Cassidy here. As mentioned in our About post, I’m a photographer. As a photographer who has shot many weddings specifically, I’ve been to my fair share of backyard weddings. With the current climate of things, backyard weddings seem to becoming more and more prevalent… 2020: The year of backyard weddings! (Or something like that…)
I’m a sucker for a great outdoor reception. Wonderful scenery, warm weather, great sunsets, and lots of space to play. The new trend of backyard games at a wedding is my personal favorite. People come to see the lovely bride and groom, and stay to chat, snack, and now PLAY! Throughout the past few receptions I have attended, Cornhole is a game that popped up many, many times.
Cornhole in of itself is such a fun, chill game. But I found that specifically for weddings, Cornhole excels. Here are a few of the reasons I think it is an AMAZING option for your backyard wedding:
- It’s a casual game you can play while still holding a conversation. You have family and friends who may not have seen each other in a long time! Cornhole can be a great way to have some light conversation and also add in that competitive spirit. You don’t have to have a ton of focus, and you aren’t heaving from extreme competitive play. Though as always, there are some families that can make any game get competitive (mine). If Uncle Tom has been known for getting heated during any game, maybe keep him away. We are celebrating, remember people!
- You don’t get super sweaty will playing. All jokes aside in the previous point, Cornhole draws no where near the competitive spirit of some other backyard games. Can you imagine and intense game of volleyball or spikeball going down at a wedding? Yeah… not so much. I mean you could… and believe me, if you bring it, the groomsmen will play. They will go hard, and you will need to make sure all photos have been taken BEFORE the intense games start. 🤣You have been warned.
- It’s extremely easy setup/take down. I always feel for the parents who are spending hours cleaning up after the dream reception—future brides & grooms, be nice to those parents!! Add a feature, more specifically a game, that takes less than 2 minutes to take down! Literally, it’s just folding the boards up and sticking them in a truck bed with the cornhole bags.
- It can be played anywhere. Say you aren’t having the quote on quote backyard wedding, but instead will be having a reception in a large indoor event venue, barn, or wherever. Cornhole is still a great option to be played indoors as well! It isn’t limited to the grass, but can be played on any hard surface. Even in a backyard specifically—Cornhole on the patio is just as great (as seen in my photos on this post).
- It can be personalized for your wedding. This year specifically, I have loved seeing the monogramed names, or last name of the wedding party on the cornhole sets. It’s something that you could keep forever! As well, having bags that say “bride” or “groom” or “Mr.” and “Mrs.” for each team is a fun way to personalize it for the wedding theme specifically.
There are plenty of other wedding games I have seen at backyard weddings, but I’ll leave that for another post. For the time being, don’t forget the classic cornhole at your backyard wedding!
Backyard Buffs 