Wedding Reception Games - More Unique Ideas

There doesn't seem to be any end to the number of games that can be invented or borrowed, to play at a wedding reception. Here are a few more ideas for the bride, groom or their attendants looking to add a bit of extra fun to the upcoming event.

What's my line? - This is a variation of the TV game show where you try to guess what the contestant does for a living. We're not really pitting your family against your friends in this game but you do need to have 2 sets of players where one set does not know much about the other set. Pre-select one friend and one family member as volunteers. These persons should each have an unusual job or profession.

For the first round, have the volunteer friend come up front or on stage. Have the rest of your guests, who don't know him/her, ask up to 10 questions to determine what that person does. If possible, don't let the same guest ask more than one eliminating question. If this round ends without the right answer, then have the friend explain what they do.

For the next round, have the volunteer family member come up and the guests that don't know him/her get to participate. If this round ends without the right answer, then have the family member explain what they do.

If someone does guess the occupation, then an appropriate prize might be a wizard's hat or a Ouija board game.

Name that tune - the DJ or orchestra plays a few bars of a song that is fairly common but not on the official reception play list. Be sure to play some tunes for the younger guests and some for the older guests. The winner of each round dances with the bride or groom.

Guess the ingredients - You will need your caterer's permission and assistance for this game. Pick 1, 2, or 3 menu items that are being served at the reception. Have the caterer write down the ingredient list for them. Hand out paper and pencils to your guests and instruct them to write what they think is in each of the foods. Guests with the closest guesses for each item win an appropriate prize like a set of gourmet spices, sauces, etc. Your DJ or someone in the wedding party can act as the judge/announcer.

Does the band know this song? - like "stump the band" on David Letterman - a good DJ can make this very funny. Your guests volunteer obscure song titles to the band or DJ. The band/DJ can either attempt to play the real song by that name or fake it. If the band doesn't get it right, the guest has to sing at least a few bars of the real song.

How Many Words? - Give a paper and pencil to each guest. Take the names of the bride and groom and write them in large letters on an easel or white board. See how many words the guests can create from the letters in their names in a set time limit. For example MelissaJohn gives the words: mesa, josh, missal, noses.... Score based on the number of words, or use Boggle scoring where 4 letter words are 1 point, 5 letter words are 2 points, etc. If children are playing then you may allow 3 letter words at ½ point, etc.

If there is a wordsmith in the wedding party, that person can check the guests' word lists for non-words and tally the scores. Otherwise, guests can score themselves. In the case of a tie, offer "we're married" with a 2 minute time limit as the tie breaker. Present an appropriate prize to the winner like a Boggle or Scrabble game with a hand written note of accomplishment from the bride and groom.

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Copyright 2008 by Mindy Makuta. Mindy and her husband own a small resort in Lyons, Colorado where they host outdoor weddings and family reunions. For more ideas on what to do at a wedding reception, see weddingsandromance.com/wedding-reception-activities on her web-site which covers topics of concern for before, during and after the wedding. They also publish http://www.168colorado.com, a site that helps plan Colorado vacations, including referrals for where to stay and what to do when you get there.

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Baby Shower Game Prize Ideas

Another great idea to jazz up the baby shower, is to throw games to the guests. Playing baby shower games is actually a fun and enjoyable activity that will sure to give big laughs to everyone. There are lots of baby shower games to choose from. If you are the host of the party, you can either purchase games from your local party store or make your own games.

Since showers are often theme-based, you may think of baby shower games that are related to theme you want for the party. Anything from cartoon characters, sports, to jungle or even a spa or tea can make a nice theme for the baby shower.

Usually, when a shower has fun activities such as games, there are prizes for the winners. Well, any game would need prizes for the winners, but in some cases like during a baby shower game, though prizes aren't mandatory, it would be best to give little tokens to the winners.

Baby game prizes ideas come in so many choices to choose from. Depending on your budget and theme of the party, they may range from cheap figurines to elegant festive gift baskets. One great idea you can follow is to purchase little inexpensive items from the baby registry and offer as prizes for the winners. Of course, it is up to them to donate what they've received to the mom-to-be at the end of the shower.

There are lots of theme-based gifts and prizes, and using cute decorations like stuffed animals and other baby-related items can make a cost-effective way to use the theme to your advantage. Other ideas for shower game prizes could be small baby figurines, chocolates and other fancy wrapped treats, gift baskets, gift certificates, spa certificates or even just manicure and pedicure treat for the winners of the games.

You can be as creative as you want when it comes to game prizes. If you prefer to make your own at home, well then feel free to do so. You can easily purchase novelty items from your local craft stores or wholesale dealer and wrap them up yourself. One easy and inexpensive prize idea you can make at home are bubbles with a personalized tag that has a cute picture on. The photo could be an angel, baby, or the ultrasound photo of the upcoming child. Other ideas you can personally make include bags of homemade cookies, little gift baskets filled with pampering goods, and etc.

You don't have to spend a lot of money over those prizes. Make sure to set a budget beforehand so you will have a guide whether you will buy or make homemade prizes. Sometimes, baby shower favors are also used as prizes for the shower games. However, if you feel like giving something else, then much better. Baby shower supplies, including games, prizes and favors are widely available online. There are lots of websites these days that specialize on baby shower gifts and other party accessories that will sure to flair any themed shower.

