Wedding ADVICE: Why you should have a Receiving Line
Our wedding day will be filled with lots of love, celebration and excitement! As the wedding date gets closer, our list of loved ones has grown to almost 300 people! Many Brides have told me that the day takes a year to plan, but it’s over in the blink of an eye. They explain that the excitement of the day consumes you and it’s over before you know it. I have been to a few weddings that were not as organized as I had hoped. As a guest, I would have liked 2 seconds to congratulate the Bride & Groom and perhaps to snap a pic. After all, attending your wedding can be quite the investment for guests.
In an effort to acknowledge our guests, show our gratitude and take pictures with guests, we have decided to have a Receiving Line.
A receiving line isn’t old fashioned, nor is it required. The only requirement: that the bride, groom, and hosts speak with all of their guests. For large weddings (75 people or more), a receiving line—either just after the ceremony or as guests enter the reception—offers the most efficient way to do this. At smaller events, where there’s ample opportunity to greet guests casually, you can more easily achieve this. Some couples achieve this by visiting each table during dinner, though it does cut into your own to enjoy the meal!
The receiving line usually includes (in order) the bride’s parents (mother first), the groom’s parents, the bride and groom, the maid or matron of honor, and the bride’s attendants. If the wedding party is small, the best man and may join as well, though flower girls and ring bearers are not included. If either the bride or groom has Stepparents, they stand with their new spouse. If the divorced parents are unable to be that close to each other, it’s okay to arrange the line to allow for a little breathing room between them or to excuse someone altogether if they don’t feel able to participate.
The line also guarantees your guests a minute of face-to-face time with you, a chance to hug, kiss, and congratulate you both, and to say things like “The ceremony was lovely” and snap selfies! If you rely instead on the more casual greet-them-as-you-see-them approach, you may spend the whole party in a tailspin, ducking out of conversations to say hello to people you haven’t greeted yet, and inevitably you’ll end up missing someone. The time that you dedicate to a Receiving Line will allow for more fun during the reception! Happy Planning and don’t forget to check our wedding website www.TonyandNaja.com !
