20 Engagement Party Games and Activities Your Guests Will Love

Wondering what to do at an engagement party? There's plenty of fun to be had!

By
Kristi Kellogg
Kristi Kellogg
Kristi Kellogg
Kristi Kellogg founded Dazzling Digital Marketing Agency in 2017. She also works closely with the digital marketing and SEO teams at Condé Nast.
Brides's Editorial Guidelines
Updated on 09/28/22 01:39PM
guests playing cornhole at engagement party

Photo by Sydney Noelle

Now that you've picked an engagement party theme, it's time to plan what to do at the engagement party. You'll have your family and best friends in one place, meaning there's potential for a whole lot of fun. And sure, it will likely be awesome to just have everyone together, but planning a few games and activities will be an extra touch to get guests mingling.

Chances are you'll be seeing these people quite a bit over the course of your wedding journey, so what better way to get to know each other than with some quirky icebreakers? Read on for 20 creative engagement party games and activities that will keep guests entertained.

01 of 20

Ring Hunt

bride and bride showing rings

Photo by Chi-Chi Ari of Chi-Chi Ari Love

Hide plastic rings all throughout the party and then set your guests off on a ring hunt. Whoever finds the most rings, wins! Simply put, it's just like an Easter egg hunt but with engagement rings. Make sure to have prizes handy, like a Starbucks gift card or miniature bottle of Champagne.

02 of 20

Set Up a Photo Station

Photo booth in a van outside

Photo by KT Merry

For your guests who love all things photos and fun, you need to have a photo station. You can opt for a silly theme and gather pose-worthy props like hats, sunglasses, flower leis, clip-on bow ties, etc., which guests can choose from before posing in front of a bright background. Or, you can create a floral backdrop and provide things like wooden hearts and signs with messages about love.

03 of 20

Create a Custom Snapchat Geofilter

bride and groomsmen taking a selfie

Photo by To The Moon

You know how sometimes you go to an event, like a sports game or a concert, and there's a special filter on Snapchat that coincides? That's called a geofilter, and anyone can get one. Pricing is determined by the size of the usage area, so, for a small venue or someone's house, it's actually really affordable (only $5 an hour for a geofilter that's 20 square feet).

04 of 20

The Nearlywed Game

Bride and groom laughing and hugging outside

PHOTO BY BOKEH PHOTOGRAPHY

Find out how well the couples in attendance know each other by having them play a live version of the Newlywed Game (in the case of the affianced couple, the Nearlywed Game). Give each of them a mini dry-erase board and have them answer questions like, "What would your partner request for their last meal?" and "What's one thing your partner thinks you should take a class in?" Then, read off each question, have each partner answer, and see how close the real answer is to their significant other's guess. Whichever couple racks up the most right answers, wins.

05 of 20

Beanbag Toss

couple playing cornhole

RichLegg / Getty Images

Beanbag toss, also known as cornhole, is a perfect game for an outdoor engagement party. You can go all out with bridal-themed boards, or you can keep it classic. One fun idea is to make the couple kiss whenever someone scores.

06 of 20

Ring Toss

ring toss bottle game

Getty Images

Ring tosses are so apropos for an outdoor engagement party. Decorate the plastic rings and/or bottles with glitter for a truly sparkly game—half of the rings should be a different color than the others. Create two teams and take turns throwing rings at stakes or empty bottles for a DIY version.

07 of 20

Bridal Jeopardy!

bride and groom

Photo by Branch & Cole

Craft a DIY Jeopardy! board with questions all about the couple and their romance. Just like the game show, the board will reveal answers, and the guests will have to "buzz" in to guess the question that corresponds to the answer (you can just have people raise their hands or ring a bell if you don't have a buzzer on hand). Possible categories could include the bride or groom, the couple, and the wedding plans. If someone chooses, for example, "the engagement" for 300, it could reveal an answer like "13 months," leading someone to buzz in and shout "How many months were the couple together before getting engaged?"

08 of 20

Memory Lane

Two women hugging at an outdoor social gathering

PHOTO BY MARK SPOONER

Have each guest write down a memory of the couple (or each individually, depending on who each guest knows) on an index card, then mix all the index cards in a bowl. Have the couple read off the index cards one by one. For each card, all the guests have to guess who the memory belongs to. Whoever gets the most cards right wins the game; this is especially fun if most people at the engagement party are already friends or acquaintances, and will be able to guess who's who.

