Something universally agreed upon is that waiting for food is no fun… and the situation can even have the potential for fueling chaos. When it comes to delegating which table gets to line up first for the buffet at your dinner reception, you may assume that it will be a fast and smooth process that involves little finesse. However, besides the head table always going first; you can use this as an opportunity to have some fun and get your guests happily distracted while they compete to eat!
We have observed many variations of ‘first to the buffet’ dinner reception games, from trivia questions about the newlyweds to name that tune, getting the crowd and emcee or DJ involved is always a hit!
Below, we will go over a few of our favourite methods observed over this past wedding season.
Trivia About the Newlyweds
If you really want to test your family and friends on their knowledge about you and your spouse, a fun way to do this is through trivia questions. The goal is to share fun details about you two as a couple, and the winning tables are allowed to line up for the buffet.
Consider bringing out buzzers or flags for tables to use as their response, as raising hands can be challenging for the emcee or DJ to qualify who came first.
Name That Tune!
Another fun ‘first to the buffet’ game is to have your DJ play a few seconds of a song, and the first table with the right answer earns the next spot at the buffet table.
Spin the Bride (or Groom)
Blindfold the bride or groom, spin them around and then let them walk until they find a table. Whichever table they bump into first wins their place in line. Make sure there’s someone holding the bride so she doesn't fall! Instead of spinning the bride or groom, you can also choose someone else, such as a flower girl. This allows the newlyweds to enjoy their dinner while watching the game go down, as opposed to participating in it.
Sticker Method
For this ‘first to the buffet’ game, place a coloured or numbered sticker under each of the reception tables. Next, have the emcee or DJ announce one of the colours or numbers. You can have them choose randomly, or they can pull them from a jar. Whichever table corresponds to what has been announced can proceed to the buffet line.
Scavenger Hunt
For this game, have the emcee or DJ request certain random items be brought to them, for example, an out-of-province driver's licence, a sewing kit, or red lipstick. The first representative of a table to bring the item requested to the emcee/DJ earns their table the next place in the buffet lineup.
Regardless of which one of the methods above you end up using, customize your choice to suit you and your spouse, or even come up with your own unique way of orchestrating a “first to the buffet” wedding reception game. It is guaranteed to entertain your guests, reduce excessively long lines, and also assist the kitchen in getting food out and replenishing it in a timely manner.
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