A: It's become a wedding tradition for guests to clink their glasses to prompt the couple to kiss -- but you're right, it can be distracting and interrupt the couple's enjoyment of the meal. However, if you make guests "work" for that kiss from you, the atmosphere turns fun! Announce that you will only share a kiss with your new husband if guests stand up and sing a song with the word "love" in it or if they tell a cute story about the bride or groom (this has been done to some hilariously entertaining results at receptions I've attended). Another bride I know saved all her response cards and placed them in a basket at the head table. When the glasses were clinked, she drew a card from the basket, read the names on the card and announced that she would only kiss her husband if that couple kissed first! If you're worried about expensive glassware getting damaged by guests' clinking, provide favor bells for them to ring instead. Of course, you can always make an announcement requesting that guests not clink their glasses at all, or that there will be a certain time set aside for this activity (during the toasting at the end of the meal, perhaps). This is especially important if you have hired musicians to play during your reception -- you don't want the sound of ringing glasses to drown out the musicians' beautiful playing.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, feel free to e-mail me at askjean@myjeanm.com!