09 of 20

Engagement-Themed Charades

wedding couple laughing

Photo by Aaron Delesie; Event Planning by EKS Events

If your friends are big on charades, why not play a few rounds? Here's the catch: Whatever movie or book is being performed has to be related to an engagement. Think My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Bridesmaids, etc.

10 of 20

Take Wedding-Song Requests

bride and groom dancing

Photo by Bokeh Photography; Event Planning by First Look Events  

Get a jump-start on planning your wedding reception playlist. Hand out a sheet of paper and have your guests fill out their top requests for songs they want to hear on the upcoming day when you say "I do!"

11 of 20

The Shoe Game

couple playing the shoe game

Photo by Alexa Lena Photography 

An engagement party and wedding reception favorite, the wedding shoe game tests the couple's knowledge of one another and/or their relationship. To play, the couple sits back-to-back, both of them holding one of their own shoes in one hand and one of their partner's shoes in their other hand. Then, a designated host will ask questions like, "Who made the first move?" and "Who dresses better?" The to-be-weds will raise either their own shoe or their partner's shoe to answer the question, with neither one of them seeing the other's answer.

12 of 20

Giant Tic-Tac-Toe

giant tic tac toe

Photo by Eddie Pearson Photography 

With a fresh engagement, X and O are at the forefront of everyone's mind. Bring the XOXOs to life with a giant, outdoor game of tic-tac-toe. Bonus tip: A game like this is also sure to be a big hit at an outdoor wedding.

13 of 20

Jenga

guests playing giant jenga

Photo by Mark Spooner

Who doesn't love this classic? Make it memorable by having the guests sign a tile with their name and a note for the newly affianced couple. That way, whenever the couple plays Jenga, they'll always think of their friends and the super-fun engagement party moments. Make the game even better (and suitable for a backyard affair) with giant Jenga!

14 of 20

Tie the Knot

bowl of cherries

Sue-Ann Thalacker / EyeEm / Getty Images

Make a contest out of tying cherry stems into knots. Set out a bowl of cherries and see who can tie the most cherry stem knots with their tongue in two minutes. For a little extra fun, soak the cherries in vanilla vodka overnight.

15 of 20

Find the Guest

guests laughing outdoors

Photo by Kindred Weddings

Compile a list of fun and interesting facts about each guest at the engagement party. Pass out a copy of the list of facts to every guest, and have them go around and find out who is who. This is a great way for your guests to get acquainted and learn more about each other.

To make it more interesting, implement the rule that you can't flat-out ask about the fact directly. Guests will have to make casual conversation to figure out who is who; for example, if a fact is "This guest is an opera singer," you might bring up music and see where the conversation leads.

16 of 20

Message in a Bottle

message in a mason jar

Sonja Rachbauer / Getty Images

This isn't a game, but it's definitely something the couple's friends and family will love doing. Set out a beautiful glass bottle and create a station with pens and slips of paper where guests can write a note to the couple to be opened after the wedding or on their anniversary. This is the kind of thing that would also make for an excellent activity on the big day itself. It's a chance for people to express how happy they are for the couple and how much they love them. Plus, the bottle will double as a gorgeous piece of décor.

17 of 20

Mad Libs

mad libs

Photo by Mark Spooner; Stationery by Molly Goldberg Design

Turn the couple's story into a game of Mad Libs. To make it extra funny, feel free to elaborate and exaggerate details. Then, of course, leave blanks where guests can add in ridiculous adverbs, verbs, adjectives, and nouns.

18 of 20

Craft a Couple's Quilt

Couple wrapping themselves in a quilt

ADAM HESTER / GETTY IMAGES

Hand out patches of fabric to each guest at the shower along with fabric paint, beads, and string. Have each party guest create their own patch in honor of the happy couple. After the party, collect all of the patches and have them sewn together into a quilt to commemorate the engagement (you can present this to the couple at the wedding).

19 of 20

Bridal Bingo

bingo card

Tetra Images / Getty Images

For a twist on traditional bingo, create your own bingo cards where all the squares are engagement- and wedding-themed, such as Mr., Mrs., Love, etc. You can even find pre-made ones and just print them out for the activity.

20 of 20

Casino Games

friends playing cards at home

Wundervisuals / Getty Images 

Turn the engagement party into a fête fit for Las Vegas! One of our favorite engagement party themes is casino night. Pull out all the stops and rent casino-style tables, so you can play games like blackjack, craps, and roulette.

Now that you have an idea of how to entertain guests at an engagement party, you're probably going to want some tips on how to make your event ultra Instagram-worthy. Find engagement party decoration ideas that are sure to impress.

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