Your friends and family have come to celebrate you and your new spouse on one of the biggest days of your life. Some have even traveled from afar to be there for your big day. So, you’d like to greet each of your guests and thank them for attending, yet you have quite a large guest count and that sounds like a very daunting task.
We know how important it is to want to honor your guests and show them your appreciation. We also know how overwhelming it can be to visit each of your guests within a short period of time. Plus, you want to be able to enjoy your day and not spend all of it trying to get to each guest. Let’s explore a few ways you can honor your guests without compromising too much time.
Receiving line at cocktail hour. The traditional way to greet your guests is through a receiving line. This is done immediately following the ceremony with the mothers or parents of the bride and groom as part of the group. You line up and say hello as they walk past. Sounds easy, right? Well, with a large wedding, this could take longer than anticipated. Most people have stopped doing Receiving Lines to greet their guests as it is considered an outdated custom. A great alternative to a receiving line is to greet your guests as they come in for cocktail hour, as long as most of your photos were taken at first look. It’s a great way to say hello as people are already mingling in a less formal manner. If you end up missing some of your guests, you’ll have plenty of time to catch them on the dance floor!
Table greetings. This is what we do most often with our clients. While the guests are eating their dinner, the bride and groom will greet each table for about 3-5 minutes. We know that people will want to chat longer and keeping track of time is not practical for the newlyweds. Our team will be with you as you make your way through each table, helping you stay on time. That’s not your job after-all. We want you to enjoy your special day!
Host a pre-wedding party. Instead of trying to fit everything in on the wedding day, why not host a pre-wedding party where you have more opportunities to see everyone with no stress! This option is popular with destination weddings, but can be used for local weddings as well.
We hope these options help relieve your stress and offer some practical alternatives to thank your guests for attending and supporting you on your lovely wedding day!
Photography | Kappen Photgraphy