Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

How are you girls not doing a receiving line? Won't people just line up anyway? I thought I had to do one?

Edited to say that Fh and I are getting married at a Church. SO how can we avoid the receiving line?

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I am having my ceremony at my hall.

After the recessional, I am going to have my Maitre D direct everyone inside for Cocktail hour.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

just wanted to clarify my point of view - at my wedding we had a receiving line after church and another one at the end of the reception (to give favors to each person).... this took an hour away from the partying time - b/c people leave before the night ends and you have to be there to say goodnight....if i also personally greeted the 220 guests during the reception, my night would have been shot....especially since half the guests were people i met for the first time that night (my parents friends and DH's parents friends)

obviously, if you host a party in your home, you will mingle with your guests the entire time....that is a more intimate setting and everyone there has been invited by you...

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

DKGA, you pretty much clarified MY point.

There was SOME interaction with your guests aside from the receiving line. By giving out the favors to each guest added a more personal touch.

The point I was trying to drive home was that the interaction should extend beyond the receiving line.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

My church has the priest's office in the front of it. So as soon as we walk down the aisle as Mr & Mrs, we will run into the room. In our programs we will have a note saying please congregate outside to shower the couple with roses. Something like that.
I really think a receiving line depends on custom. For my family it doesn't exist. FH's it does. But how much can you talk to someone on a line that is 50+ people long anyways? If you have a convo w/ every single person on the line, I would think you would be standing there for over 30 minutes. No?

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I tried asking this question on another post ....
I'm with Marcela...how do you avoid a receiving line at a church--especially if some people were not invited to the reception.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

Irenie,

I was at a wedding a couple of months ago. It was held at the reception hall.

After vows were exchanged, and after the recessional, the Maitre'D quickly directed us to the cocktail hour upstairs. The couple completely exited the room that the ceremony was held in so no one had a chance to surround them.

The couple ended up going from table to table at the reception.

At a church I feel as though you can include a note in your program or have an announcement made indicating there will be no receiving line.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

Yeah, it just seems impossible (to me) to avoid. Even if you don't want it. People are going to stand outside of the Church to throw the flowers, bid seed, whatever, and are going to want to congratulate you. So I don't think I'm really going to be able to avoid it. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind receiving lines, but I'd rather have more time to take pics, be at the full hour of the cocktail hour and greet people at the reception.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

Just this past weekend I was at a wedding and the bride and grom did not
come around to the tables. We had to track them down to give them their
gift ($). We found it a little rude that we were giving them hundreds of dollars
and the couple couldn't stop by to say hi or thanks!

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

We dont have many time restraints so we'll probably do a receiving line (there are going to be ppl who I know and my mom know that will come to church just to see me but wont be invited to the wedding. People from the neighborhood or people that I went to school with but not very close too)

Then we'll do a table to table thing, probably during cocktail hour and in the beginning of the reception after all the dances are done. I know brides who did table to table and still partied up a storm at the reception. Just spend a few minutes saying hello to your guests and thanking them for coming.

I went to one wedding where the mother of the bride went table to table to members of her family and she was able to spend a lot of time with them while the bride went to his family's tables, and to the friends and spent time with those people then went to her family last. She was able to spend a good amount of time with everyone and still partied all night on the dance floor.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I did both and here is why -
1 - Many of your guests will not attend the ceremony. This means, if you don't greet everyone at the tables, you will not get to say hello to all your guests.
2 - We planned to do a receiving line (very informal - just me, DH, parents) because there are always some people who come to the church who are not invited to the reception. I thought it was important to thank them for coming.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

Its okay to invite guests to the ceremony but not the reception? Isn't that akward?

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I think its a little awkward, but some people dont mind.
Everyone I invite is invited to both.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

it is awkward...you wouldn't invite them to the ceremony if they arent invited to the reception, but some people attend on their own...i wasnt able to invite co-workers to my wedding, but a lot of them came to the church to see me anyway...

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I was going to say that is rude. Everyone that is going to our ceremony is invited to the reception.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

Thats what I was saying, there are going to be people who are going to be coming to the ceremony on there own so its nice to do a receiving line after church to say hi and thank them for coming. You know you arent going to see them later, so use that time to say thanks to them for coming to see you.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I didn't invite people to the church they sort of invited themselves.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

we are having a recieving line at the church. But, I think its insulting not to go around table by table and say hello and thank everyone.


It is nice to go around to the tables at the wedding.
Just my opinion.

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

I know I will get in trouble for saying this but. It depends on whether you are going for strict rules of etiquette or more comfortable interaction. Etiquette says if you have more than 100 people you should have a receiving line to make sure you talk to each person. Personally I think all the weddings I went to the receiving line was nice (but not mandatory) I really don't think going to each table is necessary though. If you have a receiving line it is nice to talk to all of your guests but I have been to weddings where the bride and groom comes to each table and we never got the chance to talk to them (due to one couple hogging them) Going to table to table is not always great - you do not get to enjoy as much of your wedding (I hear this is a big complaint by those after their wedding) I DO think it is important to talk to all of your guests (it would be rude not to). My friend had a receiving line and made it a point to go over and talk to each one of her guest over the course of a night She had 220 people). This was more personal than going to each table.
I don't think a receiving line looks anymore like you are wanting a money handout than going and talking to every table.
I think NO MATTER what you choose the important aspect is that you take the time to make each and every one of your guests feel special and show each one that it meant a lot for them to have shared your special day with you. The way you accomplish that is less important. I will probably end up having a receiving line though because most of my older guest are etiquette conscience and will be offended if I don't. But I plan on going over to each one of my guests and trying to spend about 3 minutes or more with each one of them

Re: If I have a recieving line do we have to go table to table?

No - You do not invite people to the church and not the reception. People who weren't invited to my wedding came to the church (i.e. people from work, two of my BM's moms, etc.). A wedding ceremony is an 'open-door' event so people sometimes come when they aren't invited to the wedding. I actually think it is really nice when someone comes to the church who isn't invited to the reception.