Receiving Line- - - - -Old Fashion??? Yes or No

I havent seen a formal receiving line since the Queen visited here, LOL

I would suggest that you allow guests to enter find their seats and have a grand entrance, and after dinner go from table to table to greet your guests.

Many couples will do a sweetheart table to allow them the ease of getting up to hug and say hello to everyone. Harder to do at a formal head table.

Even if the rooms layout is not open, its easy for you to make an effort to greet everyone once the party is in full swing. And It delights the guests to know you made a special effort to say hello and thanks for making your day so special.

Ou reception is going to be a less formal event. My future mother-in-law thinks we should have a line, but my fiance and I don't want one, so we aren't going to do it.

I've heard that it has to do with how many guests you have. I think the equation was if you have over 200 guests you should do the recieving line since you might not get to visit with all of them during the reception. To me it seems like you'll be standing there for an hour shaking hands when you could be having fun! I think that it is simply personal choice. If you don't want one then don't have it, but make sure to stroll around at the reception to say hi to each table.

I personally am not doing a receiving line... HOWEVER we are making a point to visit each guest and every table at our wedding... It is Italian tradition (and I am Italian) to carry a tray filled with home baked cookies for the guests to choose from during the reception and we are doing just that (even though neither of us really WANT to do this... my mother is insisting and I figured I would do something nice since she is footing most of the bill hehehehe)... PLUS it is a good way to get around and see all of your guests!!!

You could do the same thing... just without the cookies if you choose!!!

Congratulations. I've still seen them done. My cousin had one at her Wedding. My sister and BIL did not, but then again they had a mixed custom wedding. Depending on the type of Wedding you have and the number of guests and really if you feel like having one, that's up to you. If you don't have one, you'll still have guests coming up to you and your family congratulating you and your new hubby. From what I've heard and seen in some research, most people now a days appreicate if you don't have one.

If you decide not to have one, make sure you and your new hubby visit all of the guests at each of their tables. They will appreciate your effort to thank them for coming to your Wedding and and make sure they're having fun and enjoy themselves.

Actually if your having a small wedding and just want to meet and say HI to everyone before the fun begins a receiving line would work but if you have a lot of people attending the wedding it could take forever for all your guest to get through the line. 150 guests so think about 20-30 seconds for each guest to say hello times 150 people it would take like 50 minute before the line is over!!!! I'm not having one myself and if you decide not to have one either make sure you do make the rounds and say hi to all your guests!!

When trying to decide if they should go with a particular tradition, I always suggest to couples that they consider the reason behind the tradition. The reason for a receiving line is greet all your guests. If you are also planning on going from table to table to greet your guests at the reception, it seems redundant to also have a receiving line.

Most couples have their pictures taken immediately after the ceremony, which delays the beginning of the reception. A receiving line will take even more time away from the reception. Since a receiving line allows for very little time with each guest, I suggest skipping the receiving line and then going to each table during the reception. This will allow you to spend more time with your guests without feeling so rushed.

I would not do a receiving line. My dad got remarried a few years ago and they had a receiving line. Even though they had a small wedding of about 50 guest, the line still took FOREVER because everyone wanted to chat & catch up while they were in the line, thus holding back everyone else. It was not pleasant. Your floor plan might not be very open, but you should try to make it a point to visit every table, even just for briefly, to thank everyone for coming. Plus, no guests want to stand in a line just to say hi to you, and that cuts back on the time you will have fun eating, drinking, and dancing with your guests! Good luck!

Most couples in our area are now opting to not have a receiving line. There are some, however, that are having me ask people to remain seated and the couple is going to them and dismissing the lines. It seems to speed up the process a little over the old way. I have noticed many receiving lines hold up vendors from doing their job. It prolongs getting to posed shots, signing the license, or holds up the reception caterers, for instance. Even the photographer can only take so many pics of you greeting people. One line this fall took about 45 minutes to clear, and the wedding was only about 125 guests.

You are going to get a different answer frome each person you ask this question to! If you were asking me, I'd say NOT to have one, but to make sure to greet each guest. If you were asking my mom, she won't even go to a wedding unless there's a receiving line so she can congratulate the couple. BUT then she complains about how long the line is that she has to stand in.

We had one at our wedding, and it was the one thing I would change. I woudl NOT do one again if I had to do it over. It was an hour and a half long, and most people I didn't even know!

Thanks for the great advice!

Receiving Lines are not old fashioned and very much in use, especially on the East Coast. Not to sound like an old lady, but the receiving line is important because it is really the only guarenteed time that you can personally thank your guests for joining you for your wedding. If you think you're going to mingle from table to table to thank everyone, you will have to take into account that people will be dancing, or at the bar, or in the rest room or out for a smoke. So I advise all my bridal couples to have a receiving line just for this reason.

As a wedding photographer I've seen receiving lines get out of hand more often than not. It almost always turns into a huge timely ordeal and couples feel rude ending it.

In it's place I have seen the couple go around to each table after they have eaten...since they are always served first there is plenty of time to get around to everyone by the time first dances start. And that way you can enjoy eachothers company longer or have more time for photos instead of standing around for 40 minutes just waiting for that last person to come through...

Depending on how much time you alloted for your photographer- they can take up too much time.

I don't think it's old fashioned, but we are going to dismiss the pews ourselves. 3 of my sisters did this and it moved along very smoothly (over 200 guests at each wedding). That way people don't get caught up talking to your parents who they haven't seen in 2 years and want to chat it up for 20 minutes. The parents then made a point to go and talk to those they needed/wanted to and it all worked out well. It's really personal preference I think.

I have to come up with a timeline for the ceremony and reception, so I will consider all of the information provided by each of you.

Thanks so much!