Wedding Icebreakers to Help Your Guests Become Fast Friends

These clever conversation starters are sure to get everyone mixing and mingling

Updated 12/06/19

Brick building surrounded by wedding guests — Photo by Laura Murray Photography

If your wedding guests are from different parts of the country, social groups, and backgrounds, it’s nice to provide a helpful nudge to get everyone mixing and mingling. Sure, a cocktail or two will certainly help encourage conversations, but a couple of creative icebreakers won’t hurt, either.

Just be sure to keep the conversation starters and getting-to-know-you games sweet and simple; oftentimes, they work best when they include fun facts and trivia questions about the newlyweds. Sharing funny anecdotes about the two of you and your relationship can lead others to chime in with their favorite stories about you and your newly-minted spouse, too—once folks begin to relax and open up, you can sit back and watch as conversations and friendships develop.

For example, one couple included interesting factoids about themselves in the ceremony program—the idea was to help encourage conversations among guests before the ceremony began. Another couple created a custom crossword puzzle that incorporated clues about themselves; that way, guests could test how well they knew the couple.

Need more icebreaker inspiration? Keep reading for more creative ways to break the ice among your wedding guests.

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Icebreaker Questions

Jar with slips of paper inside and icbreaker instructions — Photo by Ala Cortez Photography

As hard as you might try to seat friends and family together at the reception, it’s inevitable that a few strangers will wind up sitting next to each other. To help facilitate conversation at the dinner table, this bride and groom placed a mason jar full of fun icebreaker questions to encourage guests to chat and get to know each other.

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Cocktail Napkin Factoids

Red napkins with fun facts printed on them — Photo by Birds of a Feather Photography

Such a clever idea: This couple printed their cocktail napkins with different fun facts about themselves. Your guests will have a blast comparing notes and playing “who knows them best?”

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Table Number Facts

Wedding table with number 2 — Photo by Lindsey Stewart

Use your table numbers as an opportunity to share more details about your love story with your wedding guests. Creative table numbers like this one (awww, so sweet) will definitely encourage more conversation at the dinner table.

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Pin-On Buttons

Escort cards with personalized buttons — Photo by Karen Kristian Photography

These adorable buttons doubled as escort cards and were printed with each guest’s name and a conversation starter; this one read, “Ask me what Cure album I still rock out to.”

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Custom Crossword Puzzle

Crossword puzzle in container of pencils — Photo by Sarah Postma Photography

It’s a good idea to have something for guests to do at the reception besides dancing. Why not create a personalized crossword puzzle with clues about you and your SO? Guests can take a break from the dance floor and test how well they know the two of you.

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Ceremony Program Quiz

Inside of wedding program — Photo by Brian Dorsey Studios

Encourage guests to chat and mingle before your nuptials by printing fun facts about yourselves in the ceremony program. This way guests can flip through the program and chat with each other while waiting for the ceremony to begin.