Hen Party Games for Every Kind of Group

In this article

• Hen Party Games for Small Groups
• Hen Party Games for Large Groups
• Hen Party Games Without Drinking
• Hen Party Drinking Games
• Hen Party Icebreaker Games
• Hen Party Card Games
• Ready-Made Hen Party Games to Buy

Personalised Guess Who?

A homemade version of the childhood classic, using faces the group actually knows.

• Players: 2–8
• Playing Time: 15–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 20–40 minutes
• What You’ll Need: two identical sets of approved photos; cards or a DIY board

Preparation: Choose 12–20 people the group knows and ask each of them for permission to use their photo. Then make two matching sets, either as cards or mounted on a simple homemade board.

How to Play:

1. Lay out both sets of photos face up, one set for each side.
2. Each player secretly chooses one person from the set.
3. Take turns asking yes/no questions, such as “Does your person wear glasses?”, and turn down the photos you can rule out.
4. The first player to identify the other’s chosen person wins.

With more than two players, split into two teams who agree on each question together.

Both’s Tip: If exes or colleagues might make anyone uncomfortable, use mutual friends or fictional characters instead.

Mr & Mrs Quiz

The bride tries to guess how her partner answered a set of questions about their relationship while the group watches. It needs some groundwork, but very little else.

• Players: 3–8
• Playing Time: 15–20 minutes
• Preparation Time: 20–30 minutes
• What You’ll Need: the partner’s answers, recorded in advance; a question sheet; pens

Preparation: Before the party, ask the bride’s partner 10–15 questions about their relationship and record the answers. Write the same questions on a sheet for whoever will be reading them out.

How to Play:

1. Read each question aloud.
2. The bride guesses how her partner answered.
3. Reveal the partner’s original answer after each question.
4. Award a point for every answer she matches.

Mr and Mrs questions to get you started

Pick your 10–15 from a mix like this, adjusting the wording to suit the couple:

• What was the first film you watched together?
• How does she take her tea or coffee, exactly?
• What’s the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever argued about?
• What’s her nickname in your phone?
• What’s the one food she’d never eat, even to be polite?
• What’s the worst gift you’ve ever given her?
• Which of her friends would she call to help hide a body?
• What’s her most annoying habit?
• If she won the lottery tomorrow, what’s the first thing she’d buy?
• What’s the one thing she does that always makes you laugh?

Both’s Tip: Balance light-hearted Mr and Mrs quiz questions with a few sentimental ones, and leave out anything the bride would rather keep private.

Memory Lane

Also known as Guess the Memory. It’s gentler than most games here, and it gives everyone time to tell a story properly.

• Players: 3–8
• Playing Time: 15–25 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10–15 minutes
• What You’ll Need: paper slips; pens; a bowl

Preparation: Cut paper into slips, and put them out with the pens and a bowl.

How to Play:

1. Each guest writes down a specific memory they share with the bride, without signing it.
2. Fold the slips and put them in the bowl.
3. The bride reads each memory aloud and guesses who wrote it.
4. Once the author is revealed, they tell the full story.

Both’s Tip: Ask for a mix of funny and heart-warming memories, not just embarrassing ones.

First Date Consequences

A wedding twist on the parlour game Consequences. Nobody sees the whole story until it’s read out at the end.

• Players: 3–8
• Playing Time: 15–25 minutes
• Preparation Time: 5 minutes
• What You’ll Need: paper; pens

Preparation: Write down the prompts in order so whoever is leading the game can read them out:

1. Where did they meet?
2. Who was there?
3. What did they say?
4. What happened next?
5. How did the date end?

How to Play:

1. Give everyone a sheet of paper.
2. Read out the first prompt. Each player writes an answer at the top of their sheet, folds the paper over to hide it and passes it on.
3. Repeat with each of the remaining prompts.
4. Unfold the sheets and read the stories aloud.

Both’s Tip: Add a fictional first-date twist so guests who don’t know the couple well can still join in.

Dress the Bride

Despite the name, the bride isn’t the one being dressed. She judges, while each team creates a wedding outfit on one of its own players.

• Players: 8–20+
• Playing Time: 20–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: toilet roll or crepe paper; tape; ribbons (optional); a timer

Preparation: Divide the materials into identical sets, one for each team, and have a timer ready.

How to Play:

1. Split the guests into teams of three to five, and have each team nominate a model.
2. Give each team its materials and 10–15 minutes to create a wedding outfit. Nothing should damage anyone’s clothes.
3. When time is up, hold a mini catwalk.
4. The bride awards prizes for creativity, craftsmanship or the funniest design.

Both’s Tip: Photograph the catwalk. For anyone who’d rather not model a bridal look, offer a non-bridal theme.

