Question:

What is the order for the receiving line?

If you are asking this question, you probably already know that a receiving line is always seen at a very formal wedding. The hostess usually holds the receiving line so she can welcome the guests into the reception. The role of the hostess typically belongs to the mother of the bride.

The host, or the father of the bride is usually found mingling with the people near by, introducing the guests to one another and pointing them to the bar, hors d’oeuvres and other such things.  

You will often find similar lines when a couple hosts a formal cocktail party in their home. The hostess greets and welcomes guests, then directs them toward the living room where the host introduces them around and points them toward the bartender.

In cases where the wedding is less formal, or the reception is brief, the couple might decide not to have a receiving line. Some reception sites and halls may actually encourage that in order to keep everything on schedule.

A word of caution about this, if you are skipping the receiving line with the thought that you will instead visit each table of guests after dinner (an absolute must if there is no receiving line), you are very likely to find you’re the fun of your wedding reception to be cut down because of all the mandatory table-hopping. You’ll find yourself spending a lot of time making rounds rather than dancing the night away.

Many couples that choose to do this later report that the night was over too quickly and that the entire event was a bit of a blur in their minds.

While almost every couple finds that the wedding day goes by much faster than they would like, fulfilling your duty to visit every table instead of having fun and mingling more freely is surely to make the evening seem shorter and likely less satisfying.

When observing traditional etiquette, the classical receiving line is never held at the church, but rather, always at the reception site.

There are some rules of traditional etiquette, which even today, must never be modified, however, this is not one of them. Therefore, for a wedding with a more contemporary approach, you may choose to have a receiving line at the church (usually after the ceremony).
What is the receiving line order?



According to traditional etiquette, the order of the traditional, and most formal receiving line is as follows:
  • Mother of the Bride
  • Mother of the Groom
  • Bride
  • Groom
  • Maid of Honor
  • All of the Bridesmaids
Another alternative is to order it the receiving line as follows
  • Bride's mother
  • Groom's father
  • Groom's mother
  • Bride's father
  • Bride
  • Groom
  • Maid-of-honor
  • Best man (if he wishes to be included)

But not everyone is concerned with keeping the highest level of tradition or formality, and it is certainly acceptable to deviate from the historic form of the receiving line if desired.

Children are sometimes also seen in more contemporary receiving lines. However, this is only advisable if they are old enough and well behaved enough to stand for a long period of time without becoming uncomfortable.

It is still good advice to limit the number of people in the receiving line as much as possible for practical reasons. This will make it quick for guests to move through the line (guests often hate being held up in a slow moving receiving line) and to enable the reception festivities to get under way without too much waiting. It is also probably better to avoid having the ushers, groomsmen and best man stand in the line - not only because it will speed things along, