Thoughts on bride and groom greeting each guest?

I think it’s very important to greet each guest! For us we are going to do it during cocktail hour because I really want to sit down and enjoy my dinner.

It's definitely necessary. We also went around all the tables.

I feel like if people are making the effort to come and celebrate with you, possibly spending money to travel to be there, and then likely giving a gift, it would be incredibly rude to not personally say hi to everyone with table rounds or a receiving line. I feel as though its so important to convey to each guest how glad you are that they are there to celebrate such a momentous life event, and a thank you card afterwards definitely isn't enough!

We will definitely greet each guest personally and I couldn’t imagine doing otherwise!

My fh and i will be doing this. We are extra southern lol. I just think its great to see and speak to everyone who came out on your special day.

I think it's necessary for sure, we're either doing it during cocktail hour (most of our pictures are before the ceremony) or after we eat. No way we do it while everyone else is eating if I haven't eaten yet- hangry won't even begin to describe me.

Not outdated, yes definitely necessary.

I think its super important to greet each guest and thank them for coming especially the people who traveled rather far to be there.

Our DOC will have the food already at our table so we can immediately sit down and eat quickly, then do our table rounds before everyone else finishes dinner. I asked my DOC to keep track of where we go, so if we don't have time to see everyone before the end of dinner I can try to make it to everyone after dinner on the dance floor.

My DJ suggested a receiving line for this very reason (and it allows her time to move some equipment from the ceremony site to where we will be having cocktail hour). Originally I thought it seemed like nonsense, but I do think it's important to interact with each guest - this is an easy way to make sure it happens and allows FH and I time to enjoy dinner and our cocktail hour.

We did exactly what you're talking about!

We went to a wedding June where the bride and groom did not do table visits or a receiving line. They made no effort to talk with guests. This was a wedding for a friend of H's that I had never met before. I really wanted to meet them because H had spoke so highly of this friend. We finally we able to speak with the groom and he was wonderful and accommodating. He noticed that his wife was just chatting with the wedding party and asked her to come over so he could introduce us. I told her how beautiful she looked and how lovely the reception was and how happy we were for them and she said, "Thanks! My song is on though so I'm gonna dance!" and ran out to the dance floor. It was so incredibly rude and we no longer have an interest in hanging out with them as a couple because of that. And we also did not get a thank you card.

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No thank you card either? Ugh. Honestly to me, that's even worse than not greeting everyone.

I've been to a lot of weddings in the last few years where they made no effort to talk to each guest. I can understand if a couple of people slip through the cracks and I think most guests would understand as well. But if there's no effort whatsoever made, that's just inexcusable. I hate it when I go to a wedding and the couple are just hanging out with their bridal party and ignoring all the people they invited and bought them gifts.

I think it’s crucial to speak to every guest. There’s not many things I’m judgmental about as a wedding guest, but if the couple can’t even say hello that’s flat out rude.

I think it’s necessary for sure. I just went to a wedding where the bride and groom did not and just basically stuck to their own table and even left multiple times to take more pictures alone. I felt like I was just there to give them money and they didn’t care I was there. If you invite someone, they mean something to you, so don’t ignore them and make sure to get to everyone (if possible, more than once if it’s a small wedding).

We are going to do it the same as you! Our wedding will be a buffet, but the staff brings us a plated meal first so we can eat while people go to the buffet. Then we are going to walk around to all the tables.

I think it’s absolutely necessary. Not only do I feel like it’s rude to not thank people personally for coming, but as a bride I just don’t even understand why I’d invite someone and spend $100 for them to be present at my wedding if I wasn’t even going to spend a minute or two with them! For me it’s less about the etiquette and more because if I care enough to invite this person to my wedding, I certainly care about them enough to want to greet them!

I think it's definitely very necessary to greet each guest. Etiquette aside, what's the point of inviting them if you're not going to say hello to them? haha

View Quoted Comment ^exactly. Caring enough to spend money on them to attend but not enough to spend a minute or two with them once they come makes no sense to me lol

It's not necessary (nothing really is but the officiant and the marriage license), but I feel that this is one tradition that shouldn't be skipped at all. We will go table to table after we grab a bite to eat and thank everyone.

Um, you should only send thank you cards for gifts - I've never heard of sending thank you cards as an acknowledgment for attending the wedding, that's silly. And yes, 100% yes, make an effort to personally speak with all of your guests. We all know how difficult it can be in the midst of chaos - I've attended enough weddings to know. You may only get 5 minutes with someone, but you need to at LEAST spend a moment thanking them for coming, yada yada.

As for the bride who left the conversation when her song came on.. I mean... you really will hold a grudge and not want to spend time with them ever because of it? That is ridiculous. I mean she could have done any number of things differently (like, hey, come dance with me!) but I think it's kind of normal for a bride to get excited if a song she specifically requested for her reception came on. I'd cut her some slack on that.

This is actually one thing I've been worrying about and my wedding isnt for over a year. I feel it's very important to greet every person, so I'm stressing about hitting every table. Our guest list currently is at 136, so I know its smaller than some weddings, but it still seems a little overwhelming.