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When to do table visits during the reception?

suteki325suteki325 member
25 Love Its 10 Comments First Anniversary
in Wedding Etiquette Forum
Hello everyone!

FI and I have decided to forego having a traditional receiving line after the ceremony, so that guests can actually enjoy cocktail hour rather than waiting in a line to talk to us. Instead, we're planning on doing table visits during the reception. I'm just wondering when the best time to do this would be? Obviously FI and I will be the first to eat (buffet style dinner), so should we eat quickly and then walk around from table to table while our guests are eating? Or is it rude to interrupt their meals to talk to them?
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Re: When to do table visits during the reception?

  • anrforanranrforanr member
    100 Comments 25 Love Its First Anniversary Name Dropper
    Following because I've been pondering the same question.
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  • Cookie PusherCookie Pusher member
    Knottie Warrior 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    We did ours during the salad course before they opened the buffet. We got our salads first, and since they were small, we were done in like 5 minutes. We only had 10 tables, so it worked out for us. Most weddings I've been to where the couple did table visits, they did them when they finished eating their dinner.
    ~*~*~*~*~

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  • fyrchkfyrchk member
    250 Love Its 100 Comments First Anniversary First Answer
    The last wedding I went to did it after they ate their dinner and while we were eating, waiting to eat. I didn't feel interrupted at all and was just glad I got to give them each a hug since the wedding was so large and they had so many people to visit. And you know there are always those people who try to monopolize the B&G because they're soooo important.
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  • tcnobletcnoble member
    1000 Comments 500 Love Its First Anniversary First Answer
    We just got married late March and also had a buffet dinner - we were served first. Once tables were released, we kept an eye on tables as they sat down to eat, and as the first group of tables were finishing up we started making our rounds... so by the time we got to the last tables, they were finishing up their meal. It worked well! It is helpful to have your DOC handy to move things along, as visiting a table of 8-10 can get lengthy when everyone wants to talk to you.
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  • whovianstarkwhovianstark member
    100 Love Its 100 Comments First Anniversary Name Dropper
    tcnoble said:

    We just got married late March and also had a buffet dinner - we were served first. Once tables were released, we kept an eye on tables as they sat down to eat, and as the first group of tables were finishing up we started making our rounds... so by the time we got to the last tables, they were finishing up their meal. It worked well! It is helpful to have your DOC handy to move things along, as visiting a table of 8-10 can get lengthy when everyone wants to talk to you.

    That makes me wish I had a DOC... I will probably struggle with keeping the talks short.
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  • SP29SP29 member
    Sixth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its 5 Answers
    We had courses for our meal, but since we were served first, once we ate we went up to tables between courses. We also did some of our speeches in between the later courses. 

    I watch for the tables that finish first and start there. 
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  • thisismynickname2thisismynickname2 member
    5000 Comments Sixth Anniversary 500 Love Its First Answer
    It's definitely not rude to interrupt people while they're eating. If you tried not to interrupt people, you'd never talk to anyone. 

    I'll try not to spit chicken flecks at you in your dress ;-)
    ________________________________


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  • christinemireillechristinemireille member
    25 Love Its 10 Comments Name Dropper
    We avoiding all this by doing First Looks and getting all of our pictures done before the wedding. FH and I are pretty private people, so First Looks were always the way we were going to go (feel more intimate to us), but it also works out because we can spend most of our cocktail hour talking to everyone! Again, though--that's what works for us! :)
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  • BrinkyDink16BrinkyDink16 member
    100 Comments Second Anniversary 25 Love Its Name Dropper
    Your current plan and our current plan are exactly the same.  We're not doing a receiving line so that we can get everyone the hell out of the lodge and on their way to the reception so we can do the posed photos and get there ourselves.  I will not be a bride that misses her own cocktail hour!

    So yes, we plan on eating first, and then walking around table to table to say hello to everyone.  We also are thinking of planting ourselves at the cocktail hour (there's this cute little gazebo on the dock) so that if people want to seek us out at cocktail hour they're welcome too.  
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  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    Knottie Warrior 10000 Comments 500 Love Its 25 Answers
    I agree that it makes sense for you to eat quickly and then make table visits while your guests are at the tables.
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