Guests at a wedding can be honorable, particularly honorable, but there is a category of unsurpassed importance - the parents of the newlyweds. Usually they take an active part in preparing the celebration: they deal with organizational issues, help morally and financially, and worry that everything goes smoothly and beautifully, and that the children have the best memories. But at the wedding itself, parents often fade into the background, providing endless opportunities for young people to have fun...
However, it is unfair to be on the margins of the fun, participating only in the ceremonial toasts and the traditional parting words for the newlyweds! We will tell you in this article how to remove the parents of the bride and groom from the status of wedding generals.
Kinds
The parents of the newlyweds at the wedding are people who are at a wonderful active age . They can be from forty to sixty years old, although even some deviations from these boundaries are possible. However, both for 38-year-olds and for those who, for example, are 63, you can choose competitions that will help them fully immerse themselves in the holiday atmosphere. Important! The most important postulate from which to build is: parents should not be bored at their children’s wedding!
The following types of competitions can be held for parents at a wedding:
- movable;
- musical;
- comic;
- lyrical;
- dance;
- intellectual;
- artistic.
Which ones to choose?
When selecting wedding competitions for parents of newlyweds, some knowledge of psychology and an individual approach will not hurt. It is necessary to take into account the age capabilities , character traits and personal hobbies of potential test participants.
By character and hobbies
For example, for people with musical abilities, singing competitions are suitable. Cheerful and witty individuals will be able to realize their qualities in comic tests. Lyrical competitions with slow dancing, beautiful music, and paraphernalia in the form of candles are universal and usually go off with a bang for all categories of parents.
Various fun competitions are welcome . With their help, you can create a relaxed atmosphere and relieve tension among participants and guests. Young people will be pleased to see that their parents do not have to be bored. Fun competitions can be dancing, singing, competitive, active, intellectual, or for completing tasks. Some challenges involve group participation, and other guests may perform along with the parents.
Note! Spicy competitions must be approached with caution. It is better to leave them for the young, especially when there are doubts about how they will be received. If such competitions are held, then in the middle of the evening, when the guests are sufficiently relaxed.
Artistic dress-up acts can be a great element of the evening. Props can include not only wigs or various hats, but also full outfits of any heroes, historical figures, gypsy robes, medical or police uniforms. Reincarnated parents can effectively congratulate the newlyweds on behalf of some person in whose image they will appear, act out a skit or dance a characteristic dance. For example, a Lezginka would look great in the reproduction of the fathers of the bride and groom dressed in national Caucasian clothes.
Competitions for parents can highlight their hobbies or professional activities . For example, an avid fisherman can be given a toy set with a fishing rod and fish so that he can catch them at speed; The hairdresser is given the task of creating a festive hairstyle for a guest with a pronounced bald spot…. By using your imagination and using an individual approach, you can fill your wedding with the brightest and funniest moments that will be remembered by those present for a lifetime and will look great on video and photos.
You should also pay attention to the submission of competitions. The presenter does not have to be overly conservative, because most modern parents are quite democratic. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid vulgarity and not allow vulgar comments. However, this is relevant not only for parents.
By age and health
Age must be taken into account when selecting vigorous challenges. They must be provided for forty-year-old parents, because at this age people are in excellent physical shape and can easily give a head start to young people. For older people, aged fifty plus, competitions with elements of physical education are also quite acceptable, but only if the potential participants do not have significant health problems.
You should approach competitions that involve running, jumping and strength competitions with great caution. In combination with strong drinks, such competitions can cause an increase in blood pressure .
Speed and endurance competitions should also be left for young people. In relation to parents, it is better not to allow extreme sports, but to give preference to dance competitions, and slow dancing should predominate.
Carefully! It is advisable to find out in advance from young people whether their parents have any restrictions on physical activity, hypertension, or heart disease.
Joint entertainment
In order for a children's birthday party with the participation of adults to go off with a bang, you need to entertain the guests not only individually, but also together.
When organizing a program for children and adults, do not forget about joint entertainment.