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Janet is an author for a variety of lifestyle issues and topics including weddings. If you're looking for baby announcements, visit the website Prettybabygifts.com and browse their extensive collection. Find baby shower decorations more online!

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Easy Murder Mystery Game Prop and Decoration Ideas

I wrote a pirate mystery game for a women in the US recently, who did her backyard up as a giant pirate ship and hid treasure throughout the yard for the guests to find. Conversely, I spoke to a woman at a recent game I facilitated (The Pool Hall Pummeling) who said she had so much fun, as the last murder mystery game she attended all they did was sit around a table and read clues.

Sure, both methods work, but really, which party would you rather attend? There's no need to go all out like the woman with the pirate mystery game (unless you want to, of course), however there is something to be said for adding in little extras to make your party special. Here are some ideas I like to include when I facilitate or host my own murder mystery game party.

- Create pamphlets with the pictures of each suspect.

I love this idea because there is so much potential to stir up some fun. In a recent game I facilitated for a family member's 60th birthday party, I created pamphlets in Paint, including pictures of each of the suspects. Only, instead of including nice pictures of my family members, I sifted through years of photo albums and selected the most menacing pictures of each person I could find. I distributed the pamphlets as everyone arrived, and the room was instantly filled with laughter over the photos. Cries of "where did you get this picture?" were accompanied with shrieks of joy, and even those not playing a suspect had a good time making fun of everyone's most murderous looking profile pics.

- Set up a mock murder scene

When playing a murder mystery game, nothing matters more than having a good imagination. Help your guests along by setting up a mock crime scene. I wrote a custom mystery for a baby shower of over 50 guests in which the nanny was stabbed. The hostess set up her spare bedroom as a crime scene and, as everyone entered, they were showed through the crime scene. That detail was listed as her guest's favorite moment of the party! How does one do this? Well, first you need to read ahead a bit in your Game Kit (not too far or you'll spoil the mystery) until you find the crime scene description. For this reason, Shot In The Dark Mystery Games always feature the crime scene description within the first few pages, usually as a Chapter One introduction. Once you have the details, set up a corner of the room or a whole room as the murder scene. You can use a dummy for the body, or simply lay out a chalk outline. This gives your visitors a visual, and something to talk about as they mingle before the murder mystery game begins.

- Give your visitors notebooks

The cheapest and easiest way of doing this is to visit a dollar store. Dollar stores have lots of stationary in all sizes, and the small notebooks (3"x5" will do) are inexpensive. You could even go so far as to have the notebooks specially printed if you chose! The notebooks serve as a great way for suspects and extra guests to keep track of clues as the murder mystery game unfolds and is a great keepsake for after the party. Don't forget to provide pens!

- Put the murder weapon in a Ziploc "Evidence" bag

At The Pool Hall Pummeling event I recently facilitated, I went to a billiard supply store and asked them for a single cue ball. They were happy to oblige and gave me many used cue balls to choose from. I picked the oldest, most worn cue ball, and they became curious why I picked that one. I told them it was to be used as a murder weapon. Through strange looks, they told me just to take it, that I didn't have to pay for it. I went home, squirted some red paint on my Halloween pumpkin and pummeled away! It made a great prop for the party, and as the Detective read the opening clues, he passed around the "bloody" cue ball in a Ziploc bag for everyone to view part of the evidence.

- Print off "I Accuse" sheets

The end of your murder mystery game contains a section where everyone gets to accuse a suspect and explain why they think that person was the murderer. Printing of "I accuse" forms allows everyone to write down their vote (a la Survivor) and then, when it comes their turn to accuse, flip their sheet over and show everyone who they think is the killer.

- Encourage your guests to dress their character

Characters come with descriptions, and using that description it's not hard to imagine what each character might wear. For extra characters, they can follow the theme. For example, while playing Murder on the Mound, have the suspects dress their character. The extra guests can come dressed as ball players, or even fans sporting foam fingers!

- Create Nametags

It's a common school of thought these days that name tags at a party are a pretty lame idea (think Ross from Friends as he threw the party in his new apartment). The only time it IS acceptable to have nametags is when hosting a murder mystery game party. At first, while guests are getting to know the suspects, the nametags will come in handy. Of course, you are not labeling these nametags with their real names, but the names of the character they play. Nametags can be as simple as the sticky "Hello My Name Is" ones available in stationary stores the world over, or as complex as tags you have made yourself on your computer, to professionally made name tags.

- Create forensic props

This prop idea works especially well for the Death Scene Investigation games, where forensics are the main focus of the game. But forensic props can be added to any murder mystery game you choose. The best place to find forensic game props are, believe it or not, toy stores. Forensic Labs, Handwriting Analysis Kits and DNA Laboratories are common in toy stores or any store that has a game section. I recently picked up a Fingerprint Examination Kit, which came with evidence bags, an alternate light source, fingerprinting brush and dust, crime scene tape and more. Whenever I facilitate a game, everyone oohs and aahs over my evidence bags and ALS. I don't tell them where I got it, but I'll tell you if you promise to keep it between us.

If you have a clever idea you're adding to your own Shot In The Dark Mysteries Game, please share it with us! And don't forget to send us pictures of your event for our upcoming picture gallery!

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Mystery Maiden writes and facilitates murder mystery, general mystery, forensics and custom mystery games for Shot In The Dark Mysteries. For more party host tips, quizzes and more, visit http://www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com. The Mystery Maiden can also be reached via email at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com.

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