The Receiving Line

These days, there are a multitude of ways to get married. Whether you’re in city hall, a cathedral or with the sand between your toes, all you truly need are two people committing to each other for a lifetime. Hopefully, if you choose, you are doing so surrounded by your loved ones to celebrate this sacred life-changing event. If you are so lucky to be amongst your nearest and dearest, it is essential to spend time with each guest. (Your great aunt may have flown for miles to see her only niece be married, and would be crushed if you didn’t greet her with the utmost respect and gratitude for making the trip to your special day.)

It can be done in a variety of ways – greeting guests following the ceremony, going from table to table at your reception during dinner (a popular choice these days), or my personal favorite: the receiving line. After seeing it done so smoothly at a wedding we attended just prior to ours (beautiful Allana and Evan!), we decided a modern receiving line was a must. Held just before dinner towards the end of cocktail hour, we lined up to greet each guest as they moved from the clubhouse to the outdoor verandah for dinner and dancing.

The line included Ben’s parents, my parents, and then us just before guests walked outside. (It used to be the entire bridal party lined up to greet each guest — how tiring! Let your guys and gals have a drink after taking many photos with you and your beau after the ceremony. Ask your parents to do the honors with you, especially if you’re hosting more of a family fête.) The beauty of the receiving line is it can be set up anywhere — when your guests see you lining up, they’ll quickly see to follow suit, and some of your elder guests will remember the days when this was the norm.

It created the perfect platform to hug each guest, graciously thank them for attending and promise a dance together later that night. It alleviated any worries of missing someone and we were able to give our undivided attention, even just for a few moments which is hard to come by on wedding day, to each person. Word to the wise: plan out your time based on the number of guests. It’s so easy to get caught up, so give a hug, a kiss on the cheek and some quick words to follow up if you can later in the night.

Above: a photo of us from our receiving line on our wedding day x