Wedding gatecrashing game ideas
A wedding day has to be perfect. Everything’s planned to a tee, and there’s no room for chaos – well, except during the wedding gatecrashing games. Though not a must-have, wedding gatecrashes can be the highlight of the day for those who choose to include it in the itinerary.
You may have seen videos that resemble a frat party with swinging sausages and topless sweating men. No worries, this list isn’t like that. Below are some family-friendly games that everyone can enjoy that are still fun.
What is gatecrashing?
Image credit: @myweddingplannersb via Instagram
The gatecrashing ceremony is a set of challenges for the groom – and groomsmen – to complete before meeting the bride for the first time on the wedding day. Take it as a grand show of his commitment to his soon-to-be wife. These tasks are often set by the bridesmaids and tend to be a little cheeky and playful.
The session usually happens at the very start of the day before the rest of the wedding activities. Traditionally, it should take place just outside the bride’s family home – for HDB dwellers, this usually means along the corridor, or at the lift lobby.
Tip: The bride has to stay in her room and won’t be able to watch this ceremony so it’ll be a good idea to take lots of videos for her.
1. Walk down memory lane
Image credit: Renae Cheng
For this memory game, print out a series of pictures of the couple. The more the photos, the tougher the challenge. The gameplay is simple – the groom’s task is to put these photos together in chronological order of when they were taken.
Tip: These photos can also be used to decorate the wedding reception table later on if you wish to kill 2 birds with one stone.
How to prepare:
- Print out around 10 photographs of the couple.
- Don’t forget to record the dates these photos were taken to “check” the groom’s answer.
2. The most intense quiz
Prepare a list of some of the toughest questions related to the bride you can think of. The groom has to answer them. Easy… right? Not really. Like a difficult PSLE maths exam question this challenge is made to make the groom sweat.
Suggested quiz questions:
- What are the last 3 digits of her NRIC?
- Date and content of first ever Instagram post?
- What is her horoscope sign, including rising and moon?
- Go-to drink store order?
- What about bubble tea order? Sugar level included.
- How many days have you guys been in the relationship?
What you’ll need:
- Prepare the answers with the bride beforehand. Chances are, most of the bridesmaids won’t know all the answers too.
3. Shake it off
Image credit: Kezia Tan
This challenge is designed to make the boys twerk – aggressively. The gameplay is as such: line up the groom and groomsmen and tie a raffia string around their waist. Attached to each string is a tissue box filled with ping pong balls. The goal? Shake till all the balls drop out.
What you’ll need:
- Empty tissue boxes
- Ping pong balls
- Raffia string
- Scissors
- Tape
4. Eyes, nose, lips
We’re not talking about the iconic Taeyang song!
Image adapted from: Arabella Lee
How well does the groom know his bride? Here, you’ll put it to the test. This seemingly innocuous challenge features simple sheets of paper with cut outs stuck on them. Each sheet features facial features like noses, eyebrows, and mouths – and one of them is the bride’s. The groom has to identify his SO’s features. Spoiler alert, it’s harder than it looks!
We played a reverse version where ladies had to guess in a TSL Plays video on our Youtube.
Video adapted from: TheSmartLocal
How to prepare:
- Print out similarly-shot portraits of 5 ladies including the bride.
- Cut out each facial feature and stick them onto separate sheets of paper.
Tip: Print the photos in black and white to ramp up the challenge. Also, it’s a good idea to use a clipboard to ensure that the flimsy sheets of paper stay put during the game.
5. Group poses
The groomsmen are the groom’s emotional support system and there’s no reason why they can’t offer physical support on his big day too. Group poses can be a great physical challenge to diversify the challenge from just mental tasks and memory games.
Things you’ll need:
- Prepare some reference photos beforehand – feel free to use our piece on CNY group poses for inspiration.
6. Draw the bride in 30 seconds
It isn’t news that many grown men groan at the idea of having to do arts and crafts. Their least favourite class in primary school comes back to haunt them big time in this simple game of “draw the bride”.
