Collective Sound

Instructions For Having A Receiving Line

The ceremony is over and now you’re married. Now everyone wants to congratulate you. Many brides do not like the formality of a receiving line. However, after the wedding, many couples have said they found it too difficult and time consuming to meet and greet all of the guests during the reception. You may want to consider having a receiving line in order to help take the pressure to speak with each guest.

The Setup
The traditional order in the receiving line is: mother of the bride, mother of the groom, bride and groom. Many brides choose to add fathers, but this is strictly optional. If you do add them, they stand on the right-hand side of their wives. Guests move from the left to the right. Allow plenty of time to get through the line. If you have 200 guests, figure that it will take about 45 minutes.

Make it go Smoothly
Go over the guest list with your fiancé the night before, this will help you remember names. With all of the excitement of the day, it's easy to forget someone's name, but don't worry if you can’t remember a person’s name, either politely ask them their name or simply give them a big smile and thank them for coming. Keep comments brief and tell the other members of the receiving line to do the same. If you have the receiving line at the end of the ceremony, consider playing background music for the guest’s enjoyment. Another option is to do the receiving line at the cocktail hour. That way, guests can sip champagne and munch on appetizers while waiting to say hello.