What does a cheek kiss symbolize to you?

Aunt Bea said:
If you over the age of 7, it symbolizes to me that you better back up and get outta my space.

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Your humour more or less defines how I view a peck on the cheek. The way that I cheek kiss is to hold out my hand and smile. Then it's all up to the lady, as Aunt Bea points out, it's an area of personal space. A smile and a squeeze of my hand is usually the body language that means a cheek kiss is permitted.
What does such a kiss symbolise? Love and trust, I have been invited into her personal space, I never try to go beyond that cheek kiss, no furtive hugging and no name endearments. My beloved wife is my darling, all other ladies are friends, although some are treasured friends.
 
For me it depends on the circumstances. It could be any of the things already mentioned, but also on the type of relationship / friendship, and the culture of the people involved. We don't have a monopoly on what’s “right” or “wrong” when it comes to gestures like that. Sometimes it even depends on the event or the venue. I've been to weddings where there’s a lot of cheek-kissing going on. Some brides expecting it, others seemingly demanding it!

At work in the UK, when colleagues come over from France for training, the French men often greet each other with a kiss on the cheek (or something close to it) in the morning, before then turning to us Brits for a handshake instead. I think in the French workplace there’s a different level of camaraderie between peers. But perhaps what I’ve seen is really just la bise.

Just don't be overenthusiastic and creepy about it, and don't go back for more.
 
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