He’s gathered his guys, you’ve asked your gals, your bridal party is set! Now it’s time for some bridal party bonding to ensure that all the most important people in your lives will be comfortable together on your big day!

Chances are, your bridal party is a mixed group of actual siblings, sorority sisters, maybe a roommate or a childhood friend or two. While all your girls get along just great, it would be a tragedy for there to be awkwardness between them or your fiancé’s groomsmen.

Photo by: Natalie Watson Photography & Company

You have the upcoming months before your wedding to spend some quality time with everyone in your bridal party. The list of bridal party bonding activities that we have compiled can be fit for a group who has specific interests, or you can take a few ideas from each category to really put your party to the ultimate bonding test. Let’s get started…

For the adventurous group:

• Paintball: Okay, disclaimer, make sure this activity is done WELL before the wedding, because bruises and welts do NOT look cute. Once you’ve selected a date months away from any important photography, grab your group and take on paintball. Switch up the teams, maybe by bridesmaids and groomsmen first to get the competition going! Then change up the teams to see your guys and girls work together to take down the other team. Fun, messy fun.
• Amazing race: One person chooses to coordinate the event, who will not participate. Again, divide up your party, preferably a mix of groomsmen and bridesmaids, so the bonding happens, hello! Each team picks a color (might we even suggest using your wedding colors?)! Your groups will start in a central location and be given a note card with their team color on it. This card will tell them to complete a certain task. Once this task is completed, the group will receive their next note card. This one should be a trivia question that would be challenging, but that group members can collaborate on to figure it out. The next note card leads them to a new task and so forth until the winners are declared.
• Rock climbing: Whether it’s indoor or outdoor, a rock climbing adventure is a great way to have the members of your bridal party bond, and get to know each other. This can be turned into a competition for sure, where each team has to help their selected climber get to the top the fastest.
• Camping: What better way to bond than around a campfire!? Pack up your whole bridal party and drive a little out of the way to a lake where you guys can set up camp for the weekend. Good drinks, good friends, and lots of laughs, you’re sure to walk out of that weekend feeling closer than ever.

For the food and drink lovers:

• Wine and paint night: The guys may be skeptical at first, but once the wine and the creative juices get flowing, this is a super relaxing way to chat with the members of your wedding party and get to know one another. If painting isn’t your thing, pottery is another artsy, but challenging activity to take on as a large group, and the best piece could even be used as a wedding decoration!
• Brewery/Distillery tour: Take your group on a brewery tour! It will be interesting to hear the facts of the brewery, while hanging out and tasting all the different brews with your crew!
• Cooking class: All meeting for dinner at a restaurant is overrated. Learn to make a dish as a group! Some of the best memories happen while in the kitchen, so have everyone join in together to prepare a meal. Have some in charge of the appetizer, some on the main course, and some working on dessert and then all sit down together and enjoy. Bon appétit!

For the giving group:

• Feed My Starving Children: Creating food packs with viable nutrients to send to a country that is struggling with hunger is actually more fun than it sounds. Get your wedding party together on an afternoon and spend a few hours at one of the many Feed My Starving Children locations, dance to the upbeat music, and help make the world a better place!
• Ronald McDonald House: Right here in Chicago, this organization helps families with children battling cancer. Volunteers sign up to make dinner for the families staying at the house. Have your bridal party come together with a meal plan, preferably an appetizer or salad course, main course, and dessert, and go shopping for all the ingredients together. Then come together at the location to actually prepare the meal! Getting together and cooking a huge meal is a great bonding activity as it is, but when it’s for a good cause, you’ll all leave feeling warm and fuzzy.

After these bridal party bonding activities, your group of friends will certainly be ready to have the best time at your wedding! And while your wedding party will be ready for the day, Visions can make sure everything else is set for the day of your wedding! Give us a call today!