Greeting guests

ali585

What's the protocol on having a receiving line post-ceremony vs. going table to table at the reception? Do you do both? One or the other? 

I'm worried FH and I won't make it around to every table at the reception b/c we're having 200 guests. Should we do a receiving line to make sure we greet everyone at least once, then go to as many tables as possible at the reception to chat more? Or just the receiving line?

TiffannieF

I would just go around to each table.

specialk84

Do one or the other. 

We did table visits, and like Duds, we made sure to talk with the people who might leave early first.

Surprisingly, my father's friends are the ones who stayed the longest.

mica178

I much prefer table visits.  Why make your guests wait in line to be thanked?

AMISSA31

My FI and I are not having a receiving line after the ceremony....we will be going to each table.

ramsey800

I personally don't like the idea of a receiving line either because it can really drag things out. Though some of my family reallyyyy want us to have one. So, I'm right there with you trying to decide for my own wedding.

lauralaur

We did a receiving line but it was just the two of us. We have a lot of parents (divorces and such) so we told them to spread out and it was just the two of us in the receiving line. I'm glad we did it because my H ended up camping out at two tables and so I avoided those tables in order to get good "coverage," if you will, and hardly anyone else ended up talking to him. I think we both ended up missing a lot of people at the reception because of it.

Or, ya know, you could just not do what my H did and spread out a bit more.

Starfish0116

I'm really debating this as well. Either way I think it's going to suck.

Our wedding is fairly large, at least 300, and it's a form of stress for me in planning the day. I feel like doing a recieving line would take a lot of time after the ceremony, but then again we are doing . That being said, I feel like visiting 38 tables would take forever. I also feel like people are more inclined to latch on at the reception and talk your ear off.

DramaGeek

We did a receiving line.  Since we had a buffet, we kind of made ourselves a part of the buffet, so people talked to us while they were waiting in line anyway.  It worked out really well, and no one tried to monopolize the line since they all wanted to get to the food.

sweetcanadian1979

A receiving line would not work for us, it would hold too many people up but we will probably stand outside informally for 10 mins or so for people to give us a hug if they wish without feeling obliged (usually the way it works here).

His mom really wants us to serve the cake ourselves so we will probably do that, then go around to the tables, then i am going to dance my ass off with anyone who wants to join me.

weddingmuse

I went to a wedding just this last weekend where the B & G did a receiving line plus made the effort to visit each table and thank guests for coming.  It was really nice - it's been a long time since I've been to a wedding with a receiving line.  Since it included the parents, it also gave me the opportunity to meet the FOB, whom I had not met before.

BTW, the receiving line's purpose is not necessarily to thank your guests - it's to "receive" them (officially greet them) the first time as a married couple, and for the B & G to receive their best wishes.  Also, for the traditional hosts, the parents.

I'm an ancient MOB, but back in my bridesmaid days, receiving lines were the done thing, and they included the entire wedding party.  So I've been in a few.  If you have someone bring you a cocktail, they're not so tedious.