Ice Breaker/Reception Games

Panda Girl · August 2010

What are some fun reception/ice breaker games?

twilight.rose · August 2010

Please don't do games at your reception. They're bad enough at showers, but your wedding guests are adults perfectly capable of social interaction. They can mingle and chat with one another in a social situation without games.

aerinpegadrak · August 2010

Good music and good booze are all the ice breakers you need. Anything else kills the party, digs it up, and kills it again.

mysticl · August 2010

None.

Don't do it. Some people (like me) get very uncomfortalbe with them and it ruins the entire experience. Whereas no one will miss them if you don't have them.

PharmacyBride · August 2010

I will socialize with people without games.. but when I see games at conventions- I feel it is the host's way of saying "I know you guys must be bored- so I am forcing this on you" Not only are you assuming people will need them.. but since they aren't generally fun-- it often puts people in a worse mood.

If you put people at tables with other people they know/like... play good background music (seriously has a huge affect on mood).. keep people fed... don't have too much down time (speeches and dances and such) people will be in a good mood and socialize naturally.

tamires90 · August 2010

Listen to these people... they are smart.

Belle2Be · August 2010

We're doing this-
http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/article/conversation-starter-guest-book?comments_page=1

Its not a game, but hopefully will be a fun convo starter

glam70s · August 2010

I agree with everyone else.. I absolutely HATE when I'm forced to participate in games and things at parties. I'll generally leave when things like that happen. Just trust in your guests' ability to entertain themselves in whatever way they want to..

trix1223 · August 2010

Having ice breaker "games" at a wedding is micromanaging your guests.

When I'm invited to a wedding, I know that there's an expectation that I will have to put forward a little effort to mingle, socialize, and interact with people: some I know, some I'll just be meeting.

Fortunately, I'm a adult and know how to do that. Please don't treat your wedding reception like a retreat for the office. Give your guests some credit that they know how to behave in a social setting.

If I saw ice breakers starting, I'd be grabbing a seat at the bar or heading for the ladies room.

skippylouwho · August 2010

I'm not crazy about games at showers but will play if asked. However if you have games at a reception I'm out of there. Your choice to have them, mine not to stick around for them.

rotella · August 2010

I think alcohol is an ice breaker in itself.

alithebride · August 2010

that's cool for a 5 year old's birthday party, not a wedding with adults. come on!

kristinanddan · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_ice-breakerreception-games?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:a1d688ad-9118-4656-8a59-ebc3ff3333d5Post:da52a4b9-2e3b-4db3-a67e-135ba7e7a459">Re: Ice Breaker/Reception Games</a>:
[QUOTE]I think alcohol is an ice breaker in itself.
Posted by rotella[/QUOTE]

Definitely. Have good food, good drinks, and a good dj and the party will take care of itself.

cat1121 · August 2010

I asked some friends about this and the rage was so intense I dropped the idea.

I am having a guest book like this with markers and art supplies, etc.
http://www.guestbookstore.com/

I've also designated someone in charge of outdoor rec.They are bringing bocci balls, croquet, etc. My friend does it for a living, so it's a good fit. We are going to have it out during cocktail hour.

I ilke the idea of conversation starters more than forced ice breakers.

Secretly I love the idea of Madlibs.

dawnie204 · August 2010

I agree with everyone about not doing games. It puts stress on people who are shy, and it annoys people who aren't. There may be a few people who would like it, but majority won't. However, if you are having quite a few children, you might set up a games, or coloring table for them. I bet all the parents would appreciate that!

trix1223 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_ice-breakerreception-games?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:a1d688ad-9118-4656-8a59-ebc3ff3333d5Post:fd024d33-5870-4ae1-b17f-5a3f9493c322">Re: Ice Breaker/Reception Games</a>:
[QUOTE]I asked some friends about this and the rage was so intense I dropped the idea. I am having a guest book like this with markers and art supplies, etc. <a href="http://www.guestbookstore.com/" rel="nofollow">http://www.guestbookstore.com/</a> I've also designated someone in charge of outdoor rec.They are bringing bocci balls, croquet, etc. My friend does it for a living, so it's a good fit. We are going to have it out during cocktail hour. I ilke the idea of conversation starters more than forced ice breakers. Secretly I love the idea of Madlibs.
Posted by cat1121[/QUOTE]

I know that people spend hours and hours trying to come up with a non-traditional guest book. They say it's because they'll just take a regular guest book and put it in a drawer and rarely, if ever, look at it again. And that's pretty much true. I've rarely looked at the guest book from my wedding 32 years ago.

