I went to a wedding where guests were assigned teams and we competed in field games. I was skeptical, but it was so fun.
- My husband and I were invited to a wedding where everyone was given a color to wear.
- We were also told there would be teams and we would be competing in games during the reception.
I'm a sucker for weddings. It doesn't matter the type of wedding. If I get an invite, I'll be there. That's why I was so excited when one of my husband's very few single friends announced he was getting married in Wisconsin and we were both invited.
We have three kids, and they are all now at a manageable age, so my husband and I figured it would also be fun to go on our first kid-free trip in almost six years. I was thrilled.
Then the invitations came, along with a note. Everyone was being assigned a color, there would be color-coordinated teams, and those teams were going to participate in field games. My excitement dwindled.
But I was wrong. Just because the wedding wasn't a traditional one, it didn't mean it wasn't fun, and by the time it was over I wasn't ready to stop playing games. The couple made the day their own, skipping traditions like walking down the aisle and having bridesmaids, and that made the weekend extra special for everyone.
I was assigned navy blue, and my husband red
My husband, who loves competition, told me not to worry, that for sure we would be on the same team. That was short-lived, because a follow-up email revealed the teams and we were not together.
I was assigned to team navy blue, and he was team red. I started to panic. Navy blue is not my color — I'm more of a neon person and joke that my favorite color is rainbow. I rummaged through my closet, annoyed that I didn't have anything to wear. I also didn't want to spend money on a color I wouldn't wear again.
My husband, on the other hand, went full-on red team. He put together outfits for the three days of our trip that were head-to-toe red.
I reluctantly committed to at least try to have fun
When we arrived at the welcome drinks, there was a sign indicating the team captains, and people were starting to egg each other on. Reluctantly, I tried to amp myself up to have a good time.
Many of the guests put in effort and were wearing their colors. Others simply didn't understand the assignment. But, of course, the groom and bride were prepared — after all, she does work in fashion, and I wouldn't have expected otherwise — and had goodie bags for everyone with their colors. That way, at least guests had sunglasses and a bandana that would make them recognizable to their fellow teammates.
The field games were fun and helped everyone slowly become friends
My biggest anxiety was the game portion. I'm not particularly good at any field games and was worried about being around a bunch of strangers while clumsily running a relay. To my surprise, the games got everyone rallied up, and friendships started blossoming.
The games included a relay race wearing a wedding dress, cornhole, croquet, trivia, organizing the planets in the correct order, a hula hoop endurance competition, and hammering a nail on a log. The four top teams then had a tug-of-war competition (thankfully, my team was out), and the last two battled in karaoke.
Guests jokingly complained about cheating, had fun distracting rival teams, and slowly but surely, the anxiety of the competition melted away.
In the end, it was a genius idea
By the time it was time to have dinner, the guests were all friends. Teammates were being invited to join tables they otherwise wouldn't have, and there was a dance battle (we all wanted to keep competing, I guess).
I rocked navy blue throughout the wedding, and have to admit, that maybe, just maybe, the bride knew it was a good color for me.
It was a memorable wedding, and it taught me to next time stress less ahead of time, even if the wedding is not planned like I would’ve done it.