Things to do at reception?

Lori that was all I could think of!

Are these your beliefs or your inlaws? Have you been to a wedding like this? What do your inlaws (since it's their church) recommend?

My uncles wedding was the same.. No dancing or drinking.. I was pretty bored. I would recommend doing games- out door games like corn hole or horse shoes, maybe the shoe game with you and fh, there's a game where the dj asks the guest who has a picture of you or the groom and they win a centerpiece.. Check Pinterest

If you're able to have music in the background (or perhaps hire a pianist), and you have good food, you might be ok. I've been to a wedding without dancing, and I don't dance at many of the weddings I go to. I'm happy with good food, being seated with people I like, and listening to music.

Gosh, it ruffles my feathers when people give curt and rude answers for no reason. Why the harsh judgement? Each and every one of us is going to have a unique wedding day. Just because someone is planning something different than you does not mean you should get a free pass to put them down or shame them. I've been to plenty of weddings that did not have dancing, most of them not religious. Our wedding is in the middle of the afternoon. We only want our reception to last a few hours and are not having a dance. It doesn't mean guests are going to have a terrible time. We are having live music. We are having drinks. It just means that our guests are mature adults that don't feel it is neccesary to get hammered and act like drunken fools on the dance floor... just sayin'.

Yeah the funny thing is that even when there IS dancing, I feel like there are still a lot of people who don't dance. So I think background music and good food and drinks is enough, and if alcohol is not allowed either, then just an earlier daytime reception would be great.

I'm trying my hardest to make all of my guests comfortable at my wedding. Yes there's going to be dancing, but I know that's not everybody's cup of tea, so what I am planning on doing is having an "I Spy" game set up at all the table settings. (Old school camera included) Also doing a wedding mad libs for every guest to fill out if they want to.

I've been to several religious weddings without alcohol and without dancing or a DJ. One was in a beautiful venue, and there was some kind of music playing very softly in the background. The highlight of the reception was dinner, which was excellent. Beyond that, they had some spotlight performances featuring family members. The bride's sister got up and played her violin and then her nieces played their little violins (elementary school aged kids with violins is not always a pleasant listening experience). It was a little weird because everybody had to stop talking and watch. They weren't professional in the least, but everybody still applauded. There was a pretty big exodus after dinner, but I had the feeling that's what this couple wanted.

The other one was in a church facility. No dancing, no music, potluck, and certainly no alcohol. It was open seating and it was minimally decorated. Most of the guests were church people, so this type of gathering was completely normal to them. The bride's parents were from out of town and not of this particular faith, and I can still remember them sitting there -- kind of alone, dressed to the nines, and looking rather sad. After two hours, it was over.

These are not "bad" weddings -- they just don't fit the mold of the typical American wedding. I honestly think if you're going to have a wedding like this, you have to be realistic. You are not offering them an adult party, you're offering a great dinner. So, ask yourself, when you go to dinner with a bunch of your friends, how long can you possibly sit there talking? Two hours is about my limit. If you go to a club with a bar and a dance floor with your friends, how long would you stay? Probably a lot longer. I would go easy of the group games. After a while, they serve to remind the guests of the missing elements. Allow them to socialize. I mean no offense, It's just reality. Adjust your expectations, focus on serving a fantastic meal, and understand that the main event is dinner.