Emma's answers to Receiving line worries

Question

Do I need to have a receiving line? What are they for?

Answer

The receiving line can be organised as the guests leave the wedding ceremony or as they arrive at the reception venue, which is the most popular choice. This is the time when you, your spouse and both your parents can be properly introduced to everyone, as well as making each guest welcome. The conventional way of arranging this is to have the bride's mother and father first, then the groom's parents and then the bride and groom. You may like to add the best man and chief bridesmaid on the end too.

The order of the receiving line is based on the notion that the bride's parents pay for the entire wedding - something that is obviously becoming less and less the norm nowadays. So there's no reason why you have to stick to the traditional order or even have a receiving line at all. Although it does give you the chance to talk to every guest individually at least once on the day and thank them for coming.

As an alternative to the full line-up, the bride and groom could do the welcoming on their own - it's a lot quicker and avoids any potential family problems completely. Or, you could decide not to have a line at all, and simply to walk around the tables during the reception saying hello to everyone.

It's not absolutely necessary, but worth thinking about to ensure that you get the chance to speak to everyone at some point during the day.

Emma x