An opinion on visiting tables

You pretty just stated all the reasons that our pastor, our photographer AND our venue coordinator gave us for doing a receiving line.

We are actually doing both, we will have a receiving line at the door of the church after the ceremony and get a little one on one time with them all. Then at the reception after we eat we are hitting the tables, but there is no pressure to see everyone because we already have. We can be more relaxed and not rushed to see everyone. Plus that will allow us to say hi to anyone who missed the ceremony and came to the reception. (We have a 3 hours gap so I am sure there will be at least 2 dozen people who do that).

Those are really good points. I think we'll probably do a receiving line, although I'm not a big fan of them.

I am in full agreement and more. i also feel bad for the couple missing all or part of their dinner.

we are greeting guests at the church door before the ceremony and at the reception venue entrance where pics will be taken of and with all who wish.

we are going to eat our dinner and dance

We are going to sit at our sweet heart table and put two chairs in front of the table so people can come sit and talk with us.

I couldn't agree more!

Wise words, Mrs. Drakthal. I've been struggling with this one. We're not getting married in the Church, so there won't be a traditional receiving line. We could do it right after the ceremony, but I think that would bottle up the guests trying to get their drink on. We're inviting 360 people so I'm not sure what to do. Blah.

Excellent points!

Good points, but I don't understand that if you're so adamant on talking to the bride and groom, why, at some point during the hours of the reception you can't walk up to them and speak??? Idk... maybe I'm the rude one. But I really don't feel like doing a receiving line. We ARE doing a second line though, lol.

You make some very good points. We met with our officiant over the weekend and he said at his wedding they didn't go table to table b/c (in his words) people should come to them. I have been to 3 of my cousins' weddings and I don't remember any of them going around to the tables but I understood that it was their wedding day and they should get to enjoy the party (and the food). I don't think I'm going to concern myself too much with this. I'll make a toast after all the other toasts and then make my way around while people are dancing probably. If I miss someone, sorry but they could have come to see us too.

We did the receiving line and we visited tables. We didn't get to ALL of them together, but I'm pretty sure everyone talked to at least one of us at some point during the night. We mixed and mingled a good bit together, but we also split up too at various times.

We did only have 90 some guests so it wasn't too hard over the course of a 7 hour reception :-)

Totally agree with you! My family usually does both, but we are just doing a receiving line at the church and then right into 20 minutes of family photos so that as well doesn't cut into the reception time. Then the bridal party will go off and take photos, and there's like 1 hr and a half of time in between for everyone to check into the hotels and get bused to the reception.

We paid a lot of money for delicious food and drinks and we're not wasting any time to not enjoy them.

As a guest I've had the complete opposite experience. Those weddings I've been to with receiving lines I've only had a few seconds to hug and say hi before moving down the line. When they come and visited tables I had several minutes to talk with them.

I think it has more to do with how the couple organizes their visits than the actual visiting itself.

I've seen both versions. At my MOH wedding, their receiving line was handing out cake to everyone. I've also been to a wedding where I didn't go through the receiving line because the MOG talked SO FREAKIN MUCH, that it took over 2 hours for 100 guests to get through, on a humid day in July. Ugggg.

We had a receiving line before our reception. By the time we got to the hall, alot of our guest had already arrived, and alot of ppl didn't take the effort to get up off their asses and go through the receiving line. Throughout the evening I tried to talk to everyone I saw.

I know that at weddings I have attended, I have made a point to talk to the wedding couple if I wasn't able to go through the receiving line.

The guest has a responsibility as well in connecting with the couple.

We haven't decided which to do, although I do like the idea of a receiving line to ensure we talk to everyone. My only problem is we're getting married outdoors with the cocktail hour and reception at the same venue (other side of the building) so I'm not really sure where we would stand to make sure everyone goes by us...

We had the ceremony and reception in the same building. The ceremony was on the top floor, the reception was on the bottom floor (with the main floor in between). We came out of the ceremony, down to the main floor and out onto a balcony where the guests were funneled for the receiving line, they continued down the balcony and down the steps to the ground floor where they could get a drink etc while they waited for us to come down. Then we did a grand light saber entrance down the stairs into the reception.

I am sorry but my view is that as the bride and groom you are really the host and hostess of the party so you have a responsibility to thank people for comming. Many people (me included) feel they are intruding when they come up and try to talk to the bride groom while they are alone together whether it is seated at a table or dancing on the dance floor.

And for the person who said the MOG was talking too long that is when a good doc should have dropped a word in her ear!

How would you have a receiving line if your ceremony and reception are at the same place?

Man, I'm not doing either. The cocktail hour is immediately after the ceremony and we're taking (hopefully) a few minutes of the beginning to take pictures with extended family. No receiving line (GTFO ASAP so I can take pictures) and with 300+ people attending, I'm just doing a generic Thank You speech at the beginning of the reception. You want to spend time with me, hit me up on the dance floor.

We visited tables and got a chance to talk to everyone, didn't have any of the "issues" you listed.

NOTHING but death will ever shut that woman up. Her parental speech was over an hour long.....

I agree, the wedding couple ARE the host and hostess. BUT when you provide an opportunity for guest to speak with you and mingle, and they don't take that opportunity, there is only so much that you can do. I watched guests sitting feet away from our receiving line, watching us, and they decided to just sit there.

But this is my experience, and my family is stupid sometimes.....

I personally think receiving lines are awkward. There are people on FH side I don't know and vice versa. Or the dates of people I do not know too well. I really do not need to hug them when I don't know them. We will make are rounds and as Jesse's girl said if people want to talk to me they will.

I do though totally understand your point and in some families it would be unheard of not to have a receiving line. I've been to weddings without and I was in no way offended if I didn't get to talk to the couple too much.