Photo Scavenger Hunt

This gets a big group out of their seats, and everyone goes home with plenty of photos. If you’d rather not write the challenges yourself, there’s a ready-made kit at the end.

• Players: 8–24+
• Playing Time: 30–60 minutes
• Preparation Time: 15–25 minutes
• What You’ll Need: printed challenge lists; phones; prizes (optional)

Preparation: Write a list of 10–15 photo challenges and print a copy for each team. Decide on a time limit and any prizes. A few challenges to start with:

• Recreate an album cover
• Take a group photo in matching poses
• Take a team photo mid-jump
• Recreate a photo of the bride from years ago
• Find something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue

How to Play:

1. Divide the guests into teams and hand out the lists.
2. Announce the time limit.
3. Teams capture as many of the challenges as they can before time runs out.
4. Award points for completed challenges and for creativity, then share the best shots.

Both’s Tip: Don’t photograph strangers without their consent. Make sure every challenge can be done indoors too, in case you can’t go out.

Hen Party Bingo

Bingo runs alongside everything else, so it suits a day that’s already well planned.

• Players: 8–30+
• Playing Time: 20–60 minutes
• Preparation Time: 20–30 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a different bingo card for each guest; pens or stickers

Preparation: Make the bingo cards, giving each guest a different combination of squares. Fill them with harmless moments that are likely to happen, and base them on what’s actually planned for the day. For example:

• Someone mentions the wedding dress
• A guest tells a school story
• The bride is asked about the honeymoon
• Someone photographs their food
• A toast is made to the bride

How to Play:

1. Hand each guest their card at the start of the party.
2. Players mark off squares as the moments happen.
3. The first person to complete a row calls bingo and explains their matches.

Both’s Tip: Keep the cards out throughout dinner rather than stopping the party for a formal round.

Handbag Scavenger Hunt

All you need is a list and whatever people are carrying. It takes very little setting up, so it fits easily into a gap in the schedule.

• Players: 8–25+
• Playing Time: 10–20 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a list of items; pens; prizes (optional)

Preparation: Write a list mixing everyday handbag items with a few less usual ones, such as lip balm, a receipt, a hair tie, a plaster, a safety pin or a train ticket.

How to Play:

1. Read out the list.
2. Guests score a point for each item they can produce.
3. The highest score wins. You can also play in teams.

For a faster version, call out the items one at a time and give the point to the first person to hold one up.

Both’s Tip: Never ask guests to reveal private or sensitive belongings.

Hen Party Pictionary

The familiar drawing game with a wedding theme.

• Players: 4–20+
• Playing Time: 20–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10–15 minutes
• What You’ll Need: paper or a whiteboard; markers; a timer; prompt cards

Preparation: Write wedding-themed prompts on slips of paper, mixing easy, medium and tricky ones. Bouquet, confetti, first dance, wedding cake, veil, speech, honeymoon and seating plan give a good spread.

How to Play:

1. Split into teams.
2. One player takes a prompt and draws it for their team, without speaking, writing any words or using gestures.
3. Their team has 60 seconds to guess.
4. Rotate the artist each round, and award a point for every correct answer.

Both’s Tip: Keep the tricky prompts for later rounds, once everyone has relaxed into drawing badly in public.

Playdough Pictionary

The same idea in modelling dough. Sculpting is slower than sketching, so each round runs a little longer.

• Players: 4–16
• Playing Time: 20–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: non-toxic modelling dough; prompt slips; a timer; something to cover the table

Preparation: Cover the table and write a list of objects connected to weddings or romance on slips, such as a ring, a cake, a suitcase, a high heel or a champagne glass.

How to Play:

1. Divide into teams.
2. Each round, one player secretly picks a prompt and sculpts it in dough while their teammates have 90 seconds to guess.
3. There’s no talking, and no spelling out words in dough.
4. A correct guess earns the team a point.

Both’s Tip: Stick to recognisable objects rather than abstract ideas. “Ring” works, but “true love” is almost impossible to make out of dough.

Wedding Charades

Charades needs very little kit, and the wedding prompts give it a theme without making it any harder.

• Players: 4–24+
• Playing Time: 15–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: prompt cards; a bowl; a timer

Preparation: Write actions or scenes on cards and put them in the bowl. Catching the bouquet, walking down the aisle, cutting the cake, the first dance and giving a speech are all good to act out.

How to Play:

1. Split the guests into teams.
2. One player draws a card and acts it out silently while their teammates try to guess before the timer runs out.
3. Rotate performers and keep a running tally of points.

Both’s Tip: Let shy guests guess rather than perform.