I've also rarely looked at the scrapbooks I made for my kids when they were in elementary school. I've rarely looked at my high school yearbook that all my friends signed.

I've rarely looked at "coffee table" style books OR scrapbooks that the parents of my students made for me at the end of a school year.

I've rarely looked at DVD's that I have of musicals that my kids were in or that I musical directed for our local HS.

In the past 30 years, I've rarely looked at my wedding album. After the first 2 weeks, I've rarely looked at my son and DIL's wedding album, or my DD and SIL's wedding album.

The point of all of the above is that for a couple of weeks, you'll look at whatever guest book almost every day. Then you'll find a month has passed. Then you'll find it's been six months, and so on.

You can have "wishes" in a Wish Bowl, or signed river rocks, or a tree with predictions on it, or almost anything else. It will be new and a novelty for a short time. Then it will, like a traditional guest book, become something in a drawer.

Cat 1121: I would, as a guest, absolutely detest being asked to use markers and complete a scrapbook page at your wedding reception. I'm there to enjoy the party, not create a scrapbook for you and your FI. I suppose that sounds "mean" but I'm guessing that many others will feel the same way.

Why would I want to sit at a table coloring with markers and writing predictions when I could be dancing, chatting, mingling, etc.

My DD had two of those autograph platters: one for the BMs to sign and the other for the GM to sign. I wish you could have heard how they avoided signing their plate because they just couldn't figure out something clever or pithy to write.

This was a long way of saying, guestbooks are a very small detail that people realize 6 months later they spent way too much time worrying about.

CA2MT4EveR · August 2010

I've said it before, and I'll say it again---

TRIX is a wise, wise woman!

mysticl · August 2010

I went with a guest book that is designed for people to write a message in. But if they just write Best Wishes the Smith family that works. I figure it will end up in a chest or drawer somewhere but I am the type to go through and pull stuff out and look at it. I get out my yearbooks every once in a while. However, I really think the only conversation that a guest book/activitiy is going to spark is "I don't know what to write". I know when I do stuff like that I don't discuss what I'm writing with the other people around me. If the people seated together know each other they are going to talk about what they talk about every other time they see each other. If they don't know each other they will find something to talk about or they won't.

LCtimes2 · August 2010

I did look into ice breakers yestersay and decided the groom and I would do the newlywed game with the help of the dj...something fun that does not require guests to do anything other than laugh. Peole actually enjoy learning about the couple, so I think grouping tables to answer trivia is not a bs idea. It does not put any-one person on the spot and a really good MC can make it go painlessly

trix1223 · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_ice-breakerreception-games?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:a1d688ad-9118-4656-8a59-ebc3ff3333d5Post:2a165aec-68bf-4644-9a46-3f6e2377c547">Re: Ice Breaker/Reception Games</a>:
[QUOTE]I did look into ice breakers yestersay and decided the groom and I would do the newlywed game with the help of the dj...something fun that does not require guests to do anything other than laugh. Peole actually enjoy learning about the couple, so I think grouping tables to answer trivia is not a bs idea. It does not put any-one person on the spot and a really good MC can make it go painlessly
Posted by LCtimes2[/QUOTE]

I am obviously going to disagree here. On a day that is already incredibly about the bride and groom, why make your guests sit through a game show re-creation about the two of you?

By making your guests sit through a game show, you're turning your wedding into a passive viewing experience, rather than an active chatting/mingling/ visiting/dancing experience.

As a guest, I'd much rather be circulating around the room catching up with people and chatting than watching the bride and groom playing a game while we watch.

As a guest, I'd much rather be dancing than watching the bride and groom amswer trivia questions about each other.

I do enjoy trivia. I like playing along with jeopardy. I love me a good game a trivial pursuit. That doesn't mean that I want to be forced to watch it at a wedding. Sorry.

This is one of those ideas that sounds on paper like it could be cute. I think IRL, it will bring your reception to a crashing halt. Please rethink this.

