Bride and Groom releasing rows after ceremony?

I have never heard of anybody (including ushers) releasing guests after the ceremony. I would feel so weird as a guest remaining in my seat several minutes after the ceremony has ended.

ETA: I would just allow guests to filter out on their own and greet your guests table to table as you're already planning on doing.

I think it happens at about 50% of the weddings we've gone to in the past couple years. We plan on doing this rather than a receiving line. We feel like we'll be able to control the pace a little better if we're going to each guest rather than them standing in a line.

Huh. Every wedding I've been to the rows have been released by ushers for an orderly exit. Totally expected around here. The bride and groom thing was totally new to me though. Like our officiant said, they're there to see us so why not greet them and let them give hugs right after the ceremony. I just wasn't sure if it would end up slowing things down.

Like Carrie said, I'd be worried it would be awfully slow. If you're seated at the back, you have to wait for the bride and groom to say hello to everyone before you can even get up out of your seat.

That sounds like you're going to slow things down for your guests. Unless we're super close, after sitting through your ceremony and knowing I have to wait even longer to get a drink and eat, I'm going to start getting fidgety and inpatient. People can release themselves. It's not like fire drill practice on the bus.

I have never heard of releasing rows. It sounds awkward and unnecessarily time consuming. Like if you stop to talk to someone up front for a couple minutes everyone else just sits there and watches? However, if it's expected and not strange to your guests then cool.

I would just be worried that it would slow things down and create a traffic jam, but I've also never seen it done!

We're doing this! I went to a wedding last year and it was so nice!

Since our ceremony and reception are in the same place, we'll ask people to stay in their seats, then come and dismiss each row. We will thank and hug each person individually, and then, the pressure is off! While we still plan to say hello at the reception, this ensures we will see each person.

I feel like receiving lines take longer, and you stand to wait to talk to the bride and groom. At the weddings I've been to where they've done this, the guests just kind of talk amongst themselves while they wait for the bride and groom. Then you're sitting, rather than standing in a receiving line in heels waiting to talk to them.

I think maybe everyone at our wedding is just going to stand up and leave. I don't even think I'd think to wait for the ushers. Oops?

I did this and it worked WONDERFULLY. No awkward receiving line, and we got to enjoy our dinner instead of doing table visits. It doesn't take as long as you'd think. I highly recommend it.

It's funny the things that end up being regional differences that you never thought of before...like what people do immediately after the ceremony. Yeah, here it's expected that you wait to be dismissed then you go wait in the receiving line. FH and I aren't fans of receiving lines so we weren't planning on doing one but I knew there would be slight awkwardness from people not knowing what to do next. I have a feeling an impromptu receiving line will form.

@Trisha, you mentioned earlier that you think you'll be able to move people along quicker...has that been your experience from what you've seen others do? That was where I was on the fence about it. Will people try and commandeer our time and delay everyone else? Or are people aware that others are waiting and they're holding people up so they say a few quick words, a hug and are on their way?

@Janet When our officiant mentioned it your situation was exactly what I was thinking. Our ceremony is outside of our reception venue so this would give us a chance to greet and hug everybody and then not have to feel guilty if someone was in the bathroom or outside for fresh air when we came by the table and by the end of the night we didn't get a chance to see them and thank them.

I can see the good and bad so it really helps being able to pick the brains of people who've seen it done.

*whew* had to reread that, at first I thought you said "releasing crows"!

Most of the weddings I've been to have done this. We did at our wedding, goes faster than having an usher release rows (able to keep people moving). I was glad we did bc before we got a chance to go around to all the tables there were people who had to get going and leave.

I'm glad to hear that this has worked for so many people. I've never experienced it and the sound of it just reminds me of waiting to disembark from an airplane. How long did it take, brides who have done it or have been guests where it was done? I'm also picturing people sitting in their seats staring at you interacting with rows in front of them. Did it feel like that?

Yeah, I think it's just a quick few words before they head out. I've found it's quicker.

@jacqui722, the wedding i went to where they did it, it took maybe 10 minutes? there were about 100 guests, and everyone was watching. It was nice to see the how the couple greeted the moms and dads, the grandparents, etc. it was so nice. And while we waited, we just chatted with other people, nothing awkward.

@JSARGE, we're doing it outside. Our officiant will make a statement saying to stay in their seats, and we will come to dismiss them. that way, people aren't running off at the end.

Interesting ... I've never seen this done either! I've always just waited for the couple to pass and then everyone seems to get up and mingle and move to the exit at their leisure.

My friend did this and I loved the idea! I would do it except our church doesn't allow us to hang around at all after the ceremony. I think it works really well unless you have a crazy high number of guests.

I've never heard of either one of these, the ushers or the bridal/groom releasing guests. In the weddings I've been to, the guests didn't leave their seated area (since they usually stand when the bride and groom leave) until after the bridal party and the first two rows of immediate family left. Then it was kinda en masse...

I've never heard of this either. I've been to several weddings and I guess I never really paid attention but I thought people just got up and left when they felt like it after the bridal party passed through.