Not everyone throws off their shoes and tosses their inhibitions to the wind when the band gets going at a wedding reception. Many people just don’t care for dancing – especially at a wedding – and some of them might spend their down time twiddling their thumbs or making extra trips to the dessert bar as the night carries on. This may not be true for some especially enthusiastic families, but if you fear that your guests will be sitting on their hands while only a few select party animals occupy the dance floor, you might want to conjure up a few wedding activity alternatives.

These alternatives aren’t just for unenthusiastic guests, mind you. They’re also wonderful for afternoon weddings (when the booze tends to flow a little less freely), weddings with an abundance of squirmy children, or weddings where the bride and groom themselves might not be so excited about the prospect of shufflin’.

Alternative #1: Lawn Games

Perfect for a warm-weather backyard wedding, lawn games are exactly what they sound like. Break out the croquet set and the hula hoops (or any other lawn game set you can find); this plan is a wonderful setup for a wedding that has several younger guests, or perhaps a few who are just young-at-heart. This is much less expensive then a photo booth (another popular extra-dancing activity), and guests will stay entertained longer. Building your own wedding-themed lawn games is another way to add fun and creativity to your day (just avoid lawn darts – for obvious reasons).

Alternative #2: Table Conversation Starters

More of a bonus than a way to replace dancing completely, conversation starter cards are a great way to decorate a table and occupy guests who may be a little shy on the dance floor. You can print these cards yourself (or pick up a set from the game section of most warehouse stores) and arrange them in sets in any manner you like (think ribbons around sets of ten at each place setting). These cards might have hypothetical questions (in the “If you had to take ____ on a deserted island…” fashion) to get a fun conversation going, and are very well received at events where not everyone is eager to get up and get moving.

Alternative #3: Lounges

Better for evening weddings, and a little more laid-back than party games, lounges allow your guests to congregate in comfortable settings on the fringes of your event. Lounges also let you play with furniture styling and possibly integrate a fire pit or subtle centerpiece in a way you couldn’t on the dinner table. Lounges give your guests a laid-back alternative to dancing while still feeling like they’re a part of your event – not just a wallflower.