Each groomsman has 5 seconds on the drawing board, after which, they have to pass it on to the next guy. The groom goes last and has to try his best to finesse the tag-team drawing into a fine portrait of his beloved. Trust us, everyone’s going to have a good laugh.
How to prepare:
- Prepare a clipboard, pen, and paper.
7. Dance challenge
If drawing doesn’t make them groan, dancing probably will. K-pop dances are one of the best options for this with many short tutorials available online. We highly recommend NAYEON “POP!” by Twice which requires hand-eye coordination for the best laughs.
How to prepare:
- Do a test run with the bridesmaids to see how long it takes to learn the dance so you’ll know how much time to give the boys on the day.
8. The 4 flavors of life
Suan tian ku la (酸甜苦辣) translates to sour, sweet, bitter and spicy: the 4 ingredients needed to make – not The Powerpuff Girls but – the groom sweat. The blindfolded groom will have to guess what food is fed to him. Bridesmaids also typically try giving him things he dislikes.
Below are some wackier picks you can consider getting:
- Sour: Warheads gummies, greek yoghurt
- Sweet: Liquorice
- Bitter: Bitter gourd, black coffee, herbal tea
- Spicy: Samyang spicy noodle, wasabi
How to prepare:
- Ready some bowls, utensils, the ingredients chosen, and a blindfold.
9. Promise recital
Image credit: Daretodream237 via Pinterest
A promise recital is a common way to end the entire gatecrash on a sweet note. Just before heading in to meet his bride, task the groom to read out a series of vows as a grand declaration of how he plans to treat her with love. Xiao swit.
These vows are usually shouted from the front door of the house and have to be loud enough for the bride to hear them from her room.
How to prepare:
- A print out a list of vows for the groom to recite – this should be different from the ROM vows! While it’s not uncommon for the bride to prepare the text, a more meaningful alternative would be to ask the groom to come up with a list of promises beforehand.
Other tips for planning a gatecrash:
- Always find out what the groom’s boundaries are before the day: are there any things in the no-go zone? You don’t want someone getting a stomach ache from a ghost pepper challenge – not on his big day!
- Have a forfeit ready to spice things up. We recommend jump rope on cheap acupressure mats that you can get online for $5.
- It’s easy to overrun so assign a timekeeper. Weddings often run on a tight schedule and delays can throw off the timeline of the day.
- Check if the grooms and groomsmen would like to have a say in the games beforehand.
- Start preparing weeks in advance so you can purchase the resources online at a cheaper price.
Is gatecrashing necessary?
It’s an ancient Chinese wedding custom that many Singaporeans still practice, but it’s by no means a die-die must have. These days, most people do it for fun more than anything else and the decision is entirely up to the bride and groom.
Sometimes, couples choose to skip it in favour of saving time or if the groom feels uncomfortable with doing the challenges.
How much angbao do you give for a wedding gatecrash?
Bridesmaids or “jiemei”s heads up! If you didn’t already know, the groom is often expected to hand out angbaos to “convince” you to let them pass through. Usually, these angbaos are also handed out as a symbol of appreciation for the time you’ve put in to help out with the wedding, and cover ad hoc expenses.
Much like CNY angbaos, the amount given can vary a lot. A very rough range is $28-$288. Though, it’s important to keep in mind that at the end of the day, the bride and groom shouldn’t feel pressured to give beyond their means.
Have a blast with wedding gatecrashing
From wedding gown selection to venue booking, there are so many things to think about when it comes to “the big day”. Gatecrashing is certainly not the priority but it can be a fun side project for everyone to have a good laugh before whizzing off with the rest of the wedding plans for the day. Plan it right and you’ll have something that the group will remember for years to come!
More wedding guides:
- Guide to planning a wedding
- Unique wedding venues in Singapore
- Hidden wedding costs
- Fengshui rules for weddings
Cover image adapted from: @myweddingplannersb via Instagram, Arabella Lee
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