Are games for guests tacky?

neverabride314

Hello All! 

I am having a outdoor wedding with a vintage southern feel in MAY 2012. I was thinking during cocktail hour our guests (in addition to drinks and appetizers) could play games.I was considering making wedding cornhole sets. My guests and friends are mostly in their twenties. 

Is this too casual for a wedding? or tacky? Am I setting my self up for it being mistaken as a "casual" event?

I have only been to one wedding ever, and the guests had to wait on the sidewalk for an hour for the bridal party to be done with pictures. It was so boring, and there was nothing to do! I want my guests to be happy!

- Thanks!

freebread03

Well how casual is your wedding?  I can't imagine playing games in a coctail dress and high heels, but I can if I were in a summer dress and flip flops or flats.  But I'm not someone who enjoys games much at all when I'm at an event where I wouldn't expect them (like a wedding).  I think your guests will have plenty to do during coctail hour and don't need games to be entertained.

RusticGlamour

I am doing this myself this summer, for precisely the reason you said. I want my guests to mingle and talk and have something to get them talking to one another. I'd rather this be mistaken for a casual event than have my guests remembering how awkward and quiet and weird it was for them to stand around. I've had to do this at weddings and hated it - it would have been much improved by having something to do.

LeiselEB

In my experience, if you give someone food and drinks they'll mingle plenty and won't be bored. 

If you want games, that's fine, but I would definitely assume it was a more casual wedding if people were playing yard games during cocktail hour. 

SB1512

When we met with our photographers for a consultation they showed us a sample of their work taking us through someone's entire wedding day. The wedding was at a gorgeous mansion with a huge lawn. During cocktail hour the guests played botche and croquet in their fancy wedding attire, the bride and groom even joined in! The photographers said it was great and everyone had a blast and from the photos it didn't convey casual wedding at all

pokepoke27

I would do something simple like horse shoes or cornholes like you said. JMO but I see horse shoes as being slightly more sophisticated than cornhole but it's probably just in my head ; ). 

I'm having a buffet, but my cousin had a served dinner and she had a menu card with a few small games on the back (maze, crossword puzzle, sudoku, and word search) for guests to do while waiting for their food if they wish. I couldn't go (it was a DW in Hawaii) but according to my mother about half of the guests used the games and the other half was so into their conversations they didn't even touch them. 

If you think that a good number of friends and family will enjoy the game then by all means go for it - it's definitely not tacky. You will probably have a few of the younger crowd playing, and the rest of the guests will mingle and maybe make fun of all the really bad throws : )

Grits8812

I'm having lawn games at my wedding, but everyone is also going to be wearing blue jeans.  If you don't want it to be mistaken for a casual event, then I say don't do it.  

mica178

Not tacky, just not especially formal.

My friend had a whole game room at her wedding.  She knew that many of her friends weren't into dancing or drinking, so she wanted to keep them entertained.  Her wedding wasn't exactly formal, but people wore sundresses and heels.

rebarobert2012

I don't think that games are tacky, but I don't think they are a must either.  If you want to have games, I'm sure that the people who want to play will and the ones who don't won't.

specialk84

I don't think they're necessary.