Wedding reception

I have personally never been to one but it sounds really cool i would love to go to a wedding like that. congrats on your wedding.

With a gun club venue & BBQ, it’s sounding more casual than formal. Lawn games would be great! Sounds like a lot of fun.

I have been to multiple weddings that had lawn games and they were laid back. I wouldn't consider a wedding with lawn games formal at all. I would say if you plan on having games and your wedding in grass to let your guests know. The one wedding I went to they didn't tell us and I wore heels and it was absolutely awful.

Theres one curve ball, we hired a saxophone player/dj he would be playing the saxophone during the cocktail hour and dinner but it would be inside. Does that and games seem a bit odd?

Agree with others—your wedding sounds more casual than formal based on the venue and catering.


I’ve been to semi-formal weddings that had lawn games and considered doing it for ours, but got too lazy to rent to be honest. Thinking back on in though, it probably would have looked weird to have games at our wedding. It just wouldn’t have made sense for us.

I think it’s a fun idea but somewhat casual. I had a semi-formal wedding with bbq catering and considered at least having corn hole but it didn’t feel right for the atmosphere. Plus it was colder outside than we planned for anyway. Don’t worry about people having fun. They definitely will.

I don't go to weddings to play lawn games. I go to eat, drink, dance, and celebrate with the couple.

View Quoted Comment See now I'm the opposite I never been to a fun formal wedding, every fun wedding I've been to where the ones that were casual and laid back. The formal ones in my opinion are boring and I normally don't stay very long.
That's why I want to have a down to earth comfortable wedding with lawn games. I want my guests to have fun and be comfortable and stay long.

View Quoted Comment

I had a semi-formal (men in suits, women in cocktail dresses) wedding with good food, an open bar, and a DJ. I'd say 90% of our guests stayed until the very end. The dance floor was full the entire night. The ones who left were the old people.

Lawn games sound fun !

I don’t think the level of fun has anything to do with the formality. I’ve been to boring formal weddings and boring casual weddings. The last wedding I went to was pretty casual — limited bar, buffet fast food-type catering, DIY photobooth, no champagne toast, very minimal decorations and florals... it dragged because the entertainment (DJ) wasn’t very good and there were like 4 million gazillion speeches (they had about 10 bridesmaids and 10 groomsmen... each one made a speech). People left early. People were looking at the time. It was rough.


I went to a wedding that was in a ballroom, served a dual-course entree of filet and lobster, top-shelf open bar, black-tie optional dress code... it was so much fun! The band was awesome, everyone was dancing, it went on until past midnight and most guests stayed until the end of the night.

We hosted a wedding that was on a pretty “formal” level, but didn’t require a dress code since we were missing a couple “Black Tie” components (our venue location being the biggest one). Everyone stayed until the end, my dance floor was always packed, and people raved about how fun our wedding was (to us, our parents, each other). Out of our 170 guests (which included children), we had close to 130 attend our after-party because they wanted to keep the night going. A formal environment can definitely still be comfortable and fun for guests!

It sounds like so far you're right on the line and it could go either laid back or semi-formal. The location and catering make it seem like a very formal atmosphere wouldn't really be possible, so it sounds like either way will work just fine!

I have no experience with lawn games at weddings, though. I've only ever been to formal weddings.

agree with pp formal/casual doesn't equal fun. i've expierenced this.

Your venue/menu doesn't sound formal. And if corn-hole and other lawn games are what your crowd is into then by all means go ahead and have them. You know your audience we don't.

i would probably have the sax player only during cocktail hour after that the atmosphere doesn't call for it. You are looking more into upbeat music and games fun stuff!