Greeting your guests - what to do!

I went table to table.

We had a small (30) DW so we took pictures with each of our family guest after the ceremony but I don't think that would work for your wedding since you are having more guest.

Oh gosh. I haven't even thought of this. How long does a receiving line usually last for 100 guests? I am thinking we will do table to table. but at least a line gets it "done"

We did something completely different that I actually stole from a friend of mine. After the ceremony, you do your exit, the bridal party exits, then the guests stay seated. You (and your groom or bride) then go and "dismiss" each row. You greet each person, hug them, move on to the next person. It's kind of like a backwards receiving line...and then the parents/bridal party members don't have to awkwardly stand in a receiving line talking to people they may not know.

I am trying to decide about this too. I think we are just going to a receiving line. I think it will be easier.

Receiving line here. I don't care if they are passe - we're not doing a "formal" line, more of a entry way hang out where the bride, groom and parents will be so that people can say hi on their way in during cocktail hour. We've planned our day so that all of the photos will be out of the way by then, and the bridal party will be nearby manning a shots table for guests as they enter.

Table to table is awkward IMHO - your guests have food in their mouths, like @bookcase I've seen a lot of weddings where bride and groom aren't visiting together and you end up only seeing one of them, bride and groom don't get to eat, etc.

We're having a served dinner for less than 80 guests. We are most likely going to request that we are served first and then work out the order in which the tables are served so that we can go table to table after we finish our meal and as each table that was served after us is finishing up their meal. Our priority will be to visit the guests that we don't see on a regular basis and guests that have travled for our wedding. We also don't want to spend too much time doing this because I've been to a wedding where the bride and groom were going table to table and we were all just sitting and waiting.

We have been two four weddings so far this year. One did a receiving line right after the ceremony (basically guests just said congrats and hugged them as they made their way out of the church), one actually did theirs inside the church, and basically went pew to pew and they used this as a way to escort everyone out, one i honestly don't remember, and the most recent did neither.

Some think it's rude not to do either, as a guest, I have never minded. I have always made a point to talk to the bride and groom as some point during the night. As a bride, we will probably do table to table, as to not offend anyone.

ETA - the one that did neither actually created a facebook group for friends, the morning of the wedding and asked that we share photos/thoughts/congrats on there because they said they wouldn't be able to talk to everyone. I actually found that a little rude.

We want to mingle and greet during cocktail hour, I plan on 30 or so minutes with photographer then on to guests! Hope it works out.

Raelyn- yeah thats wierd that they wanted people to do the congrats on FB! ;-/ (sorry your guests aren't good enough for you to try to talk to on your wedding day)

Ehh i winged it. I took pictures with all family members after the ceremony so that was my "hello" and then for our friends we saw them all on the dance floor.

@Beth, I love that idea!!!

I like the idea of greeting during cocktail hour, but I'm afraid that we won't be able to say hi to everyone. I really don't want to offend anyone!

@e=mc2 - that's a good point! It didn't occur to me that family member pictures could count as a greeting. Then maybe use the remainder of the cocktail hour to greet the others.

I'm hoping we can mingle at the cocktail hour. Otherwise I'll do table to table. I'm kind of scared to do that though because my dress is fluffy and I'm clumsy and the space is pretty small. I know my dress will end up knocking over a glass of wine or dragging through someone's dinner plate.

We're going table to table.

We are doing a receiving line just me and FH (not bridal party) and greeting guests as they come into the cocktail hour