5 Reception Traditions: Take em' or Leave em'

Written By Lily Waddell

If you’re an avid wedding attendee, you’re most likely familiar with a handful of traditional ‘wedding things’ that you’ve seen happen right before your eyes.

As with most traditions, not everyone does them exactly the same, but, for the most part, the things we’ll be discussing here are usually done in a pretty similar fashion.

With that said, it’s completely up to you whether you choose to incorporate the things listed below (or others not mentioned) into your wedding, or not. 

  1. Bouquet Toss

The bouquet toss and garter toss are probably two of the most common wedding reception traditions of all. 

The tossing of the bride’s bouquet originated in England in the 1800s, rooted in the idea that a bride on her wedding day is full of good luck and even just being close to her, let alone catching her bouquet, can allow some of that luck to be transferred to another. 

For anyone that has yet to see this occur at a wedding, basically what happens is usually during the dancing portion of the evening, after dinner and speeches and everything has passed, the DJ/Band will put on a fun song and call all of the ladies in attendance who are single, out to the dance floor.

The bride then tosses the bouquet backwards over her head, not looking right away to see which guest’s hands it may land in.

2. Cake Cutting

Next up is the tradition of cutting your wedding cake with your partner. Saying it like that, it does seem pretty elementary. Just cutting into a cake? How is that special?

Well, arising in the Victorian era and evolving over time, a cake cutting is now thought to symbolize a couple’s support for one another. When doing the actual cutting, it’s typical for both partners to physically cut into the cake at the same time, with one person’s hands on the other’s. Also, some see this simple act as the first duty the couple is completing together as a married unit.

While cake cuttings are pretty common and continue to occur at a vast majority of weddings, there are some special adaptations that can make it a little more personal and unique to you as a couple.

For example, you may choose to cut something else, such as a pie, or a pizza, instead of a traditional tiered wedding cake. You also may choose to do more of a private cake cutting, with just you, your partner, and your photographer/videographer, rather than making an announcement to all in attendance.  

  

3. Tapping on Glasses

Now, unlike the previous two items, this is something that may not always be thought of as a tradition. However, it’s definitely a frequent practice that we feel is pretty well-known, so we decided to include it.

During the reception, especially in the earlier part and during the dinner portion of the evening, if a guest begins tapping on their glass (usually with a utensil), the couple is supposed to kiss.

Something to keep in mind with this is that while it can be fun to celebrate the fact that the couple is freshly married and in love, it’s always good to be cognizant of their comfort level and how often the tapping is happening.

If the newlyweds are still in the middle of eating their food, for example, and one or two people have already done the glass tapping, you may want to hold off to allow them to enjoy their meal together without a ton of distraction.  

4. Apron/Money Dance 

Sometimes called the ‘apron dance,’ but more commonly known as the ‘money dance,’ this tradition is something that’s not only done here in the States, but in other parts of the world as well.

What sets this dance apart in each country that it’s often seen in, is the meaning behind it, and the specific way it’s done.

At the root of the money dance is the act of giving to the married couple. This in itself isn’t a new concept, as gift-giving is performed pretty widely across weddings of all kinds.

In the case of the dance details, however, there are some major differences.

For example, in Poland, it’s customary for wedding guests to form a line to dance with the bride, while her father holds an apron (hence the name ‘apron dance’) and collects money for the couple. A few countries to the east, in Portugal, male guests dance with the bride while female guests dance with the groom, and the bride’s shoes are passed around the room for people to stick money in.

No matter where you’re from, at the end of the day, this tradition is done to portray to the couple just how much those in attendance love and care for them.

5. Newlywed Game

The last tradition we’ll mention (although there are still many others) is what’s popularly known as the ‘Newlywed Game.’ While a few of the other traditions have involved both the couple and their guests, directly, this mainly revolves around the couple with the guests acting more as spectators.

How it works is that both partners sit back to back, facing away from each other, and either have little signs to hold up (ex: one ‘Bride’ and one ‘Groom’) or one of each of their shoes to hold up. 

 

The couple is given fun prompts such as “more likely to lose their phone for a week” or “more likely to survive in a zombie apocalypse,” and they raise the corresponding hand with the sign/shoe/etc. that goes with that person.

Although your guests probably already know a good bit about you both, this game is just a fun way to learn even more and to see how each partner would answer.   

Whether you end up doing every one of these traditions, different ones, or none at all, your wedding day should be a day to celebrate the love you and your partner share and whatever that looks like to the two of you.

If all you want to do on your wedding day is say your ‘I Do’s,’ eat, dance, and go home, by all means, go for it! But, if you want to incorporate some other things, ‘traditional’ or not, that’s great too! 

It’s your day - do what makes you the happiest and most comfortable :)  

 
Lily Waddell
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