as a couple "Where did Jenny & Adam have their first date?" I think that the cards are supposed to be something fun that guests can do during dinnner or something they can look at if everyone else is on the dance floor and they are the only person sitting at the table. I was thinking of something more like that, rather than a "game" which I agree tend to be difficult to implement successfully. Thanks for the advice. I may still do the card decks since I thought they were so cute - but we'll see. It's kind of an "extra" thing, definitely not something I am worried about at this point.
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards