Cocktail hour games

This is probably a know your crowd kind of thing.
If i saw this at a wedding i was at, I wouldn’t do it. It’s a wedding not a professional development at work. But, that’s just my opinion.
At my wedding most guests knew someone else and if they didn’t they just hung out with their date. All our guests socialized with the people at their table, whether they knew them or not, once the room to the reception opened.
So, unless your guests are crazy about game type things, I wouldn’t worry about it.

I agree this is a "know your crowd" choice. Early in my career, I was a corporate trainer and I'm currently a college professor. In my experience, at best, people participate in these if they are practically forced to, like at a work function or new student orientation. Even then, they are often visibly relieved when the activity is over. Unless all your guests tend to be extremely shy and/or socially awkward, I'd provide alcohol & appetizers and let them find people to talk with on their own. At daughter's wedding, surprisingly diverse groups of people found others to converse with. Good luck!

Agreeing with Cassidy. If I was at a wedding and saw this, I would not participate. I don’t go to weddings to play “ice-breakers”. Also, most adults know how to mingle with others without the assistance of games like this.

View Quoted Comment Thanks. My side & his side don't know each other. Thought it may be a fun attempt to get them to mingle with people they didnt know not just stick to their "cliques". I thought if I kept it small they may have fun less awkward way to mingle. I receive the feedback & appreciate it.

I went to this wedding where people passed around a book that was madlibs for marriage essentially and it was super cute. You basically get a page and insert your advice like a guest book but it also mainly was for madlibs. Such as 'dont be in a serious argument while ___' I wrote "she's hangry. Feed her first" ahaha

I agree with the majority that this is something that is just not needed, even if the two "sides" don't know each other. It won't hurt anything to arrange some games, but then you risk being disappointed if no one participates and it's just extra effort on your part that could be better spent elsewhere.

People know how to behave at cocktail parties. Drink, eat, mingle if you like. The outgoing ones will introduce themselves to others; the less outgoing will stay within their groups. No game is going to change that completely normal dynamic.

Because we had a lot of people coming in from out-of-state and some international guests, we invited all the OOT guests to the rehearsal/welcome dinner. We ended up with about 45 people in a pizza/brewery chain restaurant. We had two long tables, one for the B&G and wedding party/SOs, and then a second for ALL the family. We did place cards (just to make it easier) and intermingled B & G family members. By the time dinner was over, everyone was talking with everyone else and that carried over well to the wedding. People who'd never met each other were exchanging contact info. Doing a big pre-wedding dinner isn't for everyone, but it worked well for us.