How to Write Clues for a Personalised Wedding Crossword

A personalised wedding crossword is a simple idea: a grid where every answer is about the couple. It keeps guests busy at the table, gives quieter people something to do, and doubles as a keepsake. What makes one good, though, is not the grid. It is the clues.

This guide is about writing those clues: choosing answers that work in a grid, phrasing clues so they are fair, and getting the balance right between easy and tricky.

Start with the answers, not the clues

Before writing any clues, make a list of 15 to 25 possible answers. You will probably use 10 to 16 of them, because some words fit together better than others in a grid.

Good answers are:

• Single words or short phrases. "LISBON" is easier to fit than "THE LITTLE CAFE ON RUA AUGUSTA".
• Spelled one way. Avoid names that guests might spell differently unless the clue makes the spelling clear.
• A mixture of lengths. Longer words anchor the grid; shorter words fill the gaps.
• Rich in common letters. Words with E, A, R, S and T cross other words more easily than words full of Q, X and Z.

Some good sources of answers:

• The town or city where they met
• The name of their pet
• The month or season they got engaged
• Their favourite food or takeaway
• Their honeymoon destination, if it is not a secret
• The venue name
• A shared hobby
• Middle names
• Their first holiday together
• The first-dance song title, if it is short

Write clues guests can actually solve

A personalised crossword is not a cryptic puzzle. The goal is for guests to finish it, or nearly finish it, over a drink. Clues should be direct.

Compare these clues for the answer LISBON:

• Too hard: "Where it happened"
• Too easy: "Capital of Portugal, where they got engaged"
• Just right: "City where James proposed"

The best clues are specific to the couple but give enough of a hint that someone who knows them, or who is good at guessing, can get there. The crossing letters do the rest.

Example clues

Here is a short set for a fictional couple, Emma and James.

Across

• City where James proposed (6) LISBON
• Name of their rescue greyhound (7) BISCUIT
• Emma's favourite flower (5) PEONY
• Sport they play together on Sundays (6) TENNIS
• Month they first met (7) OCTOBER

Down

• Where they are going on honeymoon (4) BALI
• James's job (7) TEACHER
• Takeaway they order every Friday (5) PIZZA
• Emma's middle name (5) GRACE
• Their first holiday together (5) PARIS

Count the letters in every answer twice. A wrong number in brackets is an easy mistake to make, and one reason to let software count for you.

Showing the letter count

Including the number of letters in brackets after each clue, as in a newspaper crossword, makes the puzzle much more approachable. Guests can count boxes, but the number confirms they are on the right track.

Mix in a few general clues

If many guests do not know the couple well, a crossword made entirely of personal clues can be frustrating. Mix in two or three answers that anyone could get with a little thought:

• "What the couple will say at the altar (1,2)" I DO
• "Traditional wedding flower girl's job: scatter these (6)" PETALS
• "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something ___ (4)" BLUE

These give everyone a foothold, and their letters help with the personal answers that cross them.

Keep clues kind

As with wedding trivia, leave out exes, embarrassing stories and in-jokes. If a clue would make one of the couple wince in front of their grandparents, cut it. The crossword will be on every table and probably in a few photographs.

How many clues?

Ten to sixteen clues is a good range for a reception crossword. Fewer than ten looks sparse and is over quickly. More than sixteen becomes a long project, and guests will drift away to the bar halfway through.

Test it on someone

Ask one friend who knows the couple and one who does not to try it before you print. If the friend who knows the couple cannot finish it, the clues are too obscure. If the friend who does not know them finishes it in two minutes, they may be too easy, though that is a better problem to have.

Printing and presentation

• One per guest or one per table? One per table encourages teamwork and conversation. One per guest is better if you want people to keep them.
• Paper weight: heavier paper or light card feels like part of the stationery and survives a spilt drink better.
• Pens: put a small pot of pens on each table.
• Answer key: print it separately and keep it with the MC or best man. Some couples display the answers on a board near the bar later in the evening.
• Match your theme: use the same colours and fonts as your other stationery, so the crossword looks like it belongs on the table.

Pair it with a word search

A word search using the same answers is a natural companion. It suits children and guests who prefer something gentler, and it takes no extra writing: the word list is already done.

When to put it out

Most couples place the crossword on the tables before guests sit down for the meal. It fills the gap between sitting down and the first course, and again during the speeches set-up. Some put it out at the drinks reception on clipboards instead.

Making your crossword

PrintBloom Studio's wedding crossword maker builds the grid for you from the answers and clues you type, up to 16 entries, and prints it with a separate answer key, a cover, a table sign and advice cards in one of four themes, in A4 or US Letter. You can also make a matching word search or couple trivia, or print all three in the Games Collection with a find-the-guest mingle game.