Funny Wedding Pranks & Surprises You’ll Love

Published Friday, Jan. 10th, 2025

Make each other laugh on the wedding day with these funny wedding pranks and surprises, because couples that laugh together, last together!

Bride holds hands over grooms eyes to surprise him, groom is smiling — Make each other laugh on the wedding day (Photo: PeopleImages / iStock)

Would you enjoy a harmless prank on your wedding day?

These wedding pranks and surprises had us laughing for days!

But if you’re planning a wedding prank of your own, be warned – some people hate surprises on the wedding day, and no one likes being embarrassed, so keep your pranks harmless and kind-hearted. And if your spouse-to-be is already on edge and feeling the stress of the day, let them in on the fun instead – and save the pranks for your guests!

10 Funny Pranks & Surprises at Weddings

1. Wedding Garter Prank with Blindfold

What’s a little fun between good friends! Blindfold the groom and watch with glee as he removes a garter from his groomsman thigh instead of his bride.Saving the prank for after the wedding ceremony itself is often a good idea because stress-levels are lower.

2. Wedding Getaway Car Pranks

Prank the newlyweds with a getaway car surprise to send them off with a smile! Whether you’re saran-wrapping the couple’s wedding getaway car, filling the cab with balloons, or taping funny decorations next to the ‘just married’ sign, harmless car pranks will usually get a laugh from the newlyweds. (Just don’t damage the car or ruin anyone’s wedding clothes.)

3. Rubber Chicken Toss

We love this fun alternative to a bouquet toss suggested by Up The Creek Farms: Instead of a classic wedding bouquet toss, make friends and family laugh with a surprise rubber chicken toss! The moment of bewildered glee on the face of the lucky guest when they find themselves catching a rubber chicken will be priceless.

4. Late Wedding Officiant Prank

For this one, you’ll need to have a friend officiate your wedding! Ask a close friend or relative to get ordained online as a minister with American Marriage Ministries to serve as your wedding officiant, but don’t tell anyone they’ll be officiating.

How to Ask Someone to Officiate Your Wedding

Then, the day of the wedding, your friend-officiant will sit in the crowd with other guests as you make your way down the aisle. Stand up front looking around in confusion for the ‘missing officiant’ for a few moments as the tension builds, then laugh along as your friend jumps up from the audience to reveal they were the officiant all along!

|* ordination-button *|

Guests laughing at a wedding

Create an intimate experience on the big day by having a friend officiate your wedding ceremony! Start the ceremony off with a laugh with the 'late wedding officiant' prank. You can still make a stunning entrance and walk down the aisle, following by a little surprise at the altar. (Photo: FG Trade Latin / iStock)

5. Cowboy Wedding Prank (Fake Branding)

This spin on the wedding garter prank is perfect for a cowboy wedding! After the garter toss, have friends tackle the groom while the bride pretends to ‘brand’ him. Nothing says forever like wedding rings and a branding iron?

@carlyhorse1 Branded his ass 😝 @Beef Slingers #brand #western #wedding #prank #funny #cowboy #cowgirl #groomsmen #fyp #fypシ ♬ Pony - Ginuwine

6. Throw a Surprise Wedding

Prank everyone you love with a surprise wedding! This might be the most epic wedding prank of all. Invite guests to a casual brunch or weekend potluck, then reveal the gathering is actually a wedding ceremony. Surprise – you’re getting married!

Surprise Wedding Ceremony Script

7. Forgot the Wedding Ring Prank

In this classic prank, the ring bearer (or best mate) pretends they’ve forgotten to bring the wedding ring (or lost it) at the start of the wedding ring exchange. After a moment’s confusion and mock-concern, they’ll suddenly reveal the ring and the ceremony can continue after a few laughs.

Be forewarned that this prank might give your soon-to-be-spouse a panic attack unless they're in on the joke – we like it best when this prank is on the guests, not on each other.

Read a funny example of this prank done on guests using a dog as the ‘missing’ ring bearer: Anonymous Officiant: Dog Ring Bearer Steals Show – and Hearts

Or watch a groom pull the missing ring prank on his bride below!

8. First Look Wedding Prank (T-Rex Costume)

The wedding first look can be a romantic, tender and special moment, but some couples prefer a funny first look instead. So pull on a puffy t-rex costume and give your bride or groom a smile! Skip ahead to the 0:36 minute mark in this video to see the big reveal.

9. Pranks for Bachelor Party / Bachelorette Party

Many people are NOT a fan of wedding day pranks because they’ve spent a lot of money and time planning a perfect day, and don’t want anything going wrong (even as a joke). So it might be best to save your prank for the party before the wedding instead – the bachelor party, bachelorette party, or gender-neutral Bach Bash! Hire a clown instead of a stripper, plan a bungee jumping prank (blindfolded), arrange a costumed-singing telegram for multiple bar stops, sign them up for endless karaoke... anything that will make them laugh.

10. Wedding Night Prank with Googly Eyes

Before the newlyweds return home, decorate everything in their fridge with googly eyes, then add a tiny top hat and wedding veil to two bottles of their favorite beer or wine with a note that says, ‘Congrats!’ Or leave a plate of specialty donuts or heart shaped cookies with googly eyes as a late-night snack after the reception! This will give them a laugh without doing any harm.

Two heart shaped donuts with googly eyes against a pink background

When planning wedding night pranks, remember that the newlyweds will be very tired, possibly a little tipsy, and excited to spend some time alone after a busy day. Choose pranks that will make them feel loved and leave them with a smile. (Photo: EyeEm Mobile GmbH / iStock)