Planning a bridal shower that’s actually fun and avoids the usual eye-rolls can be a challenge, but it’s totally doable! The key is to offer a mix of engaging activities that cater to different personalities, keep things moving, and avoid anything that feels too forced or cliché.
Here are some crowd-pleasing bridal shower activities and games that people generally won’t hate:
Bridal Shower Interactive & Creative Activities
These ideas encourage participation without putting anyone on the spot too much.
- Decorate a Wedding Dress for the Bride (toilet paper optional!): Divide guests into teams and give them materials like fabric scraps, ribbons, markers, and even toilet paper (for a silly, quick version) to design a “wedding dress” on one of their teammates. The bride can then pick her favorite. It’s creative, collaborative, and gets lots of laughs.
- “Recipe for a Happy Marriage” Card Station: Set up a cute station with blank cards, pens, and markers. Ask guests to write down their favorite recipe (could be a food recipe or a “recipe for a happy marriage” with advice) for the couple. Collect them in a decorative box or binder for the bride to keep.
- Create a “Date Night Jar”: Provide popsicle sticks or small cards and pens. Ask guests to write down fun and unique date night ideas for the couple. The couple can then pull a stick whenever they need inspiration.
- Flower Crown or Mini Bouquet Bar: If the budget allows, this is a beautiful and popular activity. Provide various fresh flowers, floral tape, and wire, and let guests create their own flower crowns or small bouquets to take home. You can even hire a local florist to guide the process.
- Start a Recipe Book for the Newlyweds: Ask guests to bring their favorite recipe to the shower. You can either send a nice recipe card along with the invitation for them to fill out and bring to the shower, or have them fill out the recipe cards at the shower. Here are some pretty options to choose from: Bridal Shower Recipe Card
Bridal Shower Low-Key & Conversational Games
These games are great for sparking conversation without being overly competitive or embarrassing.
- Timer Game: As the bride is opening gifts, set a timer for five minutes. Each time the timer goes off, the person whose gift the bride is opening gets a prize!
- Bridal Bingo (with a twist): Instead of traditional bingo numbers, create cards with common bridal shower gifts (e.g., “blender,” “towel set,” “lingerie”). As the bride opens gifts, guests mark them off. The first to get Bingo wins a prize.
- Two Truths and a Lie (Wedding Edition): The bride (or even close family/friends) shares three statements about her relationship with the groom, two of which are true and one is a lie. Guests guess which one is the lie. This can be adapted for guests to share about their own lives.
- “Guess the Love Song” (or Rom-Com Quote): Play short clips of popular love songs or read out famous quotes from romantic comedies. Guests have to guess the song title/artist or movie. You can have teams or individual play.
- He Said, She Said: Create a list of statements related to the couple (e.g., “Who said ‘I love you’ first?”, “Who is more likely to leave dishes in the sink?”). Guests guess whether the bride or groom said/does it. This often leads to funny insights and stories.
Bridal Shower Active & Engaging Options that are Actually Fun
These might be good if your group is more active and enjoys a bit more movement.
- Mini “Honeymoon” Scavenger Hunt: Hide clues related to the couple’s planned honeymoon destination (or a dream destination). Each clue leads to the next, with a small prize at the end.
- Photo Booth with Fun Props: Set up a dedicated area with a backdrop, silly hats, boas, oversized glasses, and signs. Encourage guests to take photos throughout the shower. You can provide an instant camera for physical keepsakes.
- Wine Tasting: Choose several of the bride’s favorite wines, cover the labels with a number and place one of each bottle on every table. Throughout the shower, introduce a new bottle of wine to taste. At the end of the shower, after all the wines have been tasted and scored, the person who matches with the bride wins a bottle of that wine. Be sure to buy extra bottles in case there are multiple winners! Check out these wine tasting cards on Etsy.
Tips for Success:
- What kind of vibe are you hoping for at the shower? Knowing that might help narrow down the best options!
- Know Your Audience: Tailor activities to the bride’s and guests’ personalities. If they’re shy, avoid games that require public speaking. If they’re competitive, lean into some friendly rivalry.
- Keep it Moving: Don’t let one game drag on too long. Have a schedule in mind and be ready to transition.
- Prizes are Fun: Small, thoughtful prizes for game winners (candles, mini bottles of wine, nice hand creams) can add to the excitement.
- Music Matters: Have a good playlist of upbeat, background music to set a fun atmosphere.
- Don’t Over-Schedule: It’s okay to have some downtime for guests to mingle and chat. Not every moment needs to be filled with an activity.
- Focus on the Bride: Ultimately, the shower is about celebrating the bride and her upcoming marriage. Ensure the activities highlight her and her relationship.
By incorporating a few of these ideas, you’re much more likely to host a bridal shower that’s genuinely enjoyable and memorable for everyone involved!
