The Drinks Reception
The Drinks Reception
The Evening Do
The Evening Do
The Kids, Entertained
The Kids, Entertained
Inside the Marquee
Inside the Marquee
Every Order Wrapped by Hand
Every Order Wrapped by Hand
Planning a Big Day?
Planning a Big Day?
Games on the Big Day
Real games, real lawns
Wedding Lawn Games, Garden Games and Giant Games
Jaques of London makes garden games for weddings: croquet, giant tumble towers, kubb, quoits, skittles and giant dominoes, all in solid wood. Founded in London in 1795, Jaques is the world's oldest games company and first made croquet in 1851, the game that has anchored English lawn parties ever since.
Games for the drinks reception
Lawn games fill the gap between ceremony and wedding breakfast. Croquet sets and garden games let guests of every age play in their wedding clothes, glass in hand, while the photographs are taken.
Buying wedding games instead of hiring
Searches for wedding game hire are common, but buying usually wins: a quality solid wood set costs about the same as a single weekend of hire, there is no collection deadline on the Monday, and the games are yours for every garden party, anniversary and family summer afterwards.
How many games, and which ones
- Up to 60 guests: croquet or a giant tower, plus quoits
- 60 to 120 guests: three or four games: croquet, giant tower, quoits, one marquee table game
- Evening do: the giant tumble tower under the festoon lights, every time
- Wet weather: one indoor game for every outdoor one: dominoes, backgammon, cards
Hen parties and the evening do
Giant games carry the evening: a giant tumble tower under festoon lights is as photogenic as wedding entertainment gets. For hen parties and garden parties beforehand, the same sets do double duty, and compact travel games make favours guests keep.
Who we supply
We also supply hotels and wedding venues, pub gardens and holiday lets. To plan games for your day, speak to our team.
Have a Question?
For drinks receptions, croquet and quoits let guests drift in and out of a game with a glass in hand. Giant tumble towers, kubb and giant dominoes suit the evening do. A couple of table games inside the marquee look after the quiet corners.
Buying is often the better value. A quality set typically costs no more than a weekend's hire, there is no collection deadline, and after the wedding the games are yours for every summer that follows. Many couples pass their wedding croquet set down as a family piece.
As a rule of thumb, one lawn game per 25 to 30 guests keeps things moving without cluttering the lawn. For a typical 100-guest wedding, three or four games is ideal: croquet, a giant tower, quoits and one table game.
Dominoes, backgammon, chess and card games move happily into the marquee or barn. Many couples plan one indoor game for every outdoor one, and solid wood sets shrug off a damp lawn far better than cardboard.
That is rather the point. Croquet, quoits and giant games ask for no kit and no kneeling: guests play a turn in a dress or a suit, hand the mallet on and drift back to their drink. The photographs are usually the best of the day.
Giant tumble towers stand happily in a barn, and a table of dominoes, backgammon and cards gives an indoor reception the same easy energy as a lawn. Shut the box is a quiet favourite with older guests.
Wonderfully. Skittles, quoits and giant games absorb children for hours while the adults talk, and every set is EC and UKCA safety tested. One games corner often does more than a hired entertainer.
Yes. Wooden lawn games photograph beautifully against a marquee, and compact travel games make favours that guests genuinely keep. Every Jaques order is individually gift wrapped by hand.
Two moments: the drinks reception while photographs are taken, and the lull between the meal and the evening party. Set the games out before guests arrive and they look after those hours by themselves.
Orders placed before 1pm Monday to Friday are processed the same day. For a wedding, we recommend ordering a few weeks ahead so the games are one thing that is completely ticked off.
