What ‘fun’ wedding activities were actually fun?

Went to a wedding where they'd hired black jack and roulette tables and it was brilliant! Great way of mixing with other guests!

A ceilidh is timeless so it can never be passe! I think you need a Scottish connection though.

to the other poster who said ceilidhs “aren’t inclusive”, what do you mean by that? By their very definition they are.

sorry OP it maybe “opt-in” fun but it’s still planned ahead which is offputting. What if the people not joining in feel awkward about not doing it?

I had a gameshow night for my 50th as I am not fussed about the usual drinking/dancing party.

It was great, the man who runs them has podiums and a screen and its really good fun to join or just watch. we had a massive queue of people wanting a go! I got lots of good feedback about how different and fun it was. Happy to pass on his details, he runs pub quizzes too and is very very popular.

What I find fun is plenty food (not just enough for the top table), plenty drink that’s either free or not too expensive ( not just for the top table ), places to sit away from the band , a ceilidh , no or very few speeches and very little standing around waiting.

The only wedding activity I have ever experienced was a ceilidh, and that was really good fun. I had no idea wedding activities were even a thing????

For my parents' ruby wedding party we did a pub quiz and all the questions related in someway to them with lots of multiple choice questions so that people could make a stab at an answer. Questions like "which of these singers is the same age as dad?", "what did they do on their first date" etc. That went down well and because the guests had different connections with them (friends, family etc) it made it a more even contest. Needless to say mum scored more than dad!

Ok well I don’t mean to be miserable - tbf it wasn’t clear you were thinking of a 15-minute quiz where ppl shout out the answers. I mean that’s fine, not as long as some speeches probably! I thought you meant something longer and more serious.

Anyways you need to do what you want eh. Your wedding after all.

I love quizzes and I get why you would like to include one, but the timing here is your challenge. You're not going to get through a quiz in anything less than 45mins - from explaining why and getting people to focus, the how it will work etc. Before the speeches and food - just prolongs the agony of waiting for those giving the speeches and people will be hungry. Between main and dessert courses - might not go down well in the kitchen. After the meal - people will be nipping off the toilets / out for a smoke and will be generally milling about. And as timings often over run so you might be hitting the music (DJ or band) setting up.

Lawn games alongside the welcome drinks, whilst photos are being taken, could work.

One of the best weddings I went to had a ceilidh, with a brilliant band and caller so it didn't matter if you didn't know the dance, learning it was part of the fun.

But honestly don't worry about games and activities. Good, plentiful food, dancing and catching up with family and friends you haven't seen for a while are the important aspects for me, and as I say I love a quiz.

I don't drink or dance and I would attend a standard wedding out of obligation only but would hate most of it.
I'd love the games! It's a great social lubricant for people who aren't very social, something to focus on and do with your hands rather than just forced conversation.
I quite like jigsaws for that too.....
Really depends on the demographicof your guests I suppose.

We had casino tables in the evening for people who aren't into dancing, it was less than £300 but people LOVED it. They provide croupiers and everyone gets a certain number of chips to play with. Winner at the end of the night won a big bottle of cheap fizz.

As long as people aren't forced to do the pub quiz, it's absolutely fine and a nice personal touch considering that's how you met. I really wouldn't want to do it though.

It's all about the music, food, alcohol and dancing for me.

I went to a wonderful wedding (in a castle!).
There was a guy in the city where the couple live who did amazing music quizzes and he came along after the meal in the early evening. It was fantastic, and I remember it as the best wedding ever. I have a smile on my face just remembering it now.
The bride organises city wide events so I should have known it would be amazing.
She's just planned and delivered an IWD event, she's fabulous, very lucky to be her friend.

Honestly? If I arrived at a wedding and saw we were going to be encouraged to do quizzes and/or contrived fun I think I'd cry?

The Holy Trinity for a great wedding are: Good food. Good music. Free flowing booze.

Gavel.

How many rounds of quiz are you thinking? Don’t must pub quizzes last a couple of hours. I would do a picture round so that can be put on the table to start with but wouldn’t do too many rounds. And if you are doing a quiz I would probably curtail the speeches to just a toast

Totally agree with this. I've been to a couple of weddings where they had a ceilidh and it was far and away the most wedding fun I had.

They have them in Wales too so a Welsh link would also work.

(I really loved letting off Chinese lanterns too but they are a fire risk and terrible for the environment in lots of ways)

Hmmm I love a quiz but I would be unsure about this. Sounds as tho everyone would have to do it and no chatting or the questions won’t be heard? Not ideal perhaps if you were not keen (which sone would not be, even if you and your friends love them?). Also hard to pitch it right for a mixed group at a wedding.

Garden games sound fine as long as you are not spending £££ as I suspect they will amuse a few for a short while.

Board games again I love and sounds like a good idea for non dancers, but choose with care; they need to be easy ones that are quick to play. You might find low take up on this tho so again, don’t spend too much.

I’d make the quiz maybe a sheet to do as and when. And please make it generic - I went to a friends big birthday recently and he had (or his family had) done a huge quiz all about him - what he liked, where he’d worked, what uni he went to, which bands he had seen… it was bizarre and impossible and so so dull esp when the answers were read out.

I think you might find there isn’t a spare hour to read out a quiz. Or the full engagement you need tbh.

The standing around waiting, e.g. during photos, has to be carefully planned:

Make sure the photo session is as short as possible.

Make sure it will be neither too hot (summer outdoors without shade) or too cold (anytime except summer outdoors, or a poorly heated indoor venue).

Make sure plenty of water and soft drinks are free and readily available - it can help prevent people getting drunk too early in the day.

Make sure there is LOADS of canapes and/or bowls of snacks. Keep the food coming.

People won't mind standing around chatting if they are being well fed.

I think a quiz (good mix of questions), and lawn games is plenty. Board games, fine if they mean something to you and work well in your families but it feels a bit insular whereas lawn games are a bit more welcoming and easy to step into. Conversation ease of joining groups and dancing is key, rather than loads of siloed activities.

I went to a wedding which had children's activities after day meal before evening disco. Party games and circus stuff, jumping balls.
Funniest thing was that some of the tipsy adults joined in. There were several adults in there wedding suits and dresses racing across the lawn on the bouncy balls.

I like the idea for pub quiz and the board games, even more so if I don't need to move from the table I've eaten at. I would do them after the food and speeches.

I have close family with mobility/MH issues who find it difficult moving from one area to another so this sounds perfect! They aren't able to dance either so this then chance to talk to relatives not seen in a while.