Receiving Lines vs. Visiting Tables

My parents and my in laws greeted our guests (225) as they arrived at the venue. We personally talked to everyone either during the cocktail hour (most of our guests; we did a 1st look, so no need for photos, during the CH), or during the breaks, while our courses were served (the band played "lighter" music). We had no trouble having time to eat and greet. I have never actually seen a receiving line and I've been attending weddings. for 10 years.

Receiving lines are common where I am from; but I really dislike them. It seems like we are cattle being herded through a chute. We want to get it over with and the couple wants to get it over with. The genuine visiting starts around dinner when we can have more than a couple of seconds to express our congratulations.

Dreamer, thank you! I can see that being helpful to have parents greet. My daughter and her fiance don't want to do the first look thing so will need time for pics but we are doing a cocktail hour and I'll see how we can make it work so that the B and G can enjoy their reception and thank guests. Thanks!

OriginalKD, this seems to be the common sentiment...ex nay on the receiving lines (from all I read). I did see where some couples personally dismissed the pews/rows from the ceremony to greet and thank then, but I feel that misses the opportunity for that small moment right after the ceremony where the B and G are alone for just a short time to really be face-to-face, officially married together. So much of the rest of the day is interaction with family and guests, and that one precious time is priceless. Thanks for the input!

We aren't doing a receiving line but we are having a fairly small wedding. I do understand the functionality of them at bigger weddings but I still don't care for them. IMO if you're going to have one I think it's best to leave it to just the couple and perhaps the parents. I don't really like it when they make it a huge line of all the bridal party members and parents, grandparents, etc. I was at a wedding recently where they even had aunts and uncles in there!! It can make it really awkward for people because a lot of the time you don't know all those people and since the line moves slowly you are stuck standing in front of them for several minutes trying to make small talk when you may not even know their name or anything about them. You often end up just standing there and it's uncomfortable.

We are doing a receiving line. Honestly if you try and greet and thank during dinner (cocktail hour will be pictures ) they won't get to eat since they will be pulled in a million directions. Plus I want my guests to eat

I wanted to do a receiving line, but my time line just won't allow it. We will be there for the entire cocktail hour. We will greet guests then. Whoever we miss, we will go to their tables during dinner.

We are dismissing guests row by row since we don't have ushers, and then will talk to people more at the reception.

We went to a 200 guest wedding recently with a receiving line that occurred at the tail end of the cocktail hour. It has its pros and cons, the biggest pro is you get an opportunity to see everyone at the reception and exchange a few words, the biggest con is that it seems rather stilted and formal and takes a long time. With receiving lines the newlywed couple has an opportunity to eat their dinner and relax a bit, but it also seems to cut into the time when most couples are completing post-wedding pictures. If you did those earlier in the day (or if you had a couple hours between the ceremony and reception), I could see it working a little better.

For our part, my fiancee and I have decided to forego the receiving line and do our best to meet everyone at the reception.

As a guest, I hate receiving lines, so we never considered one. We did table visits during dinner.

I'm not sure if a lot of people do receiving lines anymore. If you have a large wedding party and a lot of guests, it can take ages...LOL! We just went around to all the tables, at will, and greeted everyone! It was much easier and less time consuming, and people actually got to sit down and eat instead of having to wait in line to see us...lol! Plus, it was a lot of fun! =)

Hate receiving lines. We visited during cocktail hour as we were back shortly after it started and then after we ate and it seemed most people we're finished we made the rounds to the tables

We're having a receiving line because there are people who due to family issues will only be attending the ceremony and not the reception. We also have a fair amount of people from our church (FH and I are both extremely active) that have expressed interest in attending the ceremony as well. We feel that a receiving line will allow us to atleast briefly greet and thank the guests who are attending the ceremony and not the reception.

We visited tables, but we also ate first. It worked out because we did a buffet and by the time we were done eating, some of the other people were done as well, so we started with them. It solved the meal interruption problem. We were able to see the other people whose tables we didn't visit at other points during the reception. I think it worked perfectly. As a point of reference, we had around 160 guests.

We're doing table visits. I'm not a fan of receiving lines. We plan on eating our meal, and then we'll stop by each table to chat for a few moments and walk away.

Also, I didn't know going around table to table is modern and rude... My parents did it 28 years ago. Maybe it's a regional thing? People have been doing it in my area for so long now, that I honestly didn't even know what a receiving line was until FSIL's wedding last summer when she talked about not doing one. Since everyone will be eating and chatting anyway, I don't get how it's improper (not being sarcastic here!).

Edited: Typo

I thought this over a lot before my wedding and really wanted to do what was proper. I went with visiting tables. We had 115 guests at our wedding and it did seem to take a while. We did one side then sat down for the toasts then did their other side before the dancing started. I think it really is important to get face time with all of your guests and if you just leave it to mingling during the cocktail hour or the dance party it will never happen. Some alternatives:

-Have the officiant direct everyone to stay in their pews/rows and then the couple dismisses each row. The benefit being that people can wait in their seats and the people that are greeting the couple are more aware of everyone waiting so they are likely to make their face time quicker.

-Close off the dinner seating area from the cocktail area if possible. At the end of the cocktail hour the couple station themselves at the entrance to the seating area. Have the MC let people know to start moving into the other area. While people are waiting they can at least enjoy refreshments in the cocktail area until it is their turn to go in, or the line dies down.

-If you do a receiving line limit it to just the couple rather than all the traditional participants.

I was watching Four Weddings last week and one of the couples dismissed the rows and greeted the guests as they exited. It was very sweet. I am undecided but we might do a mini receiving line without our wedding party standing with us. I think the awkward part about receiving lines is the wedding party part.

I despise receiving lines as a guest. It just feels so forced and sterile. It's especially odd when the families and wedding party are a part of it, because some guests might not even know those people.

I don't see how doing table visits is rude as long as it's succinct. Guests don't even have to stop eating for the bride and groom to just come by and say a quick hi and thanks for coming to the people at the table.

We're doing a "receiving line" by dismissing by pews and greeting guests that way. I’ve been to 3 weddings that they have done this at, and it’s worked out great. Here’s why we chose this: You get to say hi to everyone at your wedding (people may get missed at the reception), guests don’t have to stand and wait (as they do in a traditional receiving line), you don’t miss out on eating/fun at the reception, and it seems more “optional” for the guests this way. If people want to get up and leave the church while we’re greeting guests, that’s fine by me! Most of the time, those people are the bride & grooms friends that know they’ll be on the dance floor with them that night anyway. I feel like this is the least awkward/time consuming option.