Receiving Line vs. Visiting Tables

I want to be the center of attention in such a literal way as little as possible lol. We're visiting tables, the receiving lines always make me feel super awkward, both as a guest and to think about as a bride.

Definitely not a receiving line. That sounds like hell on Earth.

As a guest, I usually skip receiving lines because they're soooo awkward and it's annoying to have to wait your turn for a five second hand shake/hug.

It's probably been a good five years since I've seen one done. Most weddings I've been to, the bride and groom just make the rounds and greet guests before dancing starts. If I was eating, I would be more than happy to put down my fork and engage.

My fiancé and I will probably just visit each tables at the reception because the receiving lines get lengthy.

We're skipping the receiving line because there's a ceremony after ours and we want time to take pictures in the church. Our photographer said for about 200 guests it could take 30+ minutes. We're planning on making it to cocktail hour and starting our rounds then.

We're doing the receiving line as people leave the church and head to the reception venue. It's really important to me to see everyone and this seems like the best way to do it. I'm afraid if we wait to do tables we'll miss people, people will leave early, or we'll get stuck talking to people. If we do the receiving line it will just be us and maybe our parents. So no awkwardness with the bridal party.

FWIW, I went to a wedding two weeks ago where they went around to tables. Our table got a "Hi, thanks for coming. Well, we have to go mingle," while the table next to us got a ten minute conversation. We didn't even get to meet the groom (we are long time family friends of the bride). It just made me feel like a second class guest. I think a receiving line would have been more equitable.

We're visiting tables. We are having the ceremony at 2, then the site has a reception starting at 4 so they asked if we could have all guests gone by 3:30 at the latest so they can get the outside ready.

Receiving lines seem so impersonal to me. We visited every table and had one of photographers come with us to take photos of us with every table. We made sure to stay and chit chat and thank everyone personally, I love that we have pictures with everyone.

We visited tables. It was a lot of work with 200 guests and I got about 5 minutes to eat, but I think it was worth it. I think our guests appreciated us going over to them to thank them personally for coming and asking them how they were enjoying themselves, etc. As a host, it seemed like the right thing to do.

ETA: we also did table pictures

We're going to visit tables!

We are visiting tables as well with table pictures.

We will be doing a receiving line with just me and FH. We considered parents but I would rather our parents mingling with guests and doing their own thing. Plus my parents are recently divorced and while I'm happy they have new significant others who make them happy I'm not comfortable with dads girlfriend and moms boyfriend standing there greeting people as well and then I also feel awkward having dads girlfriend and moms boyfriend kinda wandering while my dad and mom stand there with me so I said screw it, it will be FH and me.

ETA: I feel awkward walking around from table to table while guests eat but that's just me personally. I'm extremely awkward as it is.

We are probably visiting tables. We will need to do pictures right after the ceremony. Is it weird that I have been to weddings where neither of things happened? I mean I didn't personally miss it myself. They didn't do a receiving line or go around tables. They did talk to people as they saw them on dance floor, etc.

Good question! I hadn't even thought about this yet. I like the idea of visiting tables and having the photographer there to take pics of us with each group of people. I feel like a receiving line can get too long, and if we visit tables we can kinda control the length of time we visit...

I was dead set on visiting tables, however everyone came up to me while we were trying to eat. We didnt get a chance to go to everyone's tables. Now I wish we did a receiving line.

Im thinking of doing table visits. We have about 80 people which is around 8 tables so it shouldn't be too bad.

A receiving line for about 100 guests takes about 45 minutes. 200 people will take a solid hour and then some. However a receiving line will allow for your photographer to get reception hall detail shots prior to guests arriving. Visiting tables has its pros and cons too: pros - it will allow time for you and your photographer to get images between ceremony and reception. It will allow your guests to enjoy the cocktail hour sooner. Cons - I see the bride and groom constantly being interrupted by other guests while they are visiting tables. Sometimes not every table gets visited. It takes longer to visit tables than it does to have a receiving line.

We're doing a receiving line (just us - not the bridal party) so we can get pictures with each of our guests. Our photographer said to plan for about half an hour.

Following

Similar to a receiving line, but slightly faster option is to have you and FH usher guests out after the ceremony. Greetings are short as they see everyone else waiting.