Receiving Line, is it necessary?

We didn't, we went to each table during the reception.

We will do table visits I had never heard of a receiving line until WW

Not a fan. But, if you have a smaller wedding it could work and NO GRANDPARENTS ALLOWED.

We will be doing a receiving line of just fh and i. I also hated them when I only knew one person. Plus people can skip them if they hate them. No matter what you have a chance of missing people but this way the guest is more in control. Also I want to eat my delicious ass food! !!

It depends on where you live. I've only been to 2-3 weddings EVER without a receiving line.

I feel like they seem too forced, and standing in the same spot in your sexy stilettos can get uncomfortable after a bit. No thanks. I'll make the rounds myself.

I hadn't seen one in about 6 years.

Almost every wedding I've been to has had one (I've been to a lot!). We're inviting around 260 people, so I would prefer not doing one and just making sure to speak to everyone throughout the night (we'll stop by the tables and such). We haven't actually discussed it yet though, since the wedding is still quite a bit away.

I'm having one. Receiving lines are not a necessity, but I believe it is necessary to greet your guests and acknowledge/thank them for coming. That can be done with a line or table visits or any other creative way (though those are the 2 I've heard of and seen). I too haven't seen the line done too often (4 times within the um-teen weddings I've attended in my life), but now as a bride, it's important to me to do. My guests have traveled far, I want to know I will see each and every one and thank them personally for coming. As a guest, I didn't care so much for the achy feet as I did for traveling and never having had a word (like a Hello! Congrats!) with the bride or groom that day/ night. I feel that is totally rude. Our cocktail hour is for our guests. We will most likely still be taking pictures. We'll see everyone at the reception but damnit- I want to eat the food! We will try to do table visits or photos with each table, but if it doesn't happen...we still had the line. No one can say they weren't acknowledged. For a smaller wedding, a receiving line really isn't necessary because personal table visits are much more doable. I'm guessing but my wedding will have somewhere between 100-120 so a receiving line is the plan!

We did one and had our photographer take a photo of us with each guest/group. We just had us and our parents - we didn't ask the BP to do it with us.

Everyone has different opinions on this, so it's best to know your crowd. People in my area expect them. I prefer to do one because that way I definitely get to see everyone. I don't want to risk getting caught up with a group at the reception or having someone in the bathroom and missing them when I'm at their table. This way, you get to see everyone for sure and the pressure to keep the line moving (usually) makes people shut up and move along.

As far as who's in it, we are doing just FH and I. Our parents are heading out to the reception venue to be there to great the guests as they arrive there. Whatever you do, don't make your bridal party be in it. It's awkward enough to have people from the other side meeting you or FH for the first time in the line, but shaking hands with a bunch of people I'm literally never going to see again is so awkward and takes too much time.

We aren't doing one. But we are releasing our guests ourselves. We have been to two weddings were we left without ever getting a chance to talk to the bride or groom throughout the event because they were always so busy doing the next task, etc. It is important to us to thank each person for attending and we are not doing any sort of cocktail hour.

@Susan, I have been to a wedding that did that and I loved it! The bride and groom walked back up the aisle, then came down again to release the guests row by row. It was sweet.

We mingled at the reception. A receiving line would have cut into very valuable photo time.