We’ve all experienced it: that wedding ‘limbo’ time between the ceremony and the meal. The time where guests find themselves left milling about waiting for the bride and groom to finish having their photos taken, sometimes without even canapés to tide them over, before everyone can sit down to eat.
Anyone who has organised a wedding knows that this can be the most unpredictable part of the day – there’s no knowing what the photographer will have you doing or how long he’ll take to get the perfect shots. But there are ways to ensure your guests remain entertained during this period.
One answer that works really well for summer weddings is the provision of outdoor games. It’s a great way to distract your guests and to encourage them to get to know one another, particularly if they’re all from different circles and haven’t met. Outdoor games appeal to the child in us all and act as fantastic ice breakers – you’ll return from your photography session to find people who, an hour ago were barely aware of each other’s existence, laughing together like old friends.
The trick is to pick games that can be played in wedding attire without too much danger of getting mucky. After a couple of Kir Royales this may not hold your guests back, but erring on the side of caution is always advisable. Here are some of the best outdoor games for your wedding:
Giant Jenga
A game that everyone can get involved with, from your best friend’s four year old to your nan. Players take it in turns to try and remove wooden blocks from a large stack without the whole thing collapsing. Many people trust to luck, but guests with a competitive streak often start playing with a strategy – either way it’s a lot of fun.
Croquet
This one gets people chatting purely because not many people actually know how to play it. The object is to use the mallet to pass the ball through a circuit of hoops before hitting the peg in the centre. There are six hoops which the balls must pass through twice. Blue and black balls play against red and yellow, so it’s a great team game. If your guests aren’t familiar with it you can leave an information card with the mallets, although often enough people simply make up their own rules and lots of tomfoolery ensues.
Hoops
An oldie but a goodie, this involves throwing hoops over pegs with scores attached to them. Again, guests of all ages can take part and will soon be comparing throwing techniques and debating over how close to stand to the pegs.
Boules
This classic French game is great to play on the lawn. Players each have two balls that they try to throw as close as possible to the jack. Whoever gets closest wins the game. Played in teams or individually, it’s sure to spark conversation among your guests.
Tip: If guests in heels are worried about sinking into the grass, advise them to bring flats when you send out your invitations, or provide flip-flops in a range of sizes for people to wear. This isn’t a problem if the games are set up on artificial grass, as the solid base and good drainage mean high heels won’t sink at all.
