Wedding games for guests: the shoe game, mingle bingo and questions for the couple
Updated 26 October 2026 · Written by Lysela
The wedding reception games that work are short and suit the moment: mingle bingo while guests wait, questions for the couple and the shoe game between courses, and an "everyone who" game on the dance floor. Pick two or three, let the toastmaster run them, and ask yourselves first what you want to take part in. Here are the games sorted by moment, with how each one works, questions and bingo squares to borrow, and what to avoid. Swedish weddings often use the shoe game, and guests from abroad usually pick it up quickly.
Try it yourself, no account neededWedding reception games: for the mingle, dinner and dance floor
A game needs the right moment. The mingle suits games guests play on their own, dinner suits games everyone plays at once from their seats, and the dance floor suits games where people move about.
| Moment | Game | How it works | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mingle | Mingle bingo | Each guest has a bingo card and finds someone who fits each square. | A printed card and a pen per guest |
| Mingle | Clothes pegs | Everyone gets three pegs on their clothes. Anyone who hears someone say a forbidden word takes a peg. Most pegs wins. | Pegs and a forbidden word, such as "wedding" |
| During dinner | Questions for the couple | The toastmaster asks, and guests guess what the couple will answer. | Ten questions and, if you like, shoes or signs |
| Between courses | The shoe game | The couple sit back to back and answer questions by holding up a shoe. | Four shoes and a list of questions |
| Between courses | True or false | The toastmaster reads a statement about the couple, and guests stand up if they think it is true. | A list of true and false statements |
| Dance floor | All who ... | The toastmaster says "all who ..." and those it applies to walk onto the floor. | A microphone and a list of prompts |
The shoe game and the other classic wedding games
The kisses, where guests may kiss whoever stays behind when the other leaves the room, and songs with new words about the couple are described in the toastmaster guide.
The shoe game
The couple sit back to back, each holding one of their own shoes and one of the other's. The toastmaster asks questions such as "Who cooks best?", and the couple answer at the same time by holding up a shoe. If both hold up the same person's shoe they agree, and the laughs come when they do not. Ten questions is plenty.
Questions for the couple
The same idea as the shoe game, but the guests join in. They guess aloud or on a slip of paper what the couple will answer, and the couple tell the truth. It suits you when you want answers that everyone understands, including guests who do not know you well.
All who ...
The toastmaster says "all who have travelled with the couple, please stand". It works at dinner and on the dance floor. One variation is that everyone stands and then sits again by the number of years they have been married, until one couple is left standing as the longest married.
True or false
The toastmaster reads "The groom cannot swim" and guests move to one side of the room or the other. It works best with statements that could go either way.
Clothes pegs
Everyone gets pegs on their clothes on arrival, and one word is forbidden during the mingle. Whoever hears it said takes a peg. The game runs itself while guests talk to each other.
Questions to borrow for the couple and the shoe game
Mix easy questions with a few that get a laugh. Print them for the toastmaster, so nobody has to think of them on the spot. Replace whatever is in square brackets.
Who cooks best? Who falls asleep first? Who is worst at being on time? Who made the first move? Who could last longest without their phone? Who drives on holiday?
Where did [name] and [name] meet? What was [name] wearing the first time they saw each other? Which city was your first trip to? What is [name]'s favourite dish?
[Name] has never broken a bone. [Name] speaks three languages. The couple bought their rings on the same day. [Name] cried first at the ceremony.
Now we are going to see how well [name] and [name] know each other. I ask a question, and on three you hold up a shoe. We start easy.
Mingle bingo for a wedding: squares to use
Mingle bingo is a card with nine or sixteen squares. A guest finds someone who fits each square, gets the person's name in the square and calls bingo when a row or the whole card is full. Hand out the cards on arrival, and make the squares so that guests from both sides have to talk to each other.
Put one square on each line of the card, and use details about your own guests where you can.
Someone who has travelled with the couple Someone born in the same month as [name] Someone who comes from [town] Someone who has been married for more than ten years Someone who has helped with the wedding Someone who met the couple at [work or school] Someone who can waltz Someone who has danced with [name] Someone with a sibling at the party
Find a guest who fits each square, write down their name and call bingo to the toastmaster. A name can only be used once.
How many games, who leads them and what to avoid
Avoid questions about earlier relationships, money or anything that could embarrass someone, and games that leave one person alone in the spotlight. Think about whether older guests and children can join in. What the evening can look like hour by hour is in the wedding day timeline.
Two or three games
Plan one game for the mingle, one during dinner and one on the dance floor. More takes time from the speeches, the food and the dancing.
Ten minutes per game
A game that runs past ten minutes loses the guests who are not playing. Put it in the running order alongside the speeches.
The toastmaster leads
The toastmaster introduces the game, reads the questions and stops it when time is up. That way you do not have to run it yourselves.
Ask the couple first
Some people would rather not take part in games. The toastmaster can then choose games where the guests take part and the couple just sit.
Games in the programme on your wedding website
With Lysela there is no game to switch on, but you can add each game as a line in the programme on your wedding website, with a time, so guests know when the mingle starts and when the questions are asked. On the wedding day the page shows at the top what is happening now and next. You also name one or two toastmasters with a phone number or email, in every tier, so guests can call or write to them instead of to you. From Plus, the print studio gives the programme and song booklet the same look as your place cards. On the example sites you can see the programme and the toastmaster as guests see them.
You pay once, SEK 795, SEK 1,795 or SEK 4,900 including VAT, and the site stays up for 12 months.
What usually goes on a wedding website, and what one costs, is in the checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shoe game at a wedding?
The couple sit back to back, each holding one shoe of their own and one of the other's. The toastmaster asks questions such as "Who cooks best?", and the couple answer by holding up a shoe.
How many wedding games do you need?
Two or three are enough: one at the mingle, one during dinner and perhaps one on the dance floor, each no longer than ten minutes.
Who should lead the wedding games?
The toastmaster. Whoever runs the evening can read out the questions, keep to time and end the game when it has run its course.
How do you make mingle bingo?
Write nine or sixteen squares with prompts such as "someone who comes from [town]" on a card. Guests find one person per square and write down their name.
More to read
- What should a wedding website include? Checklist, timeline and cost
- Wedding toastmaster: duties, a schedule and tips for the evening
- Wedding telegrams: what to write and how to send one
- Wedding day timeline: a schedule to start from
- Hiring a wedding DJ in Sweden: when to book, what to ask and what the price depends on