So, your best friend is getting married, and has asked if you’ll be part  of their bridal party.

What an honour! Such emotion! Such joy! And…such hard work! As part of the bridal party, your role is to help the bride and groom in their wedding preparations and to give your advice and support, but in France, a big part of the role is to organise entertainment for the big day. Here are some ideas to really get things going.

Wedding games

Games are a good idea for several reasons. First of all, they’re fun, and create a nice, light-hearted atmosphere. What’s more, they can be a good ice-breaker for guests who don’t know each other. They also allow you to kill a little time before the dinner starts, for example, or between the main course and dessert. Here are some game ideas – some are traditional, some are new, but they’re all great fun:

• The “shoe game” : This famous game is traditionally played using shoes, but can also be played with signs marked “me” and “him/her”. The crowd can ask the bride and groom questions about their everyday life, such as “who takes up most space in the bed?”, and the newlyweds have to hold up the sign that corresponds to their answer. That’s when you really see where the differences in opinion lie! It’s great entertainment for the guests, but it also allows the couple to spend a special moment together..

• “What’s the link?”: Give the guests a numbered list of criteria – for example, “#1, everyone who wears glasses”. The MC will then ask for everyone who falls under point #1 to stand up – in this case everyone in the room who wears glasses will be on their feet. The bride and groom need to guess what the link between them is!

Wedding surprises

If you are in the bridal party, you also have a good opportunity to surprise the newlyweds! You can always rely on the faithful photo slideshow, it’s practically a rite of passage when you get married!

But how about a more original idea? Make the bride and groom a short film of their hen and stag parties. It’s a fun and unique way of letting the guests see the couple’s last crazy night, and a sweet and funny trip down memory lane for the newlyweds!

Another great idea for surprising the couple: organise a balloon launch and let all the guests in on the secret. At the end of the ceremony, get all the guests out of the church/town hall and give them a balloon (brought to the venue by a non-guest). When the newly married couple step outside, they’ll be stunned by the gorgeous show of balloons!

Souvenirs

Weddings are the perfect occasion to revisit old memories, but also to create new ones. Here are some ideas that will create unforgettable memories:

• Fingerprint tree : Get an A3 page and draw a tree without its leaves (i.e. trunk and branches). Put the drawing somewhere where guests can see it, along with some ink pads. All the guests can put their fingerprint on the branches like a leaf on the tree, creating a beautiful piece of art for the couple. Don’t forget to ask guests to write their name underneath their fingerprint, so the couple know whose print is whose!

• Video messages : Find a quiet spot and set out one or two chairs. Put a camera on a tripod facing the chairs, and invite guests to record a little message for the bride and groom. The couple can watch the footage after the wedding is over – it’s guaranteed to be an emotional rollercoaster!

So there you have it, bridal party – go and have fun!