Be our deciding factor on receiving lines.

dolewhipper

While I love table visits, I know it will take forever with my family (and 150 guests). I'm thinking a receiving line will be the way to go to keep people moving, and to allow my parents to properly thank guests (they are the hosts), considering mom is in a wheelchair and might have a hard time seeing everyone anyway. While talking to my FI and DOC about the timeline, we got stuck at when to do it. Ceremony @ church starts at 6, ends at 6:30, cocktail hour starts tentatively at 7 (but servers will be ready for when first guest arrives) and venue is 15 min away. 

#1: Church only allows 30 min after ceremony to take photos in church. DOC states a good point that we will want as much time as we can within the church to take photos (which this is also the only time they allow flash) and suggests we do not do the traditional, after ceremony receiving line.

#2: I think, then, the best time to have the receiving line would be as guests are entering the reception, then we could do the formal introductions by the MC.

#3: BUUUTTTT....Fi loves the whole idea of the formal introductions at the reception, and that people will see us for the first time as H&W as we make our entrance into the ballroom. He thinks having the receiving line at the reception will make the introductions seem kind of silly. 

Thoughts?

TL;DR: do I have my receiving line cut through my limited picture time or do it as guests enter reception?

SapphireCounselor

I definitely think you shouldn't cut into the limited picture time you have. You will need all of that 30 minutes unless you are okay with doing a first look and getting the pics out of the way before the ceremony. I also think that logistically it will be hard for you to do the receiving line at the reception since most/all of your guests will have already arrived by the time you get done with pictures at the church.

I know you didn't want to do table visits but I would really consider them in this case since it might be the most practical option. And honestly with 150 guests you will probably have around 11ish tables. It shouldn't take an inordinate amount of time.

Sugargirl1019

SapphireCounselor said:

I definitely think you shouldn't cut into the limited picture time you have. You will need all of that 30 minutes unless you are okay with doing a first look and getting the pics out of the way before the ceremony. I also think that logistically it will be hard for you to do the receiving line at the reception since most/all of your guests will have already arrived by the time you get done with pictures at the church.

I know you didn't want to do table visits but I would really consider them in this case since it might be the most practical option. And honestly with 150 guests you will probably have around 11ish tables. It shouldn't take an inordinate amount of time.

Eek how many people you fitting to a table? I'd say 15 tables max.

But I agree. You might need to do table visits to do everything you wanted to do with enough time. I appreciate table visits, because I know as a guest I am cared for and thought of.

A wedding I was just at, the bride did not do a receiving line, OR table visits. She was hid up on a stage with her bridal party tables, and I hardly saw her. Then she danced with her bridesmaids in a circle the rest of the time. I felt like she didn't care that we were there. I had to chase her down on the dance floor and pull her out to say hi and bye - and that made me feel rude and like she didn't care about me.

offensivekitten2

Well, the truth is that there is NO way to get around guests wanting to talk to you during your reception.  Sure maybe they shook your hand for a second, but they'll want something more substantive as well, and will approach during the reception.

So at the end of the day, if you are going to talk to everyone anyway, just skip the line.

SapphireCounselor

Sugargirl1019 said:

SapphireCounselor said:

I definitely think you shouldn't cut into the limited picture time you have. You will need all of that 30 minutes unless you are okay with doing a first look and getting the pics out of the way before the ceremony. I also think that logistically it will be hard for you to do the receiving line at the reception since most/all of your guests will have already arrived by the time you get done with pictures at the church.

I know you didn't want to do table visits but I would really consider them in this case since it might be the most practical option. And honestly with 150 guests you will probably have around 11ish tables. It shouldn't take an inordinate amount of time.

Eek how many people you fitting to a table? I'd say 15 tables max.

But I agree. You might need to do table visits to do everything you wanted to do with enough time. I appreciate table visits, because I know as a guest I am cared for and thought of.

A wedding I was just at, the bride did not do a receiving line, OR table visits. She was hid up on a stage with her bridal party tables, and I hardly saw her. Then she danced with her bridesmaids in a circle the rest of the time. I felt like she didn't care that we were there. I had to chase her down on the dance floor and pull her out to say hi and bye - and that made me feel rude and like she didn't care about me.

