With the warmer weather approaching and the season of LOVE right around the corner, its time for the summer wedding crowd to get creative with their yard games! Here are some tips from a gal that has seen her fair share of wedding yard games and what favorites will be the right fit for your wedding.
1. EVERYONE loves games. They are great conversation starters and an awesome way to ensure your guests start to mingle when they don't know each other. Choosing a good mix of games is key. For example, if you have a bunch of couples coming that don't already know each other, consider games that could include teams of 2. The other option is to place signage around the area suggesting they work in teams of 2 even if the game is meant to be one on one. Most games you can make work like this and it makes it fun to do together, especially when the wine is flowing;)
2. HAVE a good variety of games and allocate appropriate location for them. If you have a lot of families with children coming, creating one area that is family friendly/kidzone is great. Lets be honest, we all love children (well, I do anyway), but a wedding is also a night for many couples to get out and have fun. Think about it for a moment. There is nothing worse than that cute little kid at a wedding that just wants to play every game with you. Its cute at first, but then before you know it, you've spend your game/mingle time babysitting someone else's child while they enjoy adult time.
3. FUN is the name of the game. What games do you love to play. Don't forget to bring them (giant size of course) to the wedding and make sure everyone knows its your favorite. Running a "just-for-bragging-rights" contest for all that play your game is always a great way to get everyone involved, announcing the winner during dinner and perhaps announcing the bride and groom battle the winner later in the evening, great memories for you and your guests is what it is all about.
4. In Closing, EVERYONE HAVE FUN! Make your games unique, about you, and don't be afraid to step out of the norm and make up your own rules. Hey, this is your wedding and your day, make it memorable!
After my wedding day nearly 19 years ago, what I remember the most was how all of our family and friends said "it was just so memorable and everyone felt so close, like family". That was the best compliment I could have asked for. At that time no one really did games and I wish I could say I thought of it, but I didn't. What we did do was ensure our speeches were fun, dancefloor was non stop all night and we created a vibe that night that to this day, people still talk about. Memories are evoked by emotion, FUN is the best emotion to partner with LOVE!
Wishing you LOVE & FUN on your wedding day!
Eron Jaskow
Encore Events, Coordination Specialists
