Cootie Catcher

Back in my elementary school days, cootie catchers were all the rage. If you knew how to fold one, you were by default super cool. Then, of course, putting all the cute boys’ names in them to see which one you would end up with and be married to forever was the pinnacle of anticipation.

Once the cute boy thing got old, we filled out cootie catchers with all kinds of fun adventures: where we would live, what kind of house we would have, what our job would be, etc. It was a fun way for us to pass the time, absorbed in the dreams of what our future would hold.

Thinking cootie catchers were a relic of the eighties, I was really surprised when I saw one as a centerpiece object at a bride’s zoo-themed wedding. Instead of numbers written on the flaps, they were inscribed with animal names. The holder of the cootie catcher would open and close the catcher based on the number of letters in the animal’s name. In the deepest level of the cootie catcher were questions that acted as conversation starters for the table.

Brilliant! I always assert that the best weddings are those that truly reflect the personality of the bride and groom. If the bride and groom are of the “cootie catcher era,” then it’s a perfect detail for bringing out their style at the wedding. Not to mention, it’s a clever touch for their guests who might appreciate a bit of optional programming to keep them engaged and entertained.

Martha Stewart Weddings was apparently the inspiration for our zoo bride. I checked out that post, stunned that Martha would ever stoop so low as to indulge in cootie catchers. Sure enough, it was a polished, typed out version that upped the class-factor by a thousand. The post gives a step-by-step guide so you can make them yourself even if you have forgotten how to fold them. Martha’s cootie catcher involves kissing a whole slew of people, so you would probably want to replace her words with ones that would be fun for your guests and that would reflect your personality. But it is a good step-by-step nonetheless.

Another option for a cootie catcher would be to give them as favors. Being just one sheet of paper per guest, they make for inexpensive yet creative gifts. Or if you are creating welcome bags for out-of-town guests, you could include cootie catchers that use landmarks from the city your wedding is in. It can serve as a sort of map or guide of useful sites during their weekend.