"Receiving Line" vs. "Meet and Greet"
by Maria Forsell
A lot of brides like to have a receiving line at their reception. The receiving line is to "receive" your guest into the reception area. If your ceremony is in a separate location from your reception, the ideal way to have a receiving line is to have the bride and groom, bridal party, parents, etc. in the reception room prior to your guests arriving. If your guests are at your reception location prior to you, then forming a receiving line is very difficult. This will especially be a problem when your ceremony is in the same room as where you will be gathering to eat dinner.
Remember these things when you are planning your day. If you have enough time between the ceremony and the reception and your guests won't be allowed into your reception area until the start of the reception, then a receiving line may work for you. If the ceremony is in the same room or there is not enough time between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception, then you may just want to do a "meet and greet". A "meet and greet" can also cut down on time spent after dinner visiting table to table and allow you to get to the dance floor quicker.
- Maria Forsell is with Rev On The Run in Plainfield, IL, and has been a WedPlan Member since Jan 2005.