Guess the Love Song

A music round that works for individuals or teams. If you’re playing at a venue, check its rules on music first.

• Players: 4–20+
• Playing Time: 15–25 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10–15 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a playlist; a speaker; score sheets

Preparation: Put together a playlist of 12–20 recognisable love songs, and check the speaker works in the room you’ll be using.

How to Play:

1. Play a short clip from each track.
2. Individuals or teams write down the title and artist of each song.
3. Reveal the answers at the end. Award a point for each correct title, plus a bonus for the artist.

Both’s Tip: Blend current favourites with older classics so every generation in the room has a fair chance.

Prosecco Pong

A hen party version of beer pong, with one sensible change. The cups on the table hold water.

• Players: 4–12
• Playing Time: 15–25 minutes
• Preparation Time: 5–10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: clean cups; ping-pong balls; a table; drinks or water

Preparation: Fill the game cups with water, and arrange six cups in a triangle at each end of the table.

How to Play:

1. Split into two teams, one at each end of the table.
2. Take turns bouncing or throwing a ball towards the other team’s cups.
3. When a shot lands in a cup, remove that cup.
4. The first team to clear the cups on the opposite side wins.

Both’s Tip: Using water in the game cups is more hygienic. Guests can pour their own drinks separately, and alcohol is entirely optional.

Never Have I Ever

An old favourite that needs no kit, only a few prompts and some ground rules agreed at the start.

• Players: 4–15
• Playing Time: 15–20 minutes
• Preparation Time: 0–5 minutes
• What You’ll Need: prepared prompts; drinks (optional)

Preparation: Jot down a few gentle prompts to get things started, such as “Never have I ever missed a flight”, “…sung karaoke” or “…sent a message to the wrong person”. Agree how many rounds you’ll play.

How to Play:

1. Sit in a circle.
2. One player says “Never have I ever…” followed by something they have never done.
3. Anyone who has done it can raise a finger or take a voluntary sip. Anyone can pass at any point.
4. Carry on around the circle for the agreed number of rounds.

Both’s Tip: Start gently, and agree on boundaries before anything cheekier comes out. Nobody should feel obliged to disclose personal experiences.

Most Likely To

Quick to explain and quick to play, with plenty of chances for the group to defend their votes.

• Players: 4–20
• Playing Time: 15–20 minutes
• Preparation Time: 5–10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: question cards; drinks (optional)

Preparation: Write prompts on cards. For example: “Who is most likely to miss a flight?”, “…cry during the speeches?”, “…get lost on the way to the venue?” or “…still be dancing at the end of the night?”

How to Play:

1. Read out a prompt.
2. On the count of three, everyone points at the person they’d choose.
3. Invite the group to explain their choices, then move on to the next prompt.
4. If you’d rather not use drinking penalties, keep score with points instead.

Both’s Tip: Keep the prompts affectionate, never cruel or too personal.

Banned Words

Also called The Wedding Word Game. Rather than being played in one sitting, it runs quietly from the start of the party to the end.

• Players: 4–25+
• Playing Time: throughout the party
• Preparation Time: 5–10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a list of banned words; tokens (optional)

Preparation: Choose two or three everyday words that people are likely to say, such as “wedding” or the bride’s name. Decide on a light-hearted consequence for saying one, such as handing over a token or striking a silly pose. If you’re using tokens, give everyone the same number to begin with.

How to Play:

1. Announce the banned words and the consequence at the start of the party.
2. Whenever someone says a banned word, they pay the consequence.
3. At the end of the party, whoever has lost the fewest tokens wins.

Both’s Tip: Skip drink forfeits. A token system works for every guest, whatever is in their glass.

Who Am I?

This isn’t the same as Personalised Guess Who? above. Here, every guest is working out their own identity, and they can only do it by talking to each other.

• Players: 4–20+
• Playing Time: 15–25 minutes
• Preparation Time: 10 minutes
• What You’ll Need: sticky notes or name cards; pens

Preparation: Write the names of well-known fictional characters or celebrities on sticky notes or cards, one for each guest.

How to Play:

1. Stick a card to each guest’s back or forehead without letting them see it.
2. Guests mingle, asking each other yes/no questions to work out who they are.
3. Each person makes a guess when they feel ready.

Both’s Tip: Choose characters everyone will recognise, so newcomers aren’t left out.

Clink and Drink

Guests pair up and talk one to one, which many people find easier than speaking in front of the whole group.

• Players: 6–20+
• Playing Time: 10–20 minutes
• Preparation Time: 5 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a list of prompts; drinks (optional)

Preparation: Write a list of “find someone who…” prompts. For example: “Find someone who has lived abroad”, “…loves karaoke”, “…has known the bride since school” or “…speaks another language”.

