Bride & Groom Reception Etiquette

Lincolnmagoo

Hey everyone - I would love your advice and experiences with the proper etiquette for the modern bride & groom during the wedding reception.

My fiance and I plan to mingle with everyone during cocktail hour and then make table rounds during dinner to say hello to everyone personally. (We don't plan on doing a formal receiving line.)

My main question is this - once our table visits are over and it becomes more of the party part of the reception with dancing and everything is it okay for us to focus more on our friends and close family? And guests who are on the dance floor having a good time? Not that we would ever ignore our guests! Please don't take what I'm saying that way. My question is coming from my concern that my future husband and I may get pulled around by other family members (specifically FMIL) to talk to other guests. We don't want this to happen all night.. I'm worried it will! We both feel as if we'll have done our duty of agknowleding all of the guests and want to really enjoy the reception, not feel like we're constantly being pulled away. I've heard of some brides feeling like they don't even get a chance to dance! I want to know if it's okay to let people know that we want "our time" later during the reception. Especially since we are paying for most of it ourselves! What do you ladies think? Crazy? Acceptable?

cudababy71

I'm actually curoius as to what others will say to this. I am doing what you are doing and I want to enjoy my night once the real party starts.

J&K10910

I think that as long as you're not purposefully neglecting anyone, and you make it a point to say hi or something to people at the bar, at tables when you walk past, whatever, that you'll be fine.

It's been my experience at almost every wedding I've gone to that once the dance floor is opened, the B&G spend most of their time there.  And I think that most parents' friends/obligatory invitees/etc usually leave shortly after dinner and cake anyway.

achiduck

We're doing a receiving line instead of table visits. I will talk to anyone around me, at the bar and will probably sit down at my older relatives table for a few minutes after dinner and whatnot to chat with them before they leave but I intend to spend most of the party portion of the reception on the dance floor.

I agree with J&K, as long as you're not freezing out the people around you then you're golden.

Lincolnmagoo

Awesome thanks ladies!

itzMS

As much as DH & I intended to "make rounds", the time just flew. I know we didn't get to everyone. We also had a larger wedding (over 200). I think any good guest realizes that the day is very busy for the bride & groom. Be gracious, and try your best. The best thing DH & I did was stay together at all times (aside from bathroom breaks!!). We were pretty much arm & arm all night long. This doesn't work for everyone, but we had a similar mentality that we wanted to enjoy the reception together.

OliveOilsMom

The only time I was pulled around, was when guests started leaving.  They were coming up to H & I to say a final congrats and good bye.  We were able to make it to all the tables during dinner, so when the dancing started, we were on the dance floor.  But we had a solid hour and a half where it was just us able to enjoy our reception.

Miss_2010

I'm pretty sure as long as you speak to everybody (or make a good attempt, you may miss a few) during the cocktail hour/when things are getting cleaned up/prepared for the dance....I would just focus on the party when it starts.  That's my plan, unless an awful song is on and I don't feel like dancing to it...otherwise I don't plan on leaving the dancefloor for anybody (there better be a good darn crisis!).