Wedding Tips: Alternatives to Glass-Clinking During a Wedding Reception
Let me set the scene: you and your love are enjoying your reception. You're starving because it's been a long day so far, and you finally are getting to enjoy the dinner that you painstakingly selected (I get it, grilled salmon vs beef tenderloin is seriously a hard choice!). You're about to take a few bites and then *clink clink clink clink clink*. The room is filled with a dainty tinkling sound from every table. The guests are clinking their glasses, inviting you two to kiss in front of everyone. For the first of a thousand times in one hour. Some people find this tradition to be unbearable and refuse to do it, much to the disappointment of their guests. For some, it’s due to the noise, others just don’t like having to stop eating and kiss on demand. If you're anti-clinking, instead of having your dinner interrupted repeatedly, have your DJ announce before dinner that you’ll be trying one of these glass clinking alternatives:
Stories– Guests have to tell a story or a joke to get a kiss. The story can be about you individually, as a couple, or a story about themselves. You can kiss after each story/joke or make it a rule that it must make you laugh. Consider any embarrassing things you may not want on display before choosing this option.
Honeymoon Cash– Guests come up and put money in a jar on the head table. Each dollar amount is worth something. $1 is a peck on the check, $5 is a peck on the lips, and $10 is a newlywed worthy kiss, etc.
Donations– This is the same idea as honeymoon cash, only the proceeds all get donated to the charity of the newlyweds' choice. People are more than welcome to donate as much as they'd like.
Pass the Kiss– This can work in multiple ways. One way is that for the first few clinks, the bride and groom kiss, after that they start to call out guests that have to kiss. If a guest’s name is chosen, they have to kiss their date. Another way is using the wedding party. The bride and groom kiss the first time, after that they get passed around to others. The maid of honor kisses her date, the bride kisses her father, a groomsman kisses his date, etc. This way, the fun can continue but the bride and groom can actually eat their meal without stopping to kiss every few bits.
Bells– Instead of glass clinks, place bells at the tables. Just be sure to leave notes on the tables so that guests know what they’re there for.
Kiss by example- Guests must come to the head table and demonstrate how they want the newlyweds to kiss. the newlyweds then have to try to duplicate it. Just make sure your DJ makes note that you’d like it to remain PG-13.
GAMES:
Bag toss– I’ve been to weddings where this was done, and it was great fun. They had a special bag toss board made that was split into quadrants. They placed the board by the head table and guests had to come up and toss the bag. If they made it in the hole, the bride and groom had to kiss. Upper left-hand side, the bride and groom’s parents had to kiss. Upper right-hand, the thrower had to kiss another guest. Lower Left-hand side, all the guests had to kiss their dates. Lower right-hand side, the bridal party had to kiss their dates.
Oversized Dice– Guests looking for a kiss roll the dice. Anything at a 4 or higher, bride and groom kiss. Anything lower and the roller must kiss another guest.
Song guessing– A guest who wants to see a kiss, goes to the DJ and requests a mystery song. The DJ plays just a snippet of the track. If the guest can guess it correctly, the bride and groom kiss. If not, the guesser has to kiss another guest.
Guessing Game- A guessing game of other sorts. In this game, the guest who wants to see the newlyweds kiss calls the DJ over, who will then read a question about the newlyweds. If the guest can answer it correctly, the bride and groom kiss.
Pop the balloon- This is similar to the games you play at the fair. A board full of balloons is set up near the head table. Guests can come up and throw darts at the balloons. Each balloon popped has different instructions inside. A few say bride and groom kiss, while others say things like ‘kiss your date’, ‘all guests kiss’ or even, ‘dance the macarena’.
Wheel Spin- Like the balloon pop, without the darts. Guests spin the wheel and see where it lands. Options vary depending on the spaces.
Hershey Kiss- Have a bowl with two colors of Hershey kisses on the head table. Without using their hands, guests must pick up a kiss. If they pull out one color, bride and groom kiss. If they pull out the other color, the picker has to kiss another guest. Just be sure to remind people not to get their drool everywhere or other people might not want to play!
It’s your wedding day, and it should be designed however you imagine it. If your wedding day dreams don’t include glass clinking, I invite you to try one of the ideas above. Have another idea that you think should be added to the list? Feel free to share it with me at kate@klemstudios.com. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Love Always, Kate | Celebrate + Cultivate Your Relationship is committed to celebrating, cultivating, and spreading love.
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