What to put in a wedding crossword
- Collect facts about the couple and turn each one into an answer and a clue.
- Use the couple's names as the title and check that every answer is in the grid.
- Print a copy for each table, or download the PNG images (a zip with one per page) for the order of service.
Collect ten to fifteen facts about the couple that guests either know or can guess: where they first met, the city of the proposal, their first holiday together, the pets, their home towns, the dish one of them always cooks, the month of the wedding and the honeymoon destination. Each fact becomes an answer, and the clue is the question it answers.
Mix easy clues with a few that only close friends and family will get, so that every table has to put their heads together and the old school friends get to show off. Light-hearted is better than embarrassing: the whole family, grandparents included, will read it.
Names and places work as answers just as they are. Spaces and hyphens are left out of the grid, so NEW YORK takes seven squares and MARY-JANE eight, and accented letters such as the É in RENÉE take one square each. For a bilingual wedding, write the clues in both languages, or make two versions of the puzzle.
Ways to use it on the day
Put a copy and a pencil at each place setting or one per table, and give a prize to the first table that hands in a correct grid. It keeps guests entertained during the photos and between courses, and it starts conversations between people who have not met before.
A smaller version fits in the order of service or the wedding programme, for the minutes before the ceremony starts. It also works as a game at the bridal shower, the hen or stag party or the rehearsal dinner, with clues about the bride, the groom or how they got together.
For a final twist, add a hidden solution word: the circled letters can spell the couple's new shared surname, the wedding date written as a word, or the honeymoon destination they have kept secret until now.
Printing for the tables and the programme
Use the couple's names and the date as the title of the puzzle. Print one copy, then choose the number of copies in your browser's print dialog, or save the puzzle as a PDF and take it to a print shop to have it printed on card. The answer key comes out on its own page, for the best man, the host or whoever reads out the answers.
If the crossword is going into a programme, a menu card or a welcome sign that you are designing elsewhere, download the PNG images, a zip with one image per page for the puzzle and for the answer key, and place the puzzle in your design. Paper is US Letter by default, with A4 one click away.
Frequently asked questions
What questions should I put in a wedding crossword?
Questions about the couple's story work best: where they met, their first date, the proposal, their pets, home towns, favourite foods and the honeymoon destination. Add a few about the wedding itself, such as the month or the venue, and make sure most guests can answer at least half the clues.
How many clues should a wedding crossword have?
Ten to fifteen clues keep guests busy for the length of a course without making the grid too big for a table card. The generator takes up to 60 words if you want a bigger puzzle for a long evening.
Can I put the wedding crossword into our order of service?
Yes. Download the PNG images, a zip with one image per page (the puzzle first, then the answer key), and place the puzzle in the document or design tool you use for the order of service, the programme or the menu cards.
Can I make a crossword for a bridal shower?
Yes. Write the clues about the bride or the couple, such as how they met, the bride's favourite things or the story of the proposal, and print a copy for every guest. The first guest to complete the grid wins.
Will names with accents or two words fit?
Yes. Each letter, including accented letters such as É or Ñ, takes one square, and the spaces and hyphens in double names are left out of the grid. The answer key lists each name as you typed it, in capitals, with its spaces and hyphens.