For adults and children
"Papa Races"
A competition between fathers and children is held to the accompaniment of cheerful music. Each child sits astride his dad (dad on all fours) and the whistle is blown - the start of the race. The winner is the one who is the first to ride on dad from one end of the room to the other and back. The winners are awarded a sweet prize - a large candy, and all participants - a small sweet.
"Little Red Riding Hood"
Take 2 ropes 5 meters long. One rope is laid in a straight line, and the other along a winding or spiral path. A child and one of his parents are selected from the guests. The child walks along a straight road to his grandmother, and his mother or father walks along a winding one. Whoever comes faster wins.
"Footprints"
2 teams play. Each team has a parent and a child. You will need a pre-cut footprint of a tiger or other animal. A total of 4 blanks are needed. Participants receive 2 tracks. The child stands on the footprint with one foot, and the parent moves the second footprint for the next step. The winner is the one who covers the entire distance faster.
"Orchestra"
Wishing participants (children and parents) are given various devices made from scrap materials that make sounds. It can be:
- Pots.
- Lids.
- Banks with pennies.
- Cups of water and straws (gurgling sounds).
- Drum.
- Whistle.
- Sushi chopsticks and pan.
- Bell.
In addition to improvised noisy and ringing devices, you can use real or toy musical instruments, if available. A cheerful children's song is turned on for the background, a soloist (or several singers) is selected and the original arrangement of the famous hit begins.
"Fireworks"
A real fireworks display will be a pleasant farewell surprise, which will create a sensation among children and adults on a child’s birthday and will be an excellent culmination of the holiday.
When holding competitions on your birthday, you should prepare a lot of sweet gifts. Even if the competition is for an adult, the prize can be a sweet - the parent will give it to the child.
A child's birthday is a bright holiday where neither children nor their parents should be bored. Actively involve adults in competitions and relay races, and your holiday will be remembered for a long time.
For both parents
Song tournament
This is one of the most popular table competitions. It is better to conduct it as a collective event, so the songs will sound much more effective . The props in it are microphones, but the essence is the following: two teams compete, one of which includes the groom’s parents and their associates, and the other includes the bride’s parents, who also perform with a support group. The host announces the task: the groom’s group sings songs exclusively about something big, the bride’s group sings about something small. The team that stalls first loses.
Eh, the 90s!
The young years of many parents of today's newlyweds were in the 90s. It is not surprising that everything connected with this time is perceived by them with nostalgia. At this point, it is proposed to play in the next competition. Participants are divided into teams, and this can be done in different ways: moms against dads, one couple against another, or mother-in-law and father-in-law against mother-in-law and father-in-law.
According to the rules, each team must out-dance the other . Songs from previous years are included, these can be compositions by the group “Lube”, Alena Apina, Yura Shatunov and others. The dance of dads to a song performed by the group “Carmen” or Bogdan Titomir will look very colorful. The main conditions of the competition are to dance “as it was then.” The jury in the form of spectators evaluates which team's dance is the best, and the photographer and videographer do not forget to film.
I know you like the back of my hand!
In this competition, the parents of the bride and groom will demonstrate how attentive they are to each other . The rules are as follows: the spouses stand back to back, the presenter alternately asks questions to each of them regarding the appearance of the other half. For example, men can be asked the following questions:
- What color lipstick is your wife wearing?
- Does your loved one have jewelry on her neck? Which?
- Is your wife's dress plain or patterned?
- How many rings are on her right hand?
- How high are the heels on her shoes?
In turn, women can be asked about the following:
- Does your husband have a gray or blue tie?
- Is his shirt fully buttoned or is one button undone?
- What color is his belt?
- Are there arrows on his trousers?
- Do the buttons on his shirt have four holes or two?
The pair that answers the most questions correctly wins.
Waiting for grandchildren
For this cool competition you will need props in the form of two sets of underwear for a newborn, each of which will include: a cap, booties, overalls, and a vest. You also need two decent-sized baby dolls. According to the rules, the parents of the bride and groom - two pairs of potential grandparents - must swaddle the baby . You just need to do this using only... left hands!
Reference! It is unacceptable to help the left hand with the right hand - for this the couple will be eliminated from the competition.
The winner is the spouse whose baby is dressed faster and with better quality.
