Another Wedding Thread: Receiving Line

[Shyvioletisme]

None of the weddings I've been to have had a receiving line. The bride and the groom do always go table to table and chat with each guest at the reception though.

 

[cluvsdisney]

We didn't have a receiving line but did go around to all the tables. I'd say about half of the weddings I have been to have a receiving line. I think it's nice to get a chance to say hi, congrats, you look gorgeous because it does all go so fast. I remember one time we waited on a receiving line that lasted over an hour. There weren't 1000 people at this wedding so it should not have taken that long. To this day I don't know why we didn't get off the line. I would have thought the bride & groom would have wanted to move it along as well but I guess not. But that whole wedding was obnoxious.

 

[DeaverTex]

You didn't know 9 out of 10 people at your own wedding? I think I only didn't know about 20 people at mine. They were relatives of dh's I hadn't met yet.

I hate the recieving lines that include parents and wedding party. I've haven't seen those in ages, but did have to stand in a few as a maid of honor. Very awkward. I really DIDn't know very many of the people then.

It didn't even occur to us to have our parents or attendants stand with us when we greeted our guests at the back of the church after the ceremony.

I'm from Houston, Mrs. Tex is from Michigan. We met at Fort Riley, Kansas, and got married in Michigan. The only people I knew at the wedding were her, my parents, my maternal grandmother, my best man. My family is very small, and isn't close at all beyond nuclear families. Oh, and I knew all my future in-laws, but I'd met them for the first time no more than two days before the wedding. Yep, 9 out of 10 people at the wedding, I didn't have a clue who they were. Some turned out to be family that I met later, but most were family friends so they were just sort of faces in the fog for me.

Mrs. Tex and I didn't do any of the wedding planning. That was entirely her sisters (at her request) since we were about 1400 miles away. I blame them for the stupid receiving line idea. It may have even been done as a prank -- they're that kind of family. (Which I love.)

 

[JessicaR]

We were married 22 years ago and did not have a receiving line. We didn't want one. Lately - I don't see them at all.

 

[Fire14]

Married almost 10 yrs no lines for us. WE did greet folks at our Wedding open house/reception, but I don't think we made a point of table hopping. To this day I doubt my Dh could tell you who 80% of guests at wedding were.

 

[onelilspark]

We did a receiving line during our wedding in October. It was just my husband and I, and both of our parents. We didn't have the attendants line up.

According to etiquette, the bride and groom should at least greet each person who came to celebrate with them, whether it's going table by table or a receiving line. For a larger wedding, a receiving line is the easiest.

 

[fall08CP]

I was in a wedding last month and SO glad she didn't have one. I didn't know a soul other than the bride and was dreading the awkward interaction!!!

 

[jujube]

Ours reception with a buffet line which is the norm around here. There are a few tables but it is more like a cocktail party. The bride and groom "work" the room, chatting, greeting and thanking the guests for coming. There's dancing, etc. as well. Sit down receptions are the exception.

 

[shoney]

I posted earlier...receiving line at church is the norm...

At the reception, most bride/grooms go around to the tables and greet the guests (we did), since this is where most people hand off the envelope.

At the weddings where they didn't go around the room, a line formed around them at the end of the night in order to hand off the card...so I really would rather the bride/groom go around the room!

I hate waiting in line!!!!!!!LOL

 

[elaine amj]

I did the traditional receiving line. I also, moved around and chatted with all guests.

My brother had 600 ppl. He didn;t make it around all the tables (to be fair I found it exhausting to chat with all 200 of my guests - I don;'t see how he could possibly do the rounds with 600!). Come to think of it, I don;t remember him having a receiving line although I can;t imagine my mom would have let him away without one?

I have seen 1-2 weddings without a line - it's rare enough though.

 

[jujube]

I posted earlier...receiving line at church is the norm...

At the reception, most bride/grooms go around to the tables and greet the guests (we did), since this is where most people hand off the envelope.

At the weddings where they didn't go around the room, a line formed around them at the end of the night in order to hand off the card...so I really would rather the bride/groom go around the room!

I hate waiting in line!!!!!!!LOL

No one here hands out envelopes at the wedding. They're given to the bride and groom before the wedding in the same way other gifts are sent.

