In recent years, the receiving line has lost its luster, as brides and grooms opted for a more informal way of greeting each guest, usually by visiting each table during the course of dinner.
Since our wedding was essentially a destination for all but 4 of our guests (we were married in Charlottesville, Virginia, but most of our guests live in Washington, DC, Maryland, Chicago, or elsewhere in the country/world), it was especially important to us that we had the chance to greet everyone, if only for a few minutes.
AND, we wanted to enjoy our dinner too! So, we decided to go with the receiving line.
Photos: Martha Stewart Weddings
After the ceremony, my new husband and I stood outside the church and greeted each of our guests as they left. In order to move things along (we had just over 200 guests), we kept the receiving line to just the two of us, though often both sets of parents (or even just the mothers) also participate in a receiving line.
And, let me tell you, having a receiving line was the best decision we made.
Seriously. It was the best thing we did. We both enjoyed talking to each guest, and surprisingly, the line moved pretty quickly! It was over before we knew it, and we were able to take our time eating and drinking at the reception.
For etiquette, options, and tips on receiving lines, check out advice on the knot!
Welcome back and thanks for the great posts!