Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions

Receiving line... To have...or Not to have?

We are having 150 guests and the chapel vestibule is too small to accomadate a receiving line.  We would  have to do one outside of the chapel.    I'm really thinking about skipping it altogether.  My fiance` does not have an opinion and says it's up to me.  I've read "The Knot's" perspective, which says- its a polite and proper way of ensuring that each guest gets a personal greeting.  I'm iterested in your opinions.  Is this a must have feature? 

Re: Receiving line... To have...or Not to have?

  • are all your guests for sure going to the recption? then skip it. I know many churchs open wedding ceremonies up to the whole congragation, but the bride and groom hae a seperate ceremony, or sometimes elderly grandparents might only have the energy to come to the ceremony, in any case where peopel might not attend the WHOLE event a recieving line would be a must to thank the people who are there who you won't be seeing later. Our wedding is out of town so anyone coming to the ceremony will be at the recption, I would rather say thank yous and greet people there. We are skipping it.

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  • You should greet each guest personally.  You can do this one of several ways:
    - traditional receiving line leaving the ceremony/church
    - receiving line to enter the reception venue/cocktail hour
    - table visits during the meal

    If you plan on doing table visits, make sure you have enough time (15 tables is a lot).  Girls on here who have done them said they took way longer than expected, they didn't get to eat, they didn't get to dance, and/or they didn't get to all the tables.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_receiving-line-to-haveor-not-to-have?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:06e1877e-f6b6-41af-b985-c128e9072485Post:bcbe3c42-5e55-4327-88e9-25368476f393">Re: Receiving line... To have...or Not to have?</a>:
    [QUOTE] If you plan on doing table visits, make sure you have enough time (15 tables is a lot).  Girls on here who have done them said they took way longer than expected, they didn't get to eat, they didn't get to dance, and/or they didn't get to all the tables.
    Posted by naomikb[/QUOTE]

    <div><div style="font-family:Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10px;background-color:initial;background-image:none;background-attachment:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;font:normal normal normal 11px/14px Arial, sans-serif;">So glad to have ran across this post... I was planning on doing a recieving line, but then my wedding coordinator told me no one does them and just to visit tables during the dinner hour- But I was concerned about every single thing you listed. We'll definitely be rethinking that one :)</div></div>
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  • I do not consider it a must-have at all. I'm not a fan of them.
  • My question on the receiving line is--what if it's hot as crap outside?? We are having an August wedding-outdoor ceremony on the same grounds as air conditioned reception tent- and I've always envisioned doing a receiving line but I don't want anyone to feel like they are standing outside baking in the head waiting....Thoughts?
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  • I don't like them - what if you haven't met some of these people before? It's just awkward to stand there and smile, thank them and try to come up with some kind of conversation.

    I prefer the idea of visiting each table - that's what we're doing. This way if you haven't met someone before, at least they (hopefully) are sitting next to people you know, so you can include the other people in on any conversation.

    We're also eating as soon as we sit down, so we can go visit the tables while they're all eating. By the time we're done, it's time for dancing!
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_receiving-line-to-haveor-not-to-have?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:06e1877e-f6b6-41af-b985-c128e9072485Post:59aec630-c7cd-47ee-ac26-74387e174b6b">Re: Receiving line... To have...or Not to have?</a>:
    [QUOTE]My question on the receiving line is--what if it's hot as crap outside?? We are having an August wedding-outdoor ceremony on the same grounds as air conditioned reception tent- and I've always envisioned doing a receiving line but I don't want anyone to feel like they are standing outside baking in the head waiting....Thoughts?
    Posted by Rachel405[/QUOTE]
    I would definitely do it inside the air conditioned tent.

