He said, she said: the bridal shower game, with 60 questions

He said, she said is one of the most loved bridal shower games because it is really a game about the couple. Before the shower, both partners answer the same questions separately. At the shower, guests hear each answer and guess who said it. The best rounds end with the room in tears of laughter and the partner who is not there suddenly very popular.

Here is how to run it, 40 questions to ask the couple beforehand, and 20 quick “who” rounds you can play live.

How to play

1. Interview the couple a week before. Ask both partners the same questions separately, by text, voice note or a quick call. Keep the answers word for word; the exact phrasing is half the fun.
2. Choose the best 15 to 20. Pick answers that are funny, surprising or sweet. Drop any that give the game away.
3. Read each answer at the shower. Guests guess who said it, the bride or her partner, on a card or on their phones.
4. Reveal and score. One point per correct guess. The guest with the most points wins a small prize, and the bride has to guess too.

40 questions to ask the couple beforehand

Ask both partners every question, then keep the pairs of answers that make the best contrast.

1. What was your first impression of each other?
2. Who made the first move, and how?
3. What was your first date, and how did it go?
4. When did you know this was the one?
5. What is the most annoying thing your partner does?
6. What is the sweetest thing your partner has done for you?
7. What is your partner’s worst habit?
8. What does your partner do better than anyone you know?
9. What would your partner cook for a dinner party?
10. How does your partner behave when they are hungry?
11. What is the best trip you have taken together?
12. What is the first thing you notice when your partner walks into a room?
13. What is your partner’s most-used phrase?
14. What is the funniest thing that happened on a date?
15. What do you argue about most?
16. Who is the better driver, and why?
17. What is your partner’s go-to comfort food?
18. What is your partner’s dream job?
19. What will your partner do on the dance floor at the wedding?
20. What is your partner’s most treasured possession?
21. What did your partner do to win you over?
22. What is one thing your partner cannot live without?
23. What is your favorite photo of the two of you?
24. What would your partner do with a free Saturday?
25. What is the weirdest food your partner loves?
26. What is your partner’s karaoke song?
27. What does your partner do when they think nobody is watching?
28. Who is more likely to be late to the wedding?
29. What was the proposal like, in one sentence?
30. What is one wedding detail your partner cares about far more than you?
31. What are you most looking forward to about married life?
32. What is your partner’s love language?
33. What would your partner’s last meal be?
34. What is the best advice your partner has given you?
35. What will your partner be like at 80?
36. What is your partner most likely to splurge on?
37. What is one thing about your partner that surprised you?
38. Where do you see yourselves in ten years?
39. What song makes you think of your partner?
40. Finish the sentence: my partner is the only person who…

20 quick rounds: who is more likely?

No interview needed. Everyone predicts which partner fits each question, then the bride (and her partner, if they are there or on a video call) answers. It works just as well at the rehearsal dinner or the reception.

1. Who is the better dancer?
2. Who is more stubborn?
3. Who fell in love first?
4. Who is the bigger foodie?
5. Who is more likely to get lost?
6. Who takes more selfies?
7. Who is the early bird?
8. Who is more likely to adopt a pet without asking?
9. Who snores louder?
10. Who is the better gift giver?
11. Who needs more coffee to function?
12. Who will cry first at the wedding?
13. Who is messier?
14. Who is more likely to sing in the shower?
15. Who spends longer choosing what to watch?
16. Who is more likely to talk to strangers?
17. Who is the planner?
18. Who is more likely to forget where they parked?
19. Who gives the better advice?
20. Who will be the life of the reception?

Scoring and prizes

• One point per correct guess; ties go to a sudden-death question about the couple.
• Give a prize to the guest who knows the couple best and one to the lowest score.
• If the partner cannot attend, record their answers as short voice notes and play them for each reveal.

Make it work for every couple

For two brides or two grooms, simply use their names: “Sam said, Alex said”. Keep questions about the relationship rather than exes, and check any risky answer with the couple before you read it in front of their grandmother.

Planning the reception too? The newlywed game questions and the shoe game questions use the same idea for a bigger room.