One of the most highly anticipated events of the wedding day has got to be the gatecrashing ceremony. It's filled with anticipation, nerves and laughter, from both the bride’s family and the groom’s gang of brothers. It's also a great opportunity to capture candid moments, whether by photo or video. Bridesmaids' tears of laughter, moans from the brothers, even sweat dripping off the groom's forehead as he battles his way to reach his bride make for great memories that last a lifetime. Let’s take a look at some of the traditional and popular gatecrashing games that Singapore’s valiant grooms and groomsmen are subjected to.
酸甜苦辣 (Sour, Sweet, Bitter and Spicy)
This game signifies not only the bittersweet journey that the couple went through to get to where they are today but also the journey of marriage which they are about to embark upon. Usually prepared by the bridesmaids, a lemon or lime is used to represent sour, sugar or honey to represent something sweet, slices of bitter gourd or Chinese herbal tea to represent bitter, and chili sauce or chili padi to represent spicy. The flavours are presented on four tablespoons on a round plate, which symbolizes 圆圆满满, and the men would have to consume them all.
Treasure Hunt
In the wee morning hours before daybreak, the bridesmaids prepare a new lock for the iron gate of the bride’s house. They first find a good spot in the neighbourhood to hide the key then they fasten the gate securely with the new lock. When the groom and his band of brothers arrive in the morning, they would have to ask Yes or No questions to get hints until they learn the location of the key. With each new clue, they are allowed to send someone from their group to go hunt for the key; however, each time they fail, they would have to perform some kind of penalty to get the right to continue asking more questions.
Test of Physical Strength
If treasure hunting for the bride's key is a challenge of wits, then the next game is a challenge of physical strength. The groom will be asked a series of questions about the couple's courtship days. For each wrong answer, his brothers would have to do push ups until the groom gets it right. Depending on the generosity of the bridesmaids, the groom may have one or two free passes.
Knowing Her Well
This game has a lot of variety, one of the popular versions being having all the bridesmaids put on similar bright-coloured lipstick and asking the groom to determine which actually belongs to his wife-to-be. For each incorrect choice, his band of brothers would have to pay a penalty. Variations to this game would include having to pick out her personal perfume, her personal favourite item, etc.
I Hereby Pledge to You
This is a pretty hilarious game where the groom would have to read aloud a written vow, prepared by the bride, bridesmaids and her family. Its content is usually practical and fun, reflecting the on-goings in the daily life of the newlyweds, going along the lines of "I swear never to hog the TV remote control but give you full rights over the TV channel at all times" and such. The groom then has to sign the declaration to make it official! To end off, the groom often also has to perform either acapella or through dance, a favourite song of his bride's to win her heart!