    Grab a drink and set up camp somewhere standing next to each other near the receiving table or guest table and let guests come to you.  Once a few people line up, the guests will get the picture.  They can get a drink and mingle during cocktail hour while waiting to visit you.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_receiving-line-to-haveor-not-to-have?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:06e1877e-f6b6-41af-b985-c128e9072485Post:bcbe3c42-5e55-4327-88e9-25368476f393">Re: Receiving line... To have...or Not to have?</a>:
    [QUOTE]You should greet each guest personally.  You can do this one of several ways: - traditional receiving line leaving the ceremony/church - receiving line to enter the reception venue/cocktail hour - table visits during the meal If you plan on doing table visits,<strong> make sure you have enough time (15 tables is a lot).  Girls on here who have done them said they took way longer than expected, they didn't get to eat, they didn't get to dance, and/or they didn't get to all the tables.</strong>
    Posted by naomikb[/QUOTE]<div>
    </div><div>This is the reason we are not doing table visits.  Plus, I don't want to spend the majority of my reception worrying about whether I have greeted every single person or not - FI and I would like to be able to enjoy ourselves and do what we want versus what we are obligated to do.  (Not to sound harsh or that I wouldn't like to greet guests, but I don't want to spend an hour at a table stuck talking to Great Aunt Marge about how our wedding reminds her of this wedding she went to one time....which reminds her of this other wedding....on and on.)</div><div>
    </div><div>We are doing something very similar to what you suggested - our receiving "line" will only be FI & myself, and we are going to stand in a courtyard about 50 yards or so from the chapel doors.  People who want to wait in line to greet us are welcome to, but if they don't want to stay they won't be trapped in the chapel from people waiting in the receiving line.  Any stragglers we'll greet at the reception.</div><div>
    </div><div>The other things I like about a receiving line is that when guests know that there are people waiting in line behind them, they aren't going to talk your ear off for an hour.  I think one of the reasons table visits take so long is that the conversation is typically a lot longer than congrats/we're so happy for you/the ceremony was beautiful, etc.

    </div>
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  • We're doing what PP said - we're going to have a receiving line of just FI and myself a little ways away. That way people can greet us if they'd like, but aren't stick in a line they don't want to be in. And I have no intention of going around to each table. I would like to eat, cut cake, and dance without other obligations, but still have my guests feel special.

    I was in a wedding recently and heard several comments about how it was weird that no one was available to greet the guests after the ceremony.
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  • Maybe you could have a receiving line at the reception? Just as the guests are coming in? We are doing one because we prefer the idea of the receiving line rather than bouncing from table to table during dinner. 
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  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_receiving-line-to-haveor-not-to-have?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:06e1877e-f6b6-41af-b985-c128e9072485Post:047f06aa-0edd-43ea-89b8-6477b6c5285f">Re: Receiving line... To have...or Not to have?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Receiving lines don't have to take a lot of time. Etiquette only requires the couple to be in it. Stand at the back of the ceremony venue, or the entrance to the reception, and shake hands with each guest.   That fulfills the social obligation. Never add parents, siblings, the wedding party, etc., to a receiving line if you can avoid it. This only serves to bog it down, and nobody wants to chat with a bridesmaid they don't know while they wait to get to you. My first wedding (widowed once, divorced once prior to this) had over a hundred guests.  Receiving line only took about 20 minutes.
    Posted by RetreadBride[/QUOTE]



    Thanks was wondering that.

     
  • I am not a big fan of them, and we did not have one but our main reasoning for that was that it was snowing and being a winter wedding we were pressed for time when it came to outside pictures and sunlight.

    As long as you go around to the tables after you finish eating or whenever suites you, I would believe that that is totally fine.  If your FI insists on having one and you would like one, when you recess, you can stay at the back of the church and as your guests leave the church you can shake their hands, hug, thank them, etc as everyone leaves the building.

    Good Luck :)
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  • Were not doing a receving line, we're going to tables at cocktail hour. We are having our ceremony and reception at the wedding venue.
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  • we're going to do ours as the guests go from the cocktail space to the main dining area. there are nibbles and open bar on both sides so guests don't feel like they're waiting forever in a line that moves slowly. from a logistics perspective, we'll stand on one side of the doorway and there will be a small table on the other side of the doorway so guests can put down their plates/drinks to hug us/shake hands. our coordinator suggested this setup.
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