Receiving Lines

First, what is a receiving line? A receiving line is often found at more traditional weddings and includes the bride and groom and sometimes the parents and/or bridal party greeting the guests. Today the nice thing about weddings is that they are each customized to the couple and their families. So there are now many ways of doing a receiving line or greeting your guests informally. Do keep in mind that some churches in Cincinnati do not allow receiving lines due to time constraints. The most traditional way to do the receiving line, is to have the bride and groom and both sets of parents greet the guests as they leave the ceremony or when they enter the reception. Another idea is to greet the guests as they arrive to the ceremony. Also, some couples have opted to have just the two of them greet guests. Another option is to have the officiant announce that the couple will be coming back up the aisle to dismiss the guests by pew. This is nice because it does attempt to speed up the process. Some couples greet the guests as they go through the buffet line which ensures that they see everyone but does mean that they eat last. And the most common way that we see today is to forgo the formal line and greet the guests at their tables during the reception. Receiving lines are a great idea for thanking everyone for coming. Be sure to allow enough time in your schedule if you are including one. It can take about 45 minutes to receive about 200 people with the couple receiving the guests.