Vegetable installations
For this competition, various vegetables and fruits will be required as props. The parents of the bride and groom need to create from these materials a symbol of what they would like to give to the newlyweds in the future . It is allowed to cut the props, fold them in any way, and fasten the parts with toothpicks. Options for implementation:
- automobile;
- house;
- pieces of furniture: table, chair, sofa, etc.
The winner is the couple who, in the opinion of the guests, creates the best installation.
Cool portrait
For this competition you will need a very long and thick pencil, sold in a joke store, and whatman paper attached to the wall. Moms and dads of the newlyweds will have to draw a family portrait . Moreover, the groom's parents represent the bride, and the bride's parents represent the groom.
So that the participants do not interfere with each other, and the guests have the opportunity to fully admire the painting masterpieces being created, it is necessary to draw in turns: first one team acts, then the other. Within the team, members also replace each other. Moms start drawing, dads finish, or vice versa. The winner is the one whose creativity is recognized as the best.
Caring wives
For this competition you will need two jars of yogurt, teaspoons and blindfolds. The essence of the test is for the mothers of the bride and groom to feed their spouses , while at the same time practicing skills in case of the imminent appearance of grandchildren. And you have to feed... blindfolded. It is advisable for dads to take off their jackets and tuck cloth napkins behind their collars to avoid getting dirty. The first pair of parents to finish the yogurt wins.
Wedding house for newlyweds
Young people need their own housing, and in this competition this idea will be translated into reality. To do this, each pair of parents is given a children's construction set, from the parts of which they must quickly build a house for their children's family. The time allotted is short - a minute or two. The winner is the one whose house, in the opinion of the guests, is considered the most suitable for living.
For moms
The mother-in-law and mother-in-law worry about the wedding celebration almost more than the young people themselves. Competitions help them recover a little from the stress of recent days and tune in to the holiday atmosphere.
When selecting tests, it is necessary to take into account that the mothers of newlyweds at weddings are always very smartly dressed , usually in dresses and heels, and their hair is carefully styled. You should not organize such competitions, the implementation of which will put them in an awkward position. Everything related to running, jumping, putting on a gas mask at speed and other similar elements is best reserved for the groom's friends, led by a witness.
Stylish look
For this competition you will need two pieces of inexpensive fabric, thread, and scissors. Moms have to demonstrate how talented fashion designers they are . According to the rules of each of them, it is necessary to sew a men's cardigan.
Their spouses or one of the guests can act as models if desired. The time for completing the competition is limited, usually 5-10 minutes are enough, during which the participants complete tasks, and the rest can taste the wedding treat.
Important! Participants should not try to sew according to all the rules. Their job is to design something creative and funny to amuse the guests. The use of a needle and thread should be kept to a minimum.
Bubble
This competition is good to hold at the very beginning of the wedding celebration . It does not imply particularly active actions on the part of the participants, but it creates the right atmosphere and allows you to tune in to the competitive process. Bottles with soap bubbles serve as props. They are given to the mothers of the bride and groom, then each in turn is asked certain questions. Having heard the question, the participant blows soap bubbles, and the guests count them. The resulting number is the answer.
Questions for the groom's mother could be:
- How many gifts will you give your daughter-in-law for her birthday?
- How many grandchildren do you expect from the newlyweds?
- How many dishes will you prepare for dinner for your favorite matchmakers?
- How many times will you call on weekends?
- How many times will you kiss the bride after the competition?
Questions for the mother of the bride could be:
- How many pies will you bake for your beloved son-in-law?
- How many glasses of champagne will you drink at your wedding?
- How many dances will you dance with the groom?
- How many pairs of socks will you give to your son-in-law on February 23?
- How many times can you call your son-in-law son?
The winner of this competition is the participant who blows the most bubbles in total..
Drawing invitation cards
The holiday begins with an invitation. You can simply call and verbally invite guests, or you can show creative ingenuity and use the “grandmother’s” method - send out beautifully designed invitation cards by mail. For adults, it will be a surprise to find in the mailbox, along with the rent receipt, a beautiful envelope with an invitation to a children's party. And children will be interested in tearing open the packaging and looking at its contents. There are various ways to decorate cards for a children's birthday:
- Draw an individual card for each invited guest (child and his parents).
