What to Consider When Mingling With Your Wedding Guests

The ceremony is over and now you can “socially distance”, greeting your wedding guests and letting them know how much you appreciate their presence on your special day. At a different time, you might have 200 guests in attendance. With the pandemic to consider, you may have considerably reduced your guest list and you might be greeting and socializing at a respectful distance. How can you meet and greet each guest without making them feel as if you are standoffish – especially since they may have gone to great lengths to be at your wedding? I have received so many great questions and I’m covering a few of them on today’s blog.

Hands, Hugs and Kisses Are Temporarily on Hold

“How can my wedding feel festive when we have to stay so far away from each other? My soon to be husband and I are concerned we will hurt people’s feelings if we don’t hug them when we see them.” The good news is that people really do understand this situation and are not overly excited about hugging you either. This is the time to remain gracious, polite but vigilant. If you are hosting guests, it’s your responsibility to keep them as safe as possible.

Most venues are still limiting the number of people and it’s important to show your guests you are following the local area guidelines. While you may not want to cut your guest list down, it’s responsible to narrow the list so you can accommodate each guest. Establish a sign for a virtual hug or give them your biggest smile and thank them for coming to your wedding. You lead the way when it comes to keeping physically spaced so they don’t feel as if they should hug or kiss you to show their congratulations.

Marry Now and Have a Large Party Later

“Can I have two celebrations if I have to cut my guest list by a large number of people?” Yes, you absolutely can. Consider finding a large venue to share your vows, inviting only your immediate family and a couple of close friends. When the crisis is over, you can have a larger scaled event to celebrate your wedding. For those in attendance, have a local seamstress craft wedding day masks with your guests’ initials. Notice, I did not say your initials? This will act as a gift for your guests and they can use it after the wedding is over. Place them upfront on a table for your guests to use or take with them. Some people will put them on immediately and others will want to save them for another day. Do the same with hand sanitizers and you print your initials and wedding date on them.

Ditch the Buffet

“What is the alternative to a buffet-style dinner?” There is scant evidence that the coronavirus can spread through food. Open warming trays filled with steaming food and people using the same serving utensils and standing close to each other to load their plates is a thing of the past, or at least for now. Instead, work with your caterer on how they suggest you serve your food, cocktails and the wedding cake. They have now had plenty of experience in navigating the menu and keeping the atmosphere festive and your guests are feeling well fed.

They will also work with you and your wedding planner on how and where to best place tall cocktail tables or separate dinner tables to best accommodate seating which respects social distancing. Families and couples who live together should also be seated together during the pandemic. And, again, small celebrations are the best choice for now. This allows you to speak to everyone, stay at a respectful distance and enjoy your day. And, yes, you would be best served, and be doing a service for others, (except for close family photos), to still wear a mask when mixing and mingling with your wedding guests!

You may also like The Etiquette of a Digital Wedding RSVP. For more of Diane’s etiquette tips read her posts on Inc., subscribe to her articles on The Huffington Post, “like” The Protocol School of Texas on Facebook, and follow her on Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.