Receiving Line

We are having a Friday wedding with the church ceremony at 4 and the cocktail hour starting at 6. We just booked our photographer and when trying to come up with the timeline, she asked if we were doing a receiving line. She said that it would add about 30 minutes onto the time we spent in the church, plus about 20-30 minutes of the posed family pictures at the church, so that means it is very likely that we would miss some/most of the cocktail hour. I'm hoping we can nix it and our parents won't have too much of an influence.

Not to keep arguing against it, but I don't like the idea of making my guests wait in a line, I guess it's nicer for them to have time at the cocktail hour and we'll make our rounds.

And secondly, I guess it depends how comfortable you are with strangers, but I've been to weddings with receiving lines where it was kind of awkward shaking a bunch of strangers' hands. For example, maybe I knew the bride and groom but then I had to keep saying "Beautiful ceremony, I work with the bride, thanks so much, beautiful, beautiful..." down the line. Or worse, when I'm just the date and I don't know anyone. Maybe I have too much social anxiety, but it's awkward.

Skip it. We didn't want to do it, but it kind of just...happened. It wasn't a proper receiving line but everybody wanted to congratulate us once the ceremony was over. We only had 45 guests, but everybody wants to say a couple of sentences to you, and the photographer is breathing behind your neck because you need to do the formals... So we just cut it and said hi to people afterwards. And I agree, it's awkward.

I also hate receiving lines.

We said our "hellos" during dinner (mostly between the courses). However, we got to eat before our guests arrived so it didn't cut into our dinner. If you aren't doing pictures during cocktail hour, that would be a great time to greet your guests.

The last 2 weddings I have been to the bride and groom's have dismissed each line by hugging everyone. PLEASE DONT MAKE YOUR GUESTS DO THIS. It's very awkward. We are having 100 guests and same location for both. Our venue is keeping the guests busy while we take pictures and then we will make round to everyone. I will be hiding behind the building after we are married and try to steal a few more kisses before pics.

We are doing a receiving line, but we are having a church wedding with the reception about 5-10 minutes away. We opted to do first look photos and our group photos before the ceremony, though, so we won't have to worry about time. Our reception location is small, so trying to move around the tables to say hi to everyone would be a bit awkward. FH's sister did a receiving line, and it was quite nice. She also did a big photo after the receiving line where everyone lined up on the steps of the church, and it was really lovely to have a photo with everyone together.

We did a receiving line since I didn't want to have to worry about getting around to the tables..ours was only like 20 minutes, we had 90 guests..however it was just my DS and I and my dad and Grandma so people could get through quicker..that being said, looking back I kinda wish I had not done one..I decided the night before, my bridal party talked me into it, I felt like it would be kinda mean in a way if we just ran off lol..I wanted a grand exit but wasn't allowed to have confetti or anything, and I feel bubbles are so overdone and didn't have time to get anything else together.

but anyways when you get to the reception, people are going to want to see you and talk to you and get their own snapshots of you with them anyways, so really the receiving line is kinda pointless if you are going to do that anyways..I would rather have gotten more pics of my bridal party and I at the church and been less rushed getting back to the reception...we did do pics before though/first look!

Oh ya, also like Kimber,our reception was like a 5-10 minute drive, and I left half an hour in between ceremony and reception so that they could take advantage of the cocktail hour.

I wanted to nix the receiving line and my mom had a fit! I also am not a fan of forcing "plus ones" to stand in line and shake hands/hug everyone!

A friend of mine got married last year and they announced at the ceremony that there would be no receiving line afterwards, but instead it would be held at the reception, so while everyone was just sitting down and getting their food served to them, the DJ announced "for those that would like to congratulate the bride and groom you can join them on the dance floor for a receiving line" that way only those that felt comortable could walk up and say hi. I thought it was an excellent idea--and then my fiancee who didn't really know this friend wasn't forced to make small talk! He just waited at the table!

We didn't have one, but we had a DW and the ceremony/reception were in the same room.

My daughter will have a formal receiving line, because quite frankly, not having one would be considered rude by our guests. It will be in the vestibule of the church. As MOB, I am not looking forward to it because I have to make nice with ex's family.

They are also expected to greet each table at the reception. Again, it is a cultural thing. They will be served first and when they finish eating, they go from table to table. Lord knows I hated this at my first wedding.

The other night my MOH asked me why I wasn't having one. In the last 10yrs I've been going to weddings regularly not one has had one. I had to look it up actually! But I talked it over with my FH and we decided to do an informal one during cocktail hour. We'll do pictures before the ceremony, then after we'll go away for 5-15mins to sign the marriage certificate and take a deep breath. Then we'll have our entrance and the dj will announce the optional receiving line while cocktail hour continues. We have a short wedding & reception, 4hrs total and we want to make sure that we can greet and talk to each person. The eating first and then going around to each table might happen, but knowing my chatty FH we would only get around to a few in the time for dinner and then you are talking to people while they are trying to eat. Figure its easier to get it done early and then enjoy the rest of the reception and not worry that we missed anyone!

I cannot believe what I am reading. Your guests spend lots of $$$ on renting hotel rooms, gas to drive to your event, new clothing and a decent wedding gift and you can't show the courtesy to introduce your guests to your spouse? We recently went to a wedding where there was no receiving line. And the bride/groom didn't even go table to table for introductions either. This is extremely rude. Give me! Give me! Give me! and you don't even have enough manners to pass out a few introductions? I don't get it.