- Design in one of the graphic editors.
- Buy ready-made invitations and sign them beautifully or compose a short quatrain.
The best way, of course, is to make an individual card together with the child for each invitee.
For dads
At the very beginning of the wedding celebration, the fathers of the newlyweds are usually serious and personable. However, with the right approach, emphasized solidity soon gives way to sincere fun. To a large extent, this is facilitated by the presenter, who has in his arsenal competitions designed specifically for father-in-law and father-in-law. One or two such competitions are enough, and instead of business representatives of the stronger sex in carefully buttoned suits, guests will see two happy fathers, whose smiles are the best wedding gifts for the newlyweds.
The best future grandfather
As props, you will need two strollers for dolls, two sets of pins and a “Best Potential Grandfather” medal . The pins are placed in a chaotic manner to create two winding roads. Participants are blindfolded and given strollers, with which they must run to the opposite end of the hall and return back, knocking down as few pins as possible. The one who manages to fulfill the conditions of the competition receives a medal and the title of winner.
Sweet Nothing
For this competition you need two Whatman paper or two magnetic boards and two suitable writing media, such as markers. The presenter calls the fathers of the bride and groom and invites them to think carefully and write their wishes for the young, and in a more flowery way.
They complete the task, but it is followed by another one: for each letter of the written wish, the participants must choose a kind word addressed to their beloved wives . All letters of the wish are used, including “Y”. The only exceptions are hard and soft signs. First one father reports, then the other. The winner is the one whose vocabulary of affectionate words is greater than that of his opponent.
Competitions on weekday evenings
Liven up your evenings with fun games.
Memory game
In this game you need as many items as possible.
Instructions:
- Collect as many items as possible. They can be absolutely anything.
- Place the items on the table.
- Choose one presenter.
- The presenter stands near the table, the rest of the participants turn away.
- The presenter takes one of the things.
- Participants turn around and have to guess which object has disappeared.
- Whoever guesses the fastest becomes the next leader.
- You can play until you get bored.
Cards
For this game you will need cards. Buy one deck. Both two people and two teams can play.
Instructions:
- Shuffle the deck of cards thoroughly.
- Deal two players or two teams an equal number of cards.
- Next, place the two resulting decks face down next to the players.
- At the same time, remove the map and show what is shown there.
- If the same cards fall out. For example, queen - queen, players must shout “Woof”. Whoever shouts out the fastest wins the round.
- The winner takes this deck of cards.
- The winner is the one who has the entire deck in his hands.
Quick reaction game
Take a couple of sheets of paper.
Instructions:
- Cut sheets of paper into cards.
- On each card, write a body part: ear, arm, leg, chest, nose, and so on.
- The cards are then placed in a box and mixed thoroughly.
- Each player on the team takes out one card and takes turns saying the word that he took out.
- All players must quickly touch this part of the body, first with one hand, then with the other.
- There are no winners in this game as it is aimed at general fun.
Animals
Take sheets of paper. Cut them into small cards.
Instructions:
On each card, the participants in the game must write any animal they like so that the neighbor does not see what is written on the player sitting next to them. Then everyone sticks this card on their neighbor's forehead. You must guess what is written on your forehead. To do this, ask questions that will help you guess the written animal.
Examples of questions:
- Is it running?
- Is it crawling?
- Is it croaking?
- Singing?
You should only answer “yes” or “no”. The one who guesses the answer wins.
Dream
You will need markers or pencils, as well as sheets of paper.
Instructions:
- Give participants an equal number of markers and a sheet of paper.
- Close your eyes.
- Each participant must draw their dream with their eyes closed.
- After completion, everyone opens their eyes and it is necessary to guess what is drawn on the canvas of each participant.
- Whoever guesses the most pictures wins.
Guess
You need to take a sheet of paper and a pen.
Instructions:
- Write your kindest wishes on a piece of paper.
- Hide this note.
- Then the guests must take turns guessing who has the note.
- The host answers guests’ questions only with “yes” or “no.”
- Whoever guesses correctly wins.
