At the last wedding, I went to, a few of the ladies started clinking their glasses with their forks at the reception. It was early in the evening, and people were still making them in the way from the wedding.
I knew it meant something, but I forgot what. It turns out it’s a tradition in which the bride and groom are supposed to kiss any time they hear that during the celebration. And because I forgot what it meant, I didn’t bother to turn to see if the bride and groom did anything.
Certainly, for today’s brides and grooms, the clinking glass tradition is a bit out-of-date. However, it’s still one of those fun wedding reception traditions that can be kept, changed or added to, depending on your preferences. The possibilities are endless, and they’re all in good fun.
If you want to change the rules of the game, you may want to have a small placard on each table to explain what will work to get the couple to kiss.
Here are some other ways to play the kissing game at the reception:
Ring my bell: Buy small bells (if you plan ahead, this is something you can buy at any dollar store around the holidays) and place one on each table. This way, your guests can demand the happy couple kiss every time they hear a bell ring.
Pay for play: Set a jar up in front of the bride and groom at the table of honour. When anyone places money in the jar, the couple has to kiss. This can be done in several different ways, such as the more the donation, the longer the kiss. (That way, a child can even put a penny in the jar and still see a peck on the cheek.) Or, the guests can rate a kiss with the size of their donation. The money can go toward a honeymoon or to a favourite charity.
It’s all in the game: Small games of chance set in front of the bride and groom is another way to change the kissing tradition. A roll of two dice can determine the length of a kiss or how many kisses are required. Or have someone pick a card out of a standard deck, and a heart is worth a kiss.
Say the word: Songs are a part of every wedding reception. Any time a song mentions the word kiss, love, or any word (or words) you choose, the bride and groom should kiss.