Your Wedding Party Will Become BFFs With These 7 Bonding Activities

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It can be a little awkward for bridesmaids and groomsmen who’ve never met, to walk down the aisle arm-in-arm and spend the whole day together. This provides the perfect excuse to get your whole bridal party together ahead of the big day to get to know each other a little bit. Here are seven fun activities that are sure to break the ice.

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Throw a Potluck

There’s nothing that brings people together quite like sharing a meal. Hosting a small potluck gathering in your own home is inexpensive and will get the wedding party talking in a relaxed environment. Ask everyone to make their favourite dish to share, along with a story about why they chose it. Or, pick a theme (a Sunday brunch or taco night are universally loved choices). After a delicious bite (and a couple mimosas or margaritas), your friends will be mixing and mingling in no time.

Get Out of an Escape Room

Put your pals’ problem solving skills to work with an escape room challenge. Working together to solve the puzzles and beat the clock is not only a fun way to get to all your friends mingling, it will also sharpen teamwork skills that will come in handy on your big day. Working together under the pressure of an escape room can be good practice for solving any snags on the wedding day.

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Go Bowling

As cheesy as it sounds, bowling is a perfect activity for a group getting to know each other. Lots of down time between turns means your friends will have plenty of time to chat, and a little light competition will help bring out more reserved personalities. Find a bowling alley with a nostalgic vibe, order some beers and curly fries, and let the good times… roll.

Try Axe Throwing

Nothing blows off steam from wedding planning stress like hurtling heavy, sharp objects at a wooden target. And, nothing bonds a group like learning a new skill together. Much like bowling, the casual competition of axe throwing, which is scored like darts with points for hitting different zones of a target, is a fun way to loosen up your pals. Since it’s an activity that’s fairly new to the mainstream, it will likely be new to most of your bridesmaids and groomsmen, so they’ll be starting on an even playing field.

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Tackle an Obstacle Course

Invite your crew to feel like a bunch of kids again with an obstacle course outing. Basically a giant adult playground, this fitness challenge is a great for team building. Participants can cheer one another on and give a helping hand to overcome the obstacles like rope ladders, ball pits and monkey bars. Or divide into teams and race each other to the finish.

Do a Craft Beer Crawl

There’s no denying that alcohol has a certain way of loosening people up. Book a guided tour or chauffeur service to take your team on a jaunt around your city’s best taprooms. With so many independent craft breweries popping up, you’re bond to find a creative brew each of bridesmaids and groomsmen will enjoy.

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Take a Hike

Spending time in the great outdoors makes everyone more relaxed. Seek out some local trails to explore and pack a picnic for a day hike to a scenic spot. Depending on your group, a weekend at a cottage or a camping trip may be a great bonding experience. And Inviting your bridal party on a mini getaway will give them the opportunity to unwind in a way an evening out won’t, so the group can spend some real quality time getting to know one another.