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Lisa50

Greeting guests ...

Donna,

I'd like to learn more about your experience(s) with couples greeting their guests before the ceremony.  I've never heard of that but it sounds lovely ... and grown up.  I love it!!  Does the couple wait until all guests are seated?   Are the officiant and attendants already at the front, waiting?  Do tell, please.

Thanks,

Lisa

right1thistime

Well... I didn't actually do it, and I haven't seen it- but I thought it was a great idea in the post I commented on below.  

If I were going to plan it, I would be very likely to start on time (type A personality), and most likely would have one of the family members or attendants have one of those xylophone like instruments that they use at conferences (sort of a musical bell to ask the guests to take their seats).   I wouldn't make the officiant hang out up at the front, he/she could certainly mingle as well, until the time to begin was at hand.   I think you could do the processional any way you'd like, including attendants.  If we had done this, I think it would be appropriate to have the B & G process in together (I really like that symbolism- going into this together). 

As the host and hostess, I think this works out nicely.  I would think it would be harder to accomplish in a church than in another venue.  ~Donna

right1thistime

chime = http://www.trainerswarehouse.com/prodinfo.asp?number=CHIME

Lisa50

I like it!  For sure, I am thinking more seriously about the two of us walking to the front together (not sure we'll have an aisle).  I haven't quite made the leap to greeting the guests first.  I wish I could see what its like.  Hmm ...

Oh yeah, and whatever we do, the terrace doors will open on timeand someone (officiant, best men, groom, bride) will walk though!  I am all about starting on time and have already told one cousin, who is notoriously late for everything, that if she's late she may miss the whole thing!  LOL!

I love the chimes; it conjured up scenes from old movies.  I bet our venue has something like that (it is an historic inn).  Great ideas, thanks!

Cattm42

We will be greeting our guests as they arrive, but then again we are not doing much of anything traditional. Our reception and cermony are blended instead of being two seperate events.
Our event program reads as follows:
Meet and Greet - Party begins
Dinner
Ceremony - vow exchange in the middle of the room
First dance
Dessert (cake cutting)
Party continues
The whole thing is going to have more of a party/dinner feel than a "Wedding Ceremony" as we have both, been there done that more than once.

crabtreekr

Cattm42 - I really like your idea of events.  I'm doing a vow renewal, and I was having a hard time planning a ceremony and reception as separate events and making it not seem like a wedding.

I think greeting the guests beforehand is a nice way to make them feel comfortable and relaxed.  I always feel so awkward sitting there waiting for a wedding to start, not knowing if it's appropriate to talk with friends, etc.  I think if it begins with mingling, people won't just sit there waiting for things to start.  The wedding party can also be mingling, and then start the ceremony how you would normally.  Maybe you should give the wedding party a time to be back in place, ready to go, like 5 minutes early or something.  You don't want to feel rushed and unorganized as your trying to get everyone down the isle.

Cattm42

I don't even have an "isle", no MOH, or BM to worry about LOL. After we finish dinner, my FI and I will meet the Officiant at the appointed place, the DJ will announce that the ceremony is beginning. After the "you may kiss the bride" part, the DJ will play the 1st dance song, shortly after that we will move to the cake table and finish the official "wedding" part by cutting the cake.

If you have a wedding party and an isle to walk down, you would definitely want to have an appointed time for the WP to meet and verify that everyone was in place.

Marrin713

We will have been married 2 days when our celebration takes place.  So we'll be there front and center with our mothers to greet the guests as they come in.  There will be stragglers I know so we're not going to stand there for hours waiting.  Just about 1/2 hr if that.  The venue is small and all invited are near and dear to us so they'll know where to find us

AdelphiTN

We are similar to Cattrn, here's our order:

secretly meet in a room for that 'ah' moment
party begins on the deck on the beach, we go out to greet guests
at sunset we step out to the sand together and exchange vows
step back to the deck for dinner, dancing, cake, party!

Cattm42

Adelphi that sounds WONDERFUL!! I bet its going to be a great time for all involved.

Lisa50

Wow!  These are such good options, wonderful variations on the theme.  I wonder what the FI will say when I bring up the dinner/vows/dessert order of events. Hee hee!

Hmm ... I will really want to noodle this over.  I never even thought about the exchange of vows occurring at any other time than at the beginning of the evening.  Sweet! 

Thanks to all!