Yeah, lol, I was trying to do that math in my head before coffee and was loosely basing it on my wedding where we had 100 ppl so 10 guests to a table. I failed. Lol

Eta: typos

dolewhipper

Sugargirl1019 said:

I definitely think you shouldn't cut into the limited picture time you have. You will need all of that 30 minutes unless you are okay with doing a first look and getting the pics out of the way before the ceremony. I also think that logistically it will be hard for you to do the receiving line at the reception since most/all of your guests will have already arrived by the time you get done with pictures at the church. I know you didn't want to do table visits but I would really consider them in this case since it might be the most practical option. And honestly with 150 guests you will probably have around 11ish tables. It shouldn't take an inordinate amount of time.

Eek how many people you fitting to a table? I'd say 15 tables max. But I agree. You might need to do table visits to do everything you wanted to do with enough time. I appreciate table visits, because I know as a guest I am cared for and thought of. A wedding I was just at, the bride did not do a receiving line, OR table visits. She was hid up on a stage with her bridal party tables, and I hardly saw her. Then she danced with her bridesmaids in a circle the rest of the time. I felt like she didn't care that we were there. I had to chase her down on the dance floor and pull her out to say hi and bye - and that made me feel rude and like she didn't care about me.

I'm having tables of 10, so 15 tables. I will definitely do something, that's for sure. When would the hosts then thank the guests? Would my parents go around and do table visits with us? Or would they probably do most of the greeting prior to the ceremony? 

SapphireCounselor

shannonmaya said:

Sugargirl1019 said:

SapphireCounselor said:

I definitely think you shouldn't cut into the limited picture time you have. You will need all of that 30 minutes unless you are okay with doing a first look and getting the pics out of the way before the ceremony. I also think that logistically it will be hard for you to do the receiving line at the reception since most/all of your guests will have already arrived by the time you get done with pictures at the church.

I know you didn't want to do table visits but I would really consider them in this case since it might be the most practical option. And honestly with 150 guests you will probably have around 11ish tables. It shouldn't take an inordinate amount of time.

Eek how many people you fitting to a table? I'd say 15 tables max.

But I agree. You might need to do table visits to do everything you wanted to do with enough time. I appreciate table visits, because I know as a guest I am cared for and thought of.

A wedding I was just at, the bride did not do a receiving line, OR table visits. She was hid up on a stage with her bridal party tables, and I hardly saw her. Then she danced with her bridesmaids in a circle the rest of the time. I felt like she didn't care that we were there. I had to chase her down on the dance floor and pull her out to say hi and bye - and that made me feel rude and like she didn't care about me.

I'm having tables of 10, so 15 tables. I will definitely do something, that's for sure. When would the hosts then thank the guests? Would my parents go around and do table visits with us? Or would they probably do most of the greeting prior to the ceremony? 

Actually you could have your parents do their welcome as a kind of brief "speech" before the toasts get started.

phira

Our venue handbook has a list of reasons why they strongly suggest not having a receiving line. We're doing table visits.

I think that if you redefine your goal as, "Interact with every guest at some point before the end of the night and thank them for coming," table visits seem less daunting.

mysticl

shannonmaya said:

While I love table visits, I know it will take forever with my family (and 150 guests). I'm thinking a receiving line will be the way to go to keep people moving, and to allow my parents to properly thank guests (they are the hosts), considering mom is in a wheelchair and might have a hard time seeing everyone anyway. While talking to my FI and DOC about the timeline, we got stuck at when to do it. Ceremony @ church starts at 6, ends at 6:30, cocktail hour starts tentatively at 7 (but servers will be ready for when first guest arrives) and venue is 15 min away. 

#1: Church only allows 30 min after ceremony to take photos in church. DOC states a good point that we will want as much time as we can within the church to take photos (which this is also the only time they allow flash) and suggests we do not do the traditional, after ceremony receiving line.

#2: I think, then, the best time to have the receiving line would be as guests are entering the reception, then we could do the formal introductions by the MC.

#3: BUUUTTTT....Fi loves the whole idea of the formal introductions at the reception, and that people will see us for the first time as H&W as we make our entrance into the ballroom. He thinks having the receiving line at the reception will make the introductions seem kind of silly. 

Thoughts?

TL;DR: do I have my receiving line cut through my limited picture time or do it as guests enter reception?