 

[shoney]

No one here hands out envelopes at the wedding. They're given to the bride and groom before the wedding in the same way other gifts are sent.

Where I live no one gives gifts for a wedding...cash/check in a card! It just makes it easier if the bride/groom go around the room to say "hello"....

adding...by wedding..I mean reception..that is where the card is given!

 

[blana]

Married 13 years & we did a modified receiving line at the church. It was just DH & I in the line. I can't imagine not having one....

 

[Hoodie]

I think receiving lines have fallen out of favor. We didn't have one (I couldn't think of anything more excrutiating) and come to think of it, the last time I was at a wedding with one was my aunt's 24 years ago.

I don't like it as a guest, why would I want it as a bride?

 

[jen0610]

Have you ever been to a wedding without a receiving line?

Most of the weddings I remember going to as a child/teen/young adult they had a full receiving line with the bride and groom, their parents, and all of the attendants.

Then a few years ago many couples started opting to "release" the rows of people in the church by themselves and there was no traditional receiving line. I love it when they do it that way, as so many times I don't know any/many of the other people in the wedding party and never know what to say to them, so it's just easier and more comfortable to just hug/contratulate the bride and groom as you leave your row.

However, the recent wedding we attended had no type of receiving line at all. I was kind of surprised by that.

DH and I did this at our wedding back in 91. I had been to a wedding about a year before mine and that is what they did. It was such a personal way to greet each of the guests and made the exiting of the church, so much faster. I knew if we did the traditional line, there would have been a bottle neck starting at my dad, he knows no stranger, so this was the perfect way to prevent that and get that personal touch that I wanted.

 

[snykymom]

Jewish weddings traditionally do not have receiving lines - immediately after the ceremony, the bride & groom go off by themselves to a small room for at least 5 minutes to share a small snack and a drink as their first food as a married couple. By the time they come out, most people have gone to the reception.

We made sure to go to every table, and have pictures taken at each table. We now have a record of everyone who was at our wedding - with it being almost 30 years ago, it's nice to have the pictoral record, particularly of those who are no longer with us.

 

[Andtototoo]

Yes. And those have also been weddings at which the bride and groom made no attempt to greet every guest either.

I think that is very poor hosting/hostessing. If you have invited people to your event, it is your duty as a host/hostess to greet every guest. Hence why receiving lines were invited -- a quick and easy way to accomplish that. Of course, the pew release and visiting every table are equally useful. Just DO something to make sure you greet every guest. It's very rude not to do so.

 

[DeaverTex]

Andtototoo, you make an interesting point, and I'm curious, if anybody wants to comment. Of course the bride and groom should try to thank the guests for sharing their day, but since it's traditionally the parents of the bride who send out the wedding invitations, wouldn't they be the host/hostess? '

I've never really considered a wedding to be a party with a host/hostess myself, but then the few weddings I've been to haven't really been much like parties anyhow. More of a church service with some snacks afterward.

 

[Andtototoo]

Andtototoo, you make an interesting point, and I'm curious, if anybody wants to comment. Of course the bride and groom should try to thank the guests for sharing their day, but since it's traditionally the parents of the bride who send out the wedding invitations, wouldn't they be the host/hostess? '

I've never really considered a wedding to be a party with a host/hostess myself, but then the few weddings I've been to haven't really been much like parties anyhow. More of a church service with some snacks afterward.

I've never been to a church with mints wedding. I'm from NY. Big white weddings with plated meals and open bars are the norm. Even out here in the upper midwest, the norm is a hot meal with dancing afterwards. The only exception was an outdoor pig roast with no dancing but outdoor games. But regardless of format, a wedding is a social event with social obligations including greeting all your guests whether it's a BWW or a pig roast.

Also, it's been years since I've been to a wedding the bride and groom did not host themselves. And even back in the old days when parents paid, the bride and groom would still be the honorees and still have a social obligation to greet every guest who chose to come to the event honoring them.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

We had no receiving line. Instead, we (meaning me and DH) made an effort to go around to each table at dinner and personally greet people. Since there were folks at our reception that weren't at the ceremony, this made more sense.