THE RECEIVING LINE

The receiving line is your way to personally greet, thank, and receive congratulations from your guests. 

Some Questions To Consider:
1. Do you want to have a receiving line?
2. When do you want to do the receiving line?
3. Who do you want to have be a part of the receiving line?
4. What type of music do you want to have in the background?


1. Do you want to have a receiving line?
Why you might want to do this:
A. It’s tradition, and you’ve always wanted to have a traditional wedding.
B. There are only a small number of guests (under 80) and a receiving line won’t take much time.
C. You aren’t going to get a chance to say thank you at any other part of the reception.
D. You don’t want to spend time later on going around to all of the tables.

Why you might not want to do this:
A. It’s tradition, and you’ve always wanted a non-traditional wedding.
B. There are a large number of guests, and a receiving line would take a considerable amount of time. It is estimated that each guest will take approximately 15 seconds to go through a small receiving line. If you have 200 guests, it will take approximately 50 minutes for every guest to go through.
C. You plan on visiting all of the tables to say thank you at some time during the reception. (We recommend immediately after you finish eating, or even between courses, if it is a large crowd.)
D. You don’t mind spending time going around to all the tables.

What most couples do:
Most couples have the receiving line at the ceremony site. If it is not done there, most couples visit tables at the reception and forgo the receiving line. Some of them split up the duties, so that it’s the Groom’s duty to visit the tables with his family and friends, and it’s the Brides duty to visit the tables with hers. Just make sure that at some point in the reception you take the time to personally say thank you to your guests, whether it be in a receiving line, by visiting tables, or in some other fashion like during the cocktail hour.

{Here are some Great Thank You Cards for your Guests}

2. When do you want to do the receiving line?
Some possible choices:
a. Immediately after the ceremony.
b. Immediately upon arrival of the Bride and Groom
c. Sometime either immediately before, during, or immediately after dinner.

a. Immediately after the ceremony.
If it is held at a church, you can say thank you as the guests file out. If the ceremony is in a different room at the same function hall as your reception, you can form a receiving line either at the exit to the ceremony room or at the entrance of the reception room

b. Immediately upon arrival of the Bride and Groom
This may be the least inconvenient way to have it at the reception. Just make sure the function hall knows you’ll be doing this, since it may delay dinner a while.

c. Sometime either immediately before, during, or immediately after dinner.
Doing it immediately before the meal risks keeping hungry guests waiting. During the meal, you might decide to do it right after you finish your meal, and before the guests have finished theirs. In this position, you risk interrupting guests’ meals. Doing it immediately after dinner risks keeping your guests waiting for the dancing to begin.

What most couples do:
As mentioned in the last question, most couples have their receiving lines at the church or ceremony site. This leaves more time for partying at the reception.


3. Who do you want to have be a part of the receiving line?
The receiving line can be as short as just the Bride and Groom, or as long as the entire wedding party. For time’s sake, we recommend against the entire party.

What most couples do:
Most couples are choosing a shorter line. The following lists the members of a receiving line in the frequency of their participation:
a. Bride and Groom
b. Mother of the Bride
c. Mother of the Groom
d. Maid/Matron of Honor
e. Father of the Bride
f. Father of the Groom
g. Bridesmaids
h. Best man
I. Ushers.

As you can see, there is a definite leaning toward the woman participating. The Father of the Bride is often visiting with guests, the receiving line is optional for the Father of the Groom, and the Best Man and Ushers are usually making themselves useful in other ways like getting drinks for those in the receiving line.


4. What type of music do you want to have in the background?
If your receiving line is at the church, or ceremony site, you may want to have the musician or DJ play postlude music during the receiving line. If your receiving line is at the reception site, you can choose any of the musical selections that were recommended for either the cocktail hour or the meal.