Everyone will already have seen you as husband and wife.  That will happen at the precise moment where your officiant states "I now pronounce you husband and wife".  Then they will see you walk by during the recessional and probably floating around the back of the church waiting to take pictures.  Then some people may stick around during the pictures.  So the idea of not doing a receiving line because of not wanting to spoil people's first site of the married couple isn't valid.  You can still do a receiving line and have formal introductions at the reception.  That's how I've seen it done at almost every wedding I've been to.  I've have never heard anyone say it was silly.

As for the time we also had a very limited time in which take pictures at the church.  If your photographer is on top of everything and your wedding party and family doesn't wander off it doesn't really take that long.  

Doing the receiving line as guests enter the reception will work if your cocktail hour is in a separate room from the rest of the reception.  

Personally as a guest I hate table visits.  I don't like having my meal interrupted and the bride and groom usually just do a general hi and thank you to the whole table.  They don't address the individuals.  In a receiving line it may only be 5 to 10 seconds but it's 5 to 10 seconds where they are talking to me.  

dolewhipper

mysticl said:

shannonmaya said:

While I love table visits, I know it will take forever with my family (and 150 guests). I'm thinking a receiving line will be the way to go to keep people moving, and to allow my parents to properly thank guests (they are the hosts), considering mom is in a wheelchair and might have a hard time seeing everyone anyway. While talking to my FI and DOC about the timeline, we got stuck at when to do it. Ceremony @ church starts at 6, ends at 6:30, cocktail hour starts tentatively at 7 (but servers will be ready for when first guest arrives) and venue is 15 min away. 

#1: Church only allows 30 min after ceremony to take photos in church. DOC states a good point that we will want as much time as we can within the church to take photos (which this is also the only time they allow flash) and suggests we do not do the traditional, after ceremony receiving line.

#2: I think, then, the best time to have the receiving line would be as guests are entering the reception, then we could do the formal introductions by the MC.

#3: BUUUTTTT....Fi loves the whole idea of the formal introductions at the reception, and that people will see us for the first time as H&W as we make our entrance into the ballroom. He thinks having the receiving line at the reception will make the introductions seem kind of silly. 

Thoughts?

TL;DR: do I have my receiving line cut through my limited picture time or do it as guests enter reception?

Everyone will already have seen you as husband and wife.  That will happen at the precise moment where your officiant states "I now pronounce you husband and wife".  Then they will see you walk by during the recessional and probably floating around the back of the church waiting to take pictures.  Then some people may stick around during the pictures.  So the idea of not doing a receiving line because of not wanting to spoil people's first site of the married couple isn't valid.  You can still do a receiving line and have formal introductions at the reception.  That's how I've seen it done at almost every wedding I've been to.  I've have never heard anyone say it was silly.

As for the time we also had a very limited time in which take pictures at the church.  If your photographer is on top of everything and your wedding party and family doesn't wander off it doesn't really take that long.  

Doing the receiving line as guests enter the reception will work if your cocktail hour is in a separate room from the rest of the reception.  

Personally as a guest I hate table visits.  I don't like having my meal interrupted and the bride and groom usually just do a general hi and thank you to the whole table.  They don't address the individuals.  In a receiving line it may only be 5 to 10 seconds but it's 5 to 10 seconds where they are talking to me.  

Yea, I agree Fi's reasoning is a bit...silly. DOC is concerned because even with our awesome photographer, 30 min is to take family and "recreate" any kind of close up photos wanted (photographer isn't allowed in aisle or on alter during ceremony). I'll talk it over with the photographer and see what he thinks since he's shot weddings at this church before.

RebeccaB88

mysticl said:

Personally as a guest I hate table visits.  I don't like having my meal interrupted and the bride and groom usually just do a general hi and thank you to the whole table.  They don't address the individuals.  In a receiving line it may only be 5 to 10 seconds but it's 5 to 10 seconds where they are talking to me.  

This, so much this!  I hate table visits and way prefer a receiving line. It's a huge pet peeve of mine to be interrupted while I'm having a meal. You have to wipe your fingers and mouth, put down your silverware and napkin, move your chair and stand up, then get out of the way while your neighbor stands up. It's not all that personal either, there always seems to be other people jumping in, and sometimes you're trying to talk to the whole table at once. I'd prefer waiting in a line for a bit and getting to talk to you more personally for a few extra seconds.

MuppetOverlord

I vote for table visits.

You know, I don't know the answer to the hosts going around thanking the guests because I've never been to a wedding where it happened. I've always seen the bride and groom do it.