Introductions..No cocktail hour

Jessa617 · January 2013

My ceremony and reception are being held in the same venue. I am also taking photos prior to the ceremony. Basically once the ceremony ends, the reception immediately starts. When do the introductions take place? How would this typically work in my case? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

itzMS · January 2013

Here's three options that I can think of.
1. Do 10 minutes or so of pictures immediately following the recessional it would give guests enough to move into the reception area and find their seats. You'll have that newly married glow so I'm sure the pictures would be great. When you're done, whoever is introducing you could welcome everyone and do the whole "For the first time Mr and Mrs...!"
2. Do a receiving line. Follow the last guest into the reception room and be introduced at that time
3. Don't worry about introductions. Everyone knows who you are. Just join your guests and start the dinner/party without making a big hyped up deal of it.

AddieCake · January 2013

I vote for # 3 on MS's list above. I've never really understood the whole "announcing" or "introducing" thing.

lyndausvi · January 2013

I would still have a cocktail hour. Say 30-45 mintues? It's a good way for people to meet and greet with other guests, get a drink, you have time regroup, even take a post-wedding picture or two. Then start the introductions.

melb2013 · January 2013

I also vote for #3, that's what we're doing. Intros are a pretty new concept and I don't understand the point.

We are having a cocktail hour, but it's in the same space as the reception. We could have forgone it altogether, but we are doing a receiving line after the ceremony and wanted people to have some refreshments for while we were finishing up the receiving line and getting settled. I agree with lynda that it does give guests a way to regroup, so you might want to think about it.

lyndausvi · January 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_introductionsno-cocktail-hour?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:5e2e3a5a-a8df-41ab-9a66-538b53206e23Post:d2cb930f-e8f2-4e20-98a2-ba0393bcdd85">Re: Introductions..No cocktail hour</a>:
[QUOTE]I also vote for #3, that's what we're doing. <strong>Intros are a pretty new concept and I don't understand the point. </strong>We are having a cocktail hour, but it's in the same space as the reception. We could have forgone it altogether, but we are doing a receiving line after the ceremony and wanted people to have some refreshments for while we were finishing up the receiving line and getting settled. I agree with lynda that it does give guests a way to regroup, so you might want to think about it.
Posted by melb2013[/QUOTE]

<div>Umm, I've attended wedding since the 1970's and have always seen introductions. They are certainly not needed, but they are hardly new either.</div>

melb2013 · January 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_introductionsno-cocktail-hour?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:5e2e3a5a-a8df-41ab-9a66-538b53206e23Post:74eeec81-9647-420d-9743-176f979c280b">Re: Introductions..No cocktail hour</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Introductions..No cocktail hour : Umm, I've attended wedding since the 1970's and have always seen introductions. They are certainly not needed, but they are hardly new either.
Posted by lyndausvi[/QUOTE]<div>
</div><div>They were introduced in the later 20th century- they are not a long standing tradition and have no purpose.

</div>

reppunzel · January 2013

I was bridesmaid at a friend's wedding who handled it this way -- as the bridal party recessed, we went directly to a room across the hall from the sanctuary (at the church) and stayed there until all the guests had made their way toward the fellowship hall where the reception was taking place. Once most of them were in, the DOC added us to the end of the line in order. They closed the doors briefly behind the last guest, then the DJ began the introductions, starting with the flower girls, then WP and culminating with the newlyweds.

IF you do this, though, please have reserved seats for your BP. In this case, only the family had reserved tables, the rest was open seating, and by the time we got in, the only places left for those of us who weren't family were waaaaaaay off in the far corner. Even by standing up, I couldn't even see them as they did their special dances, and got nasty looks when I stood up and walked to where I could see for the cake cutting. We were dead last to be allowed up to the buffet, and waited almost an hour to be served cake.

melb2013 · January 2013

I also didn't personally see an introduction at a wedding until the 21st century- my family was pretty horrified by the showyness of it when first saw it. I realize they happened before that, but it wasn't thought of as this thing that had to happen

JennaMichelle88 · January 2013

I am in this same situation and this is how I am currently planning on handling it (it might change in a couple weeks

):

Recessional
Receiving Line
Guests walk across the road to the barn reception where the bar is open
FI and I take a few more pictures, relax for a few minutes, etc.
We walk over to the barn and are introduced, first dance, party!

I didn't want to do a cocktail hour because not having hors d'oeurves would save a fair amount of money. Between the end of the receving line and the beginning of dinner should be less than an hour, so I think they can handle it.

lyndausvi · January 2013

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_introductionsno-cocktail-hour?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:5e2e3a5a-a8df-41ab-9a66-538b53206e23Post:748e9b50-a083-4948-83c3-fd3d292bd763">Re: Introductions..No cocktail hour</a>:
[QUOTE]I also didn't personally see an introduction at a wedding until the 21st century- my family was pretty horrified by the showyness of it when first saw it. I realize they happened before that, but it wasn't thought of as this thing that had to happen
Posted by melb2013[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>They are certainly not necessary. With the big white dress, sweetheart table/head table, first dance, offical cake cutting, toasts, etc. I hardly think an introduction puts a couple over the showyness line.</div><div>
</div><div>Of course, if you were invited to a wedding and didn't know the couple getting all the attention was the newlywed, well you have other issues.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>I'll admit I like BP introductions because I'm nosey and want to know who everyone is. just because I know the couple, doesn't mean I know who their parents or siblings are. As I said, I'm nosey.</div>

jessicabessica · January 2013

I would suggest having a cocktail hour for the reasons Lynda mentioned. It's not just to take photos, it's also for guests to mingle and relax after sitting through the ceremony before they sit down for more food and more stuff to watch (toasts, spotlight dances, etc.).

If you don't want to have a cocktail hour, I would go to a private room with your new H for 5-10 minutes while the guests go into the reception room, and then go in and be introduced after everyone has been seated. This is actually traditional for Jewish weddings (10-15 minutes of seclusion following the ceremony). We did it before joining our guests at cocktail hour, and it was really nice to have a few minutes alone before we went out and greeted our guests and were very much in the spotlight again.

Ella and Pedro · January 2013

My husband-to-be and I are planning what I am calling a "wedding oasis." It was inspired by an idea from our limo company. We didn't have the budget to have our much-desired classic car for the whole evening, so we opted to rent one for the period when most guests will be able to see and enjoy it, and to take a little ride in it - immediately after the ceremony. So, we're getting this classic car to pick us up at our hotel, bring us to the venue (a mile away) wait during the ceremony out front, and then to drive us for a quick sexy one-on-one photo shoot near our venue. We'll be back for the 2nd half of the cocktail hour, and we get our intimate one-on-one time to enjoy each other before the reception chaos. We plan to do visits to each reception table as greeting. We don't plan a receiving line. Our photographer is really excited about this sexy classic car newlywed-focused photoshoot ...which will be at the Inner Harbor of Baltimore, with a tall ship in the background, as well as the skyline and lights. We're really excited about an 'oasis' as we are both not showy people, and it gives us a break from unending attention from 100 people, all day and night long. You could do something like this, while your guests have a mini cocktail hour --- it would not have to be fancy, maybe just a walk to a nearby park with the photographer - or alone.

Good luck!

E

Jessa617 · January 2013

Thanks for all the suggestions! The difficult part about figuring this out is that the ceremony and the reception are all in the same room. I suppose the DJ could introduce us "for the first time as mr. & mrs." immediately when the ceremony ends and then go right into the recessional.

I like the idea of taking a few minutes in a private room to ourselves afterwards so it makes more sense to have a recessional.

Introductions..No cocktail hour

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