How to Play:

1. Read out a prompt.
2. Guests move around the room and find someone who matches it.
3. The pair share a quick story and clink glasses, with any drink or none.
4. Repeat with new prompts and new partners.

Both’s Tip: If you’d prefer a completely alcohol-free version, call it Find Your Match. The game works the same way.

Two Truths and a Lie

Particularly useful when guests haven’t met before, and it needs no equipment at all.

• Players: 4–15
• Playing Time: 15–25 minutes
• Preparation Time: 0–5 minutes
• What You’ll Need: nothing (paper is optional)

Preparation: Give guests a few minutes to think of their statements. Paper helps anyone who wants to note them down.

How to Play:

1. Each guest thinks of three statements about themselves: two true and one invented.
2. One at a time, guests read their statements aloud.
3. Everyone votes on which one is the lie, then the speaker reveals the answer.
4. Continue until everyone has had a turn.

Both’s Tip: Encourage fun facts about travel, hobbies or food rather than anything private.

Would She Rather?

A test of how well the group really knows the bride. It depends on getting her answers before the day.

• Players: 4–15
• Playing Time: 15–20 minutes
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• What You’ll Need: DIY question cards; pens; an answer key from the bride

Preparation: Ask the bride to answer 10–15 either/or questions before the party, then write each question on a card. For example: “City break or beach holiday?”, “Night in or night out?”, “Breakfast in bed or brunch out?” or “Sunrise or sunset?”

How to Play:

1. Draw a card and read it out.
2. Everyone guesses the bride’s answer.
3. Reveal what she actually chose.
4. Award a point to everyone who matched it.

Both’s Tip: Getting her answers in advance means she can’t change her mind after hearing everyone’s guesses.

Wedding Taboo

This takes the most preparation of the card games, because you write the whole deck yourself. Once it’s made, it plays quickly.

• Players: 4–16
• Playing Time: 20–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 20–30 minutes
• What You’ll Need: DIY cards showing a target word and forbidden clue words; a timer

Preparation: Make cards that each show a wedding-related target word and three to five forbidden clue words. For example:

• Honeymoon: holiday, married, trip
• Bouquet: flowers, throw, hold, bride

How to Play:

1. Divide into teams.
2. One player describes the target word without saying any of the forbidden words, or any part of the answer itself.
3. Their teammates have 60 seconds to guess. Each correct card scores a point.

Both’s Tip: Write your own cards rather than copying a branded deck. That way you can include in-jokes only your group will get.

Truth or Dare Cards

The classic, made a little kinder. Any card can be passed.

• Players: 3–12
• Playing Time: 15–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 15 minutes
• What You’ll Need: DIY prompt cards; a bowl

Preparation: Make two decks, one of light-hearted truths and one of optional dares. “What’s the worst haircut you’ve ever had?” works as a truth, and “Do your best impression of the bride” as a dare.

How to Play:

1. Each guest chooses a deck and draws a card.
2. They can answer the question, do the dare or pass without penalty.
3. Keep going for a set number of rounds, or until the group is ready to stop.

Both’s Tip: Keep dares safe, consensual and suitable for the venue. Leave out anything that relies on pressure or embarrassment.

Ready-Made Bride Trivia Kit

The shop-bought alternative to the Mr & Mrs Quiz or Would She Rather? Kits vary in how much they rely on knowing the bride.

• Players: 4–20
• Playing Time: 15–30 minutes
• Preparation Time: 5 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a bride trivia game; pens; prizes (optional)

Preparation: Choose a kit that suits your group’s tone and size. Read its instructions and prepare any answer key it needs.

How to Play:

1. Hand out the cards.
2. Guests answer the questions.
3. Reveal the answers, and give a small prize to the highest scorer.

Both’s Tip: Before you buy, check whether the kit needs personalising or information from the bride, because that affects how much preparation it takes.

Shop the bride quiz kit

Hen Party Scavenger Hunt Kit

Unlike the DIY Photo Scavenger Hunt above, this arrives with the tasks already written. It’s still worth reading every one before the day.

• Players: 6–24+
• Playing Time: 30–60 minutes
• Preparation Time: 5–15 minutes
• What You’ll Need: a scavenger hunt kit; phones or pens, depending on the kit

Preparation: Choose a kit that suits your location and your guests. Read through the tasks and remove anything unsafe, intrusive or unsuitable.

How to Play:

1. Split into teams and hand out the challenge sheets.
2. Set a finish time.
3. Score completed tasks according to the kit’s own rules.

Both’s Tip: If your group spans a wide range of ages or includes guests with accessibility needs, choose indoor-friendly or low-contact challenges.

Get the scavenger hunt kit