What is a Receiving Line + Do I Need One? // Part 1

WHAT IS A RECEIVING LINE + DO I NEED ONE?

Wedding days can be oh-so-tricky to plan. There are so many traditions, little etiquettes, and things that your Mom says you have to do – it can all get very overwhelming and confusing. One of those confusing things is called a “receiving line”. If you haven’t attended many weddings, it’s definitely possible that you aren’t 100% sure what it is! Let me explain!

A receiving line traditionally happens as soon as the ceremony is over. Let me set the stage: the bride & groom are pronounced husband & wife, “You may kiss the bride!”, “I now present the new Mr. & Mrs.!”, and the bride & groom recess back down the aisle, followed by their bridal party & immediate family. Perfect – now what happens? With a traditional receiving line, the bride & groom then stand at the door of the church, in an entry way, or at the end of the aisle, and greet each of their guests as they file out of the church to leave.

This sets the stage to do several things:
1. The bride & groom are able to personally say “hello” and “thank you” to every single guest who is attending their wedding.
2. It gives the guests a chance to congratulate the bride & groom! And maybe even be introduced! A lot of times, a guest will know, say for instance: the bride, but will have never met the groom, so this is the perfect time for that introduction to be made.

Typically, the parents of the bride & the parents of the groom are also there to greet the guests, since they are “traditionally” the hosts of the wedding. However, many brides & grooms today plan and pay for their own weddings – meaning that they are actually the hosts. At times, the entire bridal party will stand with the bride & groom as well! Depending on the number of guests at your wedding, and the number of people you have standing in your receiving line, the whole process can take anywhere from 20-45 minutes.

So, is a receiving line a necessity? I would say – it is of utmost importance to greet each and every one of your guests. You have made them a priority by inviting them to your wedding, they have set aside their day & potentially traveled hundreds of miles to attend your celebration, the least you can do is say hello to every single person. However, does that have to look like a traditional receiving line? What if you have a tight timeframe – maybe you have to vacate the church by a certain time, maybe you only have your photographer for limited hours, maybe you’re planning a winter wedding and standing outside in the cold/snow is simply not possible?

Maybe you want to consider an alternative!
Stay tuned! Next week I want to go into some fun alternatives to the traditional receiving line that I have seen at weddings!