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I hate receiving lines. They are so awkward! Awkward hugs, awkward hand shakes, etc.
We went around each table. Everyone could say hello, we had some adult bevs in hand, and we were definitely less overwhelmed than RIGHT after the ceremony. We really liked it. We only got to eat some of our dinner, but it was just chicken!
We had a receiving line right after the ceremony as guests came in for cocktail hour, then took pics, came back and when reception started, we also visited every table...then during dinner, hubby made a welcome speech.
I'm having a fairly small wedding so we plan on just going around to the tables.
We skipped the receiving line, and went around to everyone during cocktail hour and the reception. We had a small guest list (73) and were able to get around to everyone during cocktail hour. Seeing people more at the reception was just bonus points.
We're definitely going to make the full cocktail hour so that will be our social hour to meet and greet the guests. We scheduled our photos and our first look around this plan to make sure it happens. We also plan to give a thank you speech toward the end of the night to everyone. No receiving lines, no tables.
I said "other". We're having a private ceremony and we've allocated about 3 hours between our ceremony and our reception so we're hoping that nobody will arrive early and we, plus our families and bridal party will make it to the reception venue early so we can just greet everyone as they come in. No receiving line as such, more like an informal party where the host and hostess are already there.
We had a smaller amount of guests so we did a receiving line. That way it was over with and I didn't have to worry about walking around to all the tables during the reception.
I know we won't be having a receiving line. I haven't thought much else about it yet, but I think we will probably greet our guests during the cocktail hour right after the ceremony.
A couple of you said something I never thought of... greeting your guest during coktail hour.
Since we are having a church ceremony we do have a gap so we would be able to take pictures and still make it to cocktail hour if we choose. So if we go around and greet everyone during coktail hours, do we still get introduced into the ballroom?
We did a receiving line at the end of church. Our reception was kind of short and we wanted to spend some time together partying at the reception, not going around to each table of guests.
I'm not a fan of receiving lines either. You have to hug everyone (ugggh if you have a veil!) and your guests have to wait forever to leave the ceremony location.
I voted visit tables...but if you do, make sure you do get to say at least a hello to each of your guests. I really regret not making it to all my tables!
@roxy - We made our cocktail hour so we could pass out our gifts. We also still go introduced. Our cocktail hour was held outside the ballroom, so the hotel staff ushered everyone inside and then we were introduced once everyone had sat down.
It is so much more fun to go around and visit the tables than stand in a boring line and not get to say all that you want to say to your guests. Hubs and I did this before most other couples getting married at the time (23 years ago) and I wouldn't have had it any other way. Made me feel connected to our guests and was better than an impersonal "hello" and on to the next guest.
Glad to see a resurgence for a more informal way of greeting and visiting.
We're just going to go around to greet the guests. I don't like the receiving line.
I voted for going around to tables, mostly because as a guest I'm too impatient to stand in line, when I really just want to go get a beer.
We aren't having a receiving line in the sense that the entire bridal party stands there and talks to guests. Its totally awkward and half of them won't know most of our guests. Our cocktail hour is in the restaurant next to the reception room at the golf club, so as guests move from one room to the other, just the two of us are going to stand and greet them. We're going to have a thank you speech as well and we'll probably go around to the tables too. I know it seems like a lot, but we want to make sure our guests know how much we appreciate them being there. :)
@otb- Thanks. Our cocktail hour will be held outside so we will have the same situation. I'm thinking maybe it will be best to go see everyone during this time and then be introduced in the ballroom.
Uh, my least favorite part of weddings (and the part I tend to duck out on).
FI is forcing me to chose one or the other, so I'm thinking right now we'll go around to the tables. Yes, it'll probably require more small talk and we run the risk of getting roped into a long convo, but it'll get me out of having to dance which is the other part of weddings I hate (not nesessarily the dancing, but the big circle around the bride type dancing - hate that stuff). Plus, because I want to have time for photos in between the ceremony and reception, I don't want to waste time saying hello to ppl then and would rather shove them into the cocktail hr so we can start snapping away.
We are having 170+ guests and feel it would take too long for a receiving line. We plan to make a welcome speech and greet our guests at their table.
oooh i like the idea of popping in for cocktail hour! we have a relatively small wedding less than 120, so only about ehhh 9 tables. but i want to make sure we eat!
My FI and I love to dance, so I'm afraid with 250 people we would never get to the dance floor if we went to every single table and that would be a receiving line.
I think I might end up greet everyone during coktail hour and make a little speech during the reception. Hopefully that covers it.
We are going around to tables, but we are having about 200 guests, so I don't think we'll get to everyone. FI is making the last toast and is going to thank all our guests. I think he would like to do a receiving line but it is way too formal for our wedding, not to mention time-consuming.
We attended our own cocktail hour and then greeted guests in a receiving line as they headed up to dinner. (Our dinner was held on the 3rd floor of our club, so the party moved from the grand foyer, upstairs). It was the perfect opportunity to see everyone and make sure we thanked everyone for coming.
I think we're going to make our rounds at our cocktail hour. If not, then definitely table by table at the reception!
I have heard that it can take a really long time to do the receiving line and I want to hurry and get pictures done so we can get to the reception. That is why I think we will just go table to table at the reception.
As a guest, I hate the receiving line, but it isn't the end of the world. For a formal, large wedding, I would prefer it right after the services.
We're going to do a combination - attending the cocktail hour to mingle, doing a thanks-for-coming toast, and going around to the tables. Our wedding will have around 140 guests with a 5-hour reception/cocktail hour, so hopefully this will give us time to chat with everyone.
We're having an intimate wedding of 60, so we're going around to each table, but worry not ladies our fathers are in charge of saving us food! (Oh and we're eatting PBJs before the ceremony- because we get cranky without food)
I find going around to tables to be so much more personal. There is more time for conversation, and less rush. That being said, I think that a receiving line after the ceremony is more traditional, at least in my own family, and I would probably do that as well, even if I do find it a bit uncomfortable.
we will be going around the tables plus we are going to give thanks to everybody
I agree with the other bees that the lines are awkward.. but I also understand that not everyone attends the reception, so it's a toss up. I liked what my cousin did at their wedding last summer in that they dismissed each pew in the church after the ceremony, so they came back in and kind of got to greet each person as they were leaving the ceremony.
Ditto to @Abbee -- I've been to 3 weddings now that did that. The bride and groom came back into the Sancuary and dismissed each pew individually. I think it works better than receiving lines because most people don't care all that much about saying anything to the rest of the bridal party. And going around to tables usually ends up meaning that you don't get time to relax and eat food!
We hope to greet a large amount of the guests during the cocktail hour, and make a quick round during the reception.
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What did/ or what are you planning to do at your wedding? I want to make sure that I address my guests, but since we have a large guest list how can I address my guests without having it take up the whole wedding?
If you already had your wedding, any advice on what worked for you would be great.