greeting guests at their tables

We didn't have a receiving line. We just went around to each table and thanked everyone, made sure they were having a good time, and took a photo with them.

I think it's usually one or the other...

If you are on a tight schedule, greeting guests at the tables takes less time than moving everyone through a receiving line. It is also better if you want to get pictures with your guests. If the bride & groom go around to tables, be sure the parents do as well. If there isn't a receiving line, the guests may not get to speak with them otherwise.

Technically it's one or the other, though I think it's nice to greet them at the reception.

I agree with not-a-mrs. It's one or the other but greeting them at the reception is a nice touch.

I think we're leaning towards greeting everyone at the tables, but between the last few weddings I've been to and the venue mentioning a receiving line I wasn't sure what to do. Besides, the ceremony and reception are at the same place so I don't think that a receiving line even makes much sense in that case.

Going table to table takes more time tha a R line... or, if it happens to take less, that means not every guest was greeted, or it was too fast ("Hi everyone! thanks for coming--gotta get to the next table!). Table to table with photos is waYYY longer, but you would not want to take photos during the R line! Receiving line with only the bride & groom and maybe the parents works very well. Even if you have a receiving line, you MUST go table to table. And....it's great to have the line even if at the same venue...you greet the guests, they go on to the cocktail hour. The reason people don't like R lines is because the ushers are not properly instructed on how to dismiss the guests so that there isn't a back up.

I thought greeting at the tables was pretty much a given. the bride and groom are not there to look pretty, they are there to mingle with their guests.