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Receiving line vs. table visits

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Re: Receiving line vs. table visits

  • crowsgirl15crowsgirl15 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    PoodleDoodleOoo said:
    @peachy13 - they must have had a ridiculously inefficient set up. I've been to weddings with 350+ and the receiving lines were still never longer than 15 minutes - even if you were the very last person!
    I was at a similar one not long ago that I mentioned above - about 150 people, 30-40 minutes in line as one of the last people. It can depend on a lot of things: the couple, of course, but also how much the people in front of you in line feel they have to say.


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  • SaintPaulGalSaintPaulGal member
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    crowsgirl15 said:
    I've been to a ceremony and reception in the same place with a receiving line. The guest list was probably 150-200. My date and I spent about 30 minutes staring forlornly at drinks and apps while we waited to shake hands with the bride and groom.

    I'm team table visits for larger weddings. I'm actually of the opinion that receiving lines work much better for a small crowd. You always have to think of the guest who's in the back of that long line.
    My vote is the exact opposite: receiving line for large weddings and table visits for smaller groups.  If you have a bunch of people, a receiving line is the best way to make sure you get the chance to greet each and every person in attendance.  It's kind of an assembly line, but you need that kind of efficiency if you are having a huge wedding.  Think about it...if you have 300 guests and you spend just 2 minutes talking to each person at their table, it would take you 10 HOURS to  touch base with everyone.  A receiving line cuts this down to just a few seconds per guest.

    With a smaller wedding, you can have the luxury of spending more quality time with each guest.  That allows you to throw out the rushed meet-and-greet and do table visits.  If you invite 50 people and you can 5+ minutes talking to each one within a typical reception time frame.
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  • OurWildKingdomOurWildKingdom member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    As of right now, the guest list is 106 (including us). So not huge, but not small either.
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  • crowsgirl15crowsgirl15 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    SaintPaulGal said:
    crowsgirl15 said:
    I've been to a ceremony and reception in the same place with a receiving line. The guest list was probably 150-200. My date and I spent about 30 minutes staring forlornly at drinks and apps while we waited to shake hands with the bride and groom.

    I'm team table visits for larger weddings. I'm actually of the opinion that receiving lines work much better for a small crowd. You always have to think of the guest who's in the back of that long line.
    My vote is the exact opposite: receiving line for large weddings and table visits for smaller groups.  If you have a bunch of people, a receiving line is the best way to make sure you get the chance to greet each and every person in attendance.  It's kind of an assembly line, but you need that kind of efficiency if you are having a huge wedding.  Think about it...if you have 300 guests and you spend just 2 minutes talking to each person at their table, it would take you 10 HOURS to  touch base with everyone.  A receiving line cuts this down to just a few seconds per guest.

    With a smaller wedding, you can have the luxury of spending more quality time with each guest.  That allows you to throw out the rushed meet-and-greet and do table visits.  If you invite 50 people and you can 5+ minutes talking to each one within a typical reception time frame.
    As I mentioned before, my experience has been that in a receiving line, people don't spend just a few seconds per guest. It's closer to 30-45 seconds, which, though it may be more convenient for the bride and groom, is a long time in line for the guests at the back of that line.

    If people can keep it at a few seconds (as people in this thread have done), then great, but I haven't had that experience. It may not even be the fault of the bride and groom...it also requires the guests in line to keep it at a few seconds, and I don't know that's realistic.

    With table visits, it's more convenient for the guests, but less convenient for the bride and groom. It's going to take them that same 30-45 seconds that the receiving line took, but then it's time your guests don't have to wait in line.


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