SuMmErKuTiE · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_ice-breakerreception-games?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:a1d688ad-9118-4656-8a59-ebc3ff3333d5Post:6a9f7f74-62c8-4258-a649-a565bdab456f">Re: Ice Breaker/Reception Games</a>:
[QUOTE]Having ice breaker "games" at a wedding is micromanaging your guests. When I'm invited to a wedding, I know that there's an expectation that I will have to put forward a little effort to mingle, socialize, and interact with people: some I know, some I'll just be meeting. Fortunately, I'm a adult and know how to do that. Please don't treat your wedding reception like a retreat for the office. Give your guests some credit that they know how to behave in a social setting.<strong> If I saw ice breakers starting, I'd be grabbing a seat at the bar or heading for the ladies room.</strong>
Posted by trix1223[/QUOTE]

That would be me too.. I can't imagine this taking place at a wedding and if it did, I would definitely make myself scarce to avoid taking part of it. At a wedding all I'm looking for is good food, free booze, and good dancing.

joc00p · August 2010

WOW people are really AGAINST GAMES!!
Are you talking about for your GUESTS to play, or for YOU to play?
If you're talking for the guests, i think that 'ice-breaker games' are rather unnecessary, but i get that you're worried people might have trouble striking up conversations with others.
If you're having a sit-down, then why not make up a cross-word about you and your new hubby? (i'm planning on doing this for my wedding)
Then just place them on the table with miniature pens or pencils (ours are going behind the menus folded into the napkin).
That way people can do them if they like, and it will be unlikely that everyone will know ALL the answers, so they will ask the person next to them if they know the answer.

if there's an outside area, set up bocce or croquet (we're hoping to have a mini putting game during our cocktail hour coz we'll be at a golf club).

if you mean for YOURSELF, then i've seen some really amusing wedding games, which i'm hoping to do at our wedding to break it up a bit.
1. bride and groom sit on chairs back to back, holding a picture in each hand, one represents bride, the other groom. MC asks questions such as (Who is the messier partner?) and you hold up the symbol to answer.
2. blindfold the bride. MC takes a peg and attaches it to the groom's body somewhere, and she has to find it with her eyes closed.

These are more to entertain your guests, we're thinking of doing them to give people something to talk about afterwards.

Remember, on the day, you won't really care if people are a little bored, they're all adults, they can deal with it!

LyricStorm · October 2013

I disagree, I love games and think that it is creative and fun...
I also don't believe in having "booze" at my wedding cause i don't want a bunch of people drunk falling around acting crazy, its a wedding not a night club!!!!! So if you want to have ice breakers at your special day then i say definitely go for it if people are only concerned with drinking and partying then they are missing what a wedding really represent.
*Good Luck*

JoanE2012 · October 2013

@LyricStorm - This thread is over 3 years old. Those people that posted most likely are not around here anymore.

FTR - Games belong at children's birthday parties, not weddings. Also, we had an open bar the entire night and no one got "drunk falling around acting crazy"....everyone simply had a great time. Treat people like the adults they are.

LyricStorm · October 2013

Yea i seen it but i wanted to reply so i did....
With that being said, everyone is free to do as they please on there special day, if one wants to be drunk then be drunk if one wants ice breakers then have ice breakers but it is fair to say that all people don't think that it is a bad idea and for those future brides and grooms who are debating weather or not to have it, having someone who likes games may help them with there decision.. Not everyone wants to have booze and not everyone wants to play games doesn't mean either one isn't nice, Its all about what that person wants
*Be Blessed*

LyricStorm · October 2013

Also @JoanE2012, I don't believe having games is treating adults like children, I believe that it is that individual that don't think it is appropriate that makes them feel like they are being treated as a child and if that is the case then those type of people shouldn't be at other peoples wedding... We have to remember that just because we don't find something fun or attractive or whatever does not mean that someone else feels the same say.... And just because i may feel that it is right to have them don't mean that its right for your wedding just for mine, we are here as a guide to people who wants advice and unbiased advice is the best advice.....
*Be Blessed*

manateehugger · October 2013

Good Lord @LyricStorm relax here! And I'll reiterate again that your attitude toward alcohol is overmuch.

LyricStorm · November 2013

@PDKH its just my personal opinion that’s all... Doesn't make it right or wrong it is just how I feel!!!!

LyricStorm · November 2013

@PDKH its just my personal opinion that’s all... Doesn't make it right or wrong it is just how I feel!!!!

LyricStorm · November 2013

Sorry about it being doubled don't know what happened!!!

Maggie0829 · November 2013

@KnotPorscha can we please get IT to work on having threads over a year old automatically closed?

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