100 newlywed game questions, plus a version every guest can play

The newlywed game started as a 1960s TV show: newly married couples answered questions about each other and won points when their answers matched. It has been a staple of bridal showers, rehearsal dinners and receptions ever since, because it only needs a couple who are good sports and a list of good questions.

Below are 100 of them, sorted by mood. Pick ten to fifteen, mix the categories, and you have a round that runs about fifteen minutes. At the end there is a version where every guest plays along instead of just watching.

How to play the newlywed game

• Separate the couple for a minute. One partner steps out, or both wear headphones, while the host reads the questions to the other.
• Write the answers down. Each partner writes their answer on a card or a small whiteboard without showing it.
• Reveal together. The host reads the question again, both flip their cards, and the room reacts.
• Score one point per match. If you want a contest, play with two or three couples, for example the newlyweds, their parents and the longest-married couple in the room.

Classic newlywed game questions

The dependable core of any round: easy to answer, fun to compare.

1. Where did you go on your first date?
2. What is your partner's favorite meal?
3. What was the first movie you watched together?
4. What is your partner's most-used emoji?
5. What would your partner order at a coffee shop?
6. What is your partner's dream vacation?
7. What is your partner's biggest pet peeve?
8. What is the first thing your partner does in the morning?
9. What song does your partner sing in the car?
10. What was your partner wearing when you met?
11. Who was your partner's celebrity crush growing up?
12. What is your partner's go-to karaoke song?
13. What is your partner's most treasured possession?
14. What would your partner buy first after winning the lottery?
15. What is your partner's least favorite chore?
16. What was the first gift you gave each other?
17. What is your partner's hidden talent?
18. What is your partner's comfort TV show?
19. What is your partner's favorite way to spend a Sunday?
20. What was your partner's first job?
21. What is your partner secretly afraid of?
22. What is your partner's favorite late-night snack?
23. What would your partner name a pet?
24. What is your partner's favorite holiday?
25. What was your first argument about?
26. What does your partner say more than anything else?
27. Which friend would your partner call first in an emergency?
28. What was your partner's first impression of you?
29. What is one food your partner will never eat?
30. Where does your partner want to live in ten years?

Funny newlywed game questions

Use two or three of these to keep the room laughing between the easier ones.

1. What is the strangest thing your partner has ever eaten?
2. What would your partner's reality show be called?
3. What is the most your partner has spent on something silly?
4. What does your partner do that they think nobody notices?
5. What is your partner's worst habit in the kitchen?
6. How long can your partner go without checking their phone?
7. What would your partner be famous for?
8. What is the strangest thing in your partner's bag right now?
9. Which animal is your partner most like?
10. What would your partner do with a free day and no plans?
11. On a scale of 1 to 10, how dramatic is your partner with a cold?
12. What is your partner's signature dance move?
13. How many pairs of shoes does your partner own?
14. Which fictional character would your partner most like to be?
15. What would your partner's last meal be?
16. What is your partner's most irrational fear?
17. What does your partner lose most often?
18. How does your partner eat a slice of pizza?
19. What is the worst gift your partner has ever given?
20. What is your partner's guilty-pleasure song?
21. What is the most embarrassing thing your partner did on a date with you?
22. What would your partner save first in a fire, besides you?
23. What is your partner's worst cooking disaster?
24. What would your partner's superhero name be?
25. What would your partner do if they were invisible for a day?

Romantic questions

Save one of these for the end of the round; it is a lovely way to close.

1. When did your partner know they were in love?
2. What is your partner's favorite memory of the two of you?
3. Where was your first kiss?
4. What is your partner's love language?
5. What song reminds your partner of you?
6. What was said during the proposal?
7. What is the nicest thing your partner has done for you?
8. What is your partner most looking forward to about married life?
9. What was your partner's first text to you?
10. Which trip together is your partner's favorite?
11. What is your partner's favorite thing about you?
12. What did your partner notice first about you?
13. Where does your partner feel most at home?
14. What tradition does your partner want to start together?
15. What does your partner want the two of you to be doing in 50 years?

Cheeky but grandparent-safe

A little flirtatious, never awkward. Skip anything about exes; it rarely lands the way you hope in a room full of family.

1. What is your partner's idea of a perfect date night?
2. Which outfit of yours is your partner’s favorite?
3. Who is the better kisser, according to your partner?
4. What is the most unusual place you've kissed?
5. What does your partner find most attractive about you?
6. What is your partner's favorite nickname for you?
7. Where would your partner take you for a surprise weekend away?
8. What is your partner's secret move for making up after an argument?
9. What is the cheesiest line your partner has used on you?
10. What is your partner's idea of the perfect honeymoon?

“Who is more likely” questions the whole room can play

The classic newlywed game has one problem at a wedding: a hundred guests watch while two people play. Flip the questions into “who” questions and everyone can join. Guests predict each answer on their phones, the couple answers live on stage, and the big screen shows who in the room knows them best.

1. Who said "I love you" first?
2. Who is the better cook?
3. Who takes longer to get ready?
4. Who is more likely to forget an anniversary?
5. Who wakes up first on a weekend?
6. Who is the better driver?
7. Who steals the blanket?
8. Who is more likely to cry at a movie?
9. Who plans the vacations?
10. Who would last longer on a desert island?
11. Who wins most arguments?
12. Who spends more on takeout?
13. Who is the bigger flirt?
14. Who is more likely to get lost?
15. Who is the tidier one?
16. Who snores louder?
17. Who apologizes first?
18. Who is funnier?
19. Who is more competitive?
20. Who will be the stricter parent?

Tips for a great round

• Keep it short. Ten to fifteen questions; stop while people still want more.
• Open easy, close sweet. Start with two classics, put the funny ones in the middle and end on a romantic question.
• Brief the host. Your DJ, MC or a quick-witted friend should have the list in advance and know when to move on.
• Plan the moment. Right after dinner works best. See where games fit in the reception.