The Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed Game

by Courtney Mroch | More from this Blogger

21 Sep 2008 10:38 AM

When Wayne and I took our cruise, one of the activities was the Newlywed and Not-So-Newlywed game. Three lucky couples got to play. (The rest of us in the audience got to play along in our seats.)

Picking Couples

The first to be chosen were the newlyweds. They looked for the most recently married couple on the ship. Of those in the audience to pick from, it came down to two who were married the weekend before the ship set sail. Since they were both married on the same day, it then came down to the hour they were married.

The next couple chosen was one that had been married a very long time. They started by asking for couples married 30 years. Several hands went up. To narrow it down they raised the number of years married and asked for those married 40 years or more. Less hands, but still a couple. So they raised it to 50 years or more. One couple was left, so they got to play.

The last couple they were looking to pick was one that wasn't so newlywed, yet wasn't married as long as the 50 year couple. They felt a couple married about seven years should fit the bill and found one no problem. (Which bummed me out. I was hoping we would be one of the three couples picked, but we didn't fit any of the criteria. Dang it!)

Playing the Game

The couples sat with their backs facing each other, and were given a pen and a notepad to record their answers. They weren't allowed to talk to or signal each other in any way.

Then came the questions. I don't remember all of the questions, but I do remember there were eight. Whoever matched the most correct answers would win.

The Couple That Won

All the couples were rewarded with a bottle of champagne, but the couple that walked away with the bragging rights was the one married seven years. I think they only missed one or two of their answers.

The newlyweds came in second. Surprisingly the couple married over 50 years barely got any questions right. (But I suspect they --especially the husband-- were going more for the entertainment factor and chose answers that would elicit chuckles. Which many of them did.)

Play Along at Home

Like I mentioned above, I don't remember all of the questions and I don't remember all of the exact wording, but I remember the gist. If you want to do something fun, answer the following for yourself, then ask your spouse and see if they come up with the same answer.

1. When and where did you meet? (For "when" the year alone sufficed in the game. The "where" had to be more specific.)

2. Describe your first kiss. (These were given as multiple choice answers and each couple got a point if they both picked the same one. The catch was I believe they asked the wife the question and asked her to respond as she thought her husband would answer.)

a. Nice and simple. Left me wanting more.

b. Wet and sloppy.

c. Fourth of July fireworks couldn't compete.

3. Speaking of first kisses, where were you when you had your first kiss?

4. If a parrot was in your bedroom, what phrase or saying would it likely repeat because you say it so much? (These produced some of the most hysterical answers.)

5. Which of the following best describes your love life? (And by "love" they meant whoopee or nookie.)

a. Like Halloween -full of tricks and treats.

b. Like Thanksgiving -I'm grateful for anything I can get.

c. Like Fourth of July -hot and explosive.

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Learn more about Courtney Mroch

Courtney Mroch is a wife, a proud pet parent, and a writer. She's been with her husband, high school sweetheart Wayne Pryor, over 20 years, married 11 of those. She's "mom" to Mr. Meow, a.k.

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Dale Harcombe (10399) 21 Sep 2008 11:45 PM

I'm not surprised the ones married longest couldn't remember some of the details. I know what it's like with Mick and I and we've got a quite a few years yet before we get to 50. It doesn't mean those things were unimpoirtant -just that so much life has been lived since. The most important thing is we still remember we love each other and why.

Courtney Mroch (9169) 22 Sep 2008 05:40 AM

Yoiu know, Dale, in a way that's a very good lesson right there. Okay, so you don't always remember all the details. That's actually good, and probably why you and Mick have made it so far. You guys always keep the most important thing in mind and the rest? Well, it's all part of it, but not the most important thing. Not being able to remember has its advantages for the bad stuff is what I'm getting at. There's a lot to be said for letting go. (Of bad stuff, but holding on for the long haul.)

Jade Walker (964) 22 Sep 2008 06:18 AM

There's also something to be said for remembering the "floaty" stage. It's so easy to get bogged down in day-to-day life. Games like this remind couples of what brought them together in the first place. Such wonderful memories can serve as a reminder to bring a bit of passion back into the relationship.

Courtney Mroch (9169) 22 Sep 2008 06:37 AM

The "floaty" stage? I've never heard of that! But I think I understand what it is and you raise a most excellent point, Jade.