Bridal Wars brings wedding-themed team competition to Phoenix

The process of getting married comes with lots of events: engagement parties, wedding showers, dress fittings and bachelor and bachelorette parties.

But almost 10 years ago, Heather McGann had a new idea: Bridal Wars, a team competition event for brides and their friends and families.

Teams spend an afternoon participating in fun challenges while meeting wedding vendors and enjoying food and drinks.

The party is coming to Phoenix on Sept. 22, when Bridal Wars will take place at Palmbrook Golf Club, 9350 W. Greenway Road, Sun City.

The cost for brides to participate is $10. Each additional team member is $25. Men and women 18 and older are welcome to participate. McGann says they recommend a minimum of three people per team, but they've seen teams as large as 20 people. A spectator pass is included with each admission purchase, and spectators can be anyone over the age of 16.

Online registration closes on Sept. 17, and the event will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. Check-in begins at 2:30.

We asked McGann a few questions about the upcoming event.

How did you come up with the concept of Bridal Wars?
My partner and I were both in the wedding industry and came together during an event. She was into CrossFit and had the idea of having brides compete against other brides. After discussing, and trial and error, we developed an event for brides and their bridal parties, family and friends to compete against other bridal teams. They get to meet local vendors, interact with them and most of all have fun.

How long has Bridal Wars been around?
2025 will be our ninth year.

How do you go about advertising/spreading the word about the event?
Social. We use FB, IG and TikTok.

Do you have a team that goes from city to city or do you use local staff?
We are a team of two women who travel to our events. We do have a couple of event partners that run certain events in certain cities, but it's mostly just us.


What has the response been from past participants?
Girls love it — it's usually the first time their bridal party is meeting each other. They laugh, dance and make great memories. They also get to have fun with vendors that they may end up booking for their wedding.

What are some of the challenges that people seem to enjoy the most?
We have some great challenges/games. We do about 18 to 22 per event, but I would say our most popular would be our lip sync battle. Teams come ready with their song choice and perform for the crowd. The best lip sync wins! Another favorite would be our Bra Pong. The Bride puts on an extra-large hot pink bra and her teammates have to score three Ping-Pong balls into the bra in the fastest time. So fun!

Why should brides and their friends/family come out and participate in Bridal Wars?
Brides should come to Bridal Wars because it's a fun activity to do with their bridal party, family or friends. They get to compete for prizes while meeting local vendors.

Is this Bride Wars' first time in Phoenix?
We were in Phoenix before COVID, so we are so happy to be back!