Is the Wedding Receiving Line Making a Comeback?

In the world of wedding traditions, some old-school rituals are making a comeback, with the receiving line being among them. In decades past, the wedding couple would stand at the exit of their ceremony just moments after saying ‘I Do,’ to greet, hug and handshake all of their guests. It was a chance to welcome those congratulations and spend a moment with each loved one before heading out to take their post-ceremony photos.

Soon, the receiving line tradition faded away, with wedding couples opting to just sprint to their awaiting car and head right to their reception venue. At their reception, they would make it a point to visit each guest table for those personal greetings.

While visiting each guest table during the reception is still very much a Must, with or without a receiving line, more couples welcome the chance to usher in a bit of old-world wedding traditions [call it an ‘heirloom wedding choice’ if you will] by remaining at their ceremony exit for well-wishes as their guests exit.

Why has the receiving line made a comeback? It may be that wedding couples visiting guest tables at their reception venue miss out on seeing treasured guests who are off at the bar, or on the dance floor, or outside in the wedding gardens, or tending to their children. Some couples find that visiting each guest table isn’t the most efficient way to see all of their guests, nor to honor them for their presence. Some couples may find that – especially with a big guest list – they would spend too much of their reception time table-hopping and not enough time being able to dance, visit the bar, and eat their exceptional wedding menu dishes. So, to ensure they see all of their guests, they’re doing a receiving line.

You might ask, “But what if there are guests who didn’t go to the ceremony, choosing instead to just go to the reception?” That’s an excellent point, and a reason why the wedding couple might choose to situate their receiving line at the entrance of their reception venue. As guests arrive for the cocktail party, the wedding couple is standing there at the gorgeous wedding venue entrance, at a doorway that may be decorated with beautiful florals and lanterns, happy to welcome each of their guests to the celebration. If there is anyone they miss at this point, they’ll still have good odds of seeing them during table visits. And guests who didn’t get the chance to greet the couple will usually approach the sweetheart table.

Having a dual-pronged greeting plan – a receiving line and table-visits – is a sign of honor and respect paid to guests who have taken the time, traveled and perhaps gone to great expense to attend the wedding. Some couples feel that table visits alone don’t allow enough time to see their friends and meet new partners and guests’ kids as well as special relatives, so multiple efforts create those moments that everyone looks forward to at a wedding.

When you tour our wedding venues, keep an eye out for where you may want to situate your own receiving line in our building or on our grounds, and know that this setting, our event venue, will be the site of some forever memories.