how long should this take...?

Re: how long should this take...?

• Casadena member

  

  March 2015

  I'm a huge fan of receiving lines over table visits as a guest. I hate having to make awkward small talk with couple and ten other ppl I may not know well while I'm trying to eat my dinner. It seems very disruptive to me personally. Either is fine etiquette wise though.

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• jacques27 member

  

  March 2015 edited March 2015

  As a guest, I also prefer receiving lines (so long as it's just the bride(s)/groom(s) and other hosts like parents and not the whole wedding party - I have zero interest in shaking hands and chit-chatting with Bridesmaid #4 or Groomsman #2, etc.).  The waiting in line part kind of stinks, but it's over faster (people tend to not linger when the receiving line is between them and food/booze and they see a line of people behind them waiting).  Whereas with table visits - they generally are about 5 minutes per table, in my experience, but it also tends to be chit chat monopolized by a few chattier people at the table.  Plus, interrupting my dinner.

  The other nice thing about receiving lines vs. table visits, in my opinion, is that you're  almost guaranteed to personally greet everyone, whereas you could miss people who have gone to the restroom or the bar or to get food if you're having a buffet during table visits and then have to keep track and make sure you find them later.

  However, some b(s)/g(s) prefer table visits precisely because it does provide a bit more interaction with the guests than the superficial greetings and hugs in the receiving line.

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• ShesSoCold mod

  

  March 2015

  H and I went to a wedding this fall and they did a receiving line kinda thing immediately after the ceremony. Instead of walking out immediately after the first kiss, they went aisle by aisle and hugged and thanked everyone as they walked out. 

  
  

  I think they also did the table visits, but I really liked the way that they did that after the ceremony. 

  
  

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  March 2015

  ShesSoCold said:

  H and I went to a wedding this fall and they did a receiving line kinda thing immediately after the ceremony. Instead of walking out immediately after the first kiss, they went aisle by aisle and hugged and thanked everyone as they walked out. 

  
  

  I think they also did the table visits, but I really liked the way that they did that after the ceremony. 

  This would be a great option. Then you hit everyone. You can still go around to tables and say hi, but if someone is up at the bar or bathroom, you won't have to worry about missing them because you got them early. It will suck to miss part of your cocktail hour. It's either you miss that or you miss out time at your reception where you can be dancing or talking to guests catching up because you are doing table visits.
  

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• southernbelle0915 mod

  

  March 2015

  We did a receiving line. With about 175 guests, I think it took 20-25 minutes or so.
  
  The nice thing about receiving lines is that people feel the need to keep moving because there's a line. You can always double back with people at the reception and we made every effort to do so, but we didn't feel awful if we missed anyone because we had already thanked each guest for coming

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• BlueBirdMB member

  

  March 2015

  We did a receiving line and for 120 it took about 10-15 minutes.  It was quick and painless.  We did manage to talk to everyone another time throughout the night, but if we missed some people it wasn't a big deal because we had already thanked them.

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• climbingsingle member

  

  April 2015

  I'm partial to receiving lines. We did one and it took about 15 minutes I think. 

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• MandyMost member

  

  April 2015

  I'm partial to table visits. I've only ever seen a receiving line, personally, at relatives weddings when I was a kid and it was a church wedding. Never at any of the probably 20+ weddings I've been to as an adult! That seems odd given the resposnes above mine!

  
  

  When doing table visits, it's no big deal if you miss one person because they're at the bar or the bathroom. It happens. You have the whole evening to see all the guests--you can get the majority done with the table visits and then see anyone you missed while dancing and mingling. 

  
  

  I'd much rather be sitting and eating while waiting to greet the bride and groom, than standing in a line!

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  April 2015

  jacques27 said:

  As a guest, I also prefer receiving lines (so long as it's just the bride(s)/groom(s) and other hosts like parents and not the whole wedding party - I have zero interest in shaking hands and chit-chatting with Bridesmaid #4 or Groomsman #2, etc.).  The waiting in line part kind of stinks, but it's over faster (people tend to not linger when the receiving line is between them and food/booze and they see a line of people behind them waiting).  Whereas with table visits - they generally are about 5 minutes per table, in my experience, but it also tends to be chit chat monopolized by a few chattier people at the table.  Plus, interrupting my dinner.

  The other nice thing about receiving lines vs. table visits, in my opinion, is that you're  almost guaranteed to personally greet everyone, whereas you could miss people who have gone to the restroom or the bar or to get food if you're having a buffet during table visits and then have to keep track and make sure you find them later.

  However, some b(s)/g(s) prefer table visits precisely because it does provide a bit more interaction with the guests than the superficial greetings and hugs in the receiving line.

  I'm sorry, not about the topic... but how much do I hate that the Pound sign or Number sign is now only a damn hashtag.  You're trying to number things and put the number sign in front of a number and all of a sudden it's a twitter tag.  Sigh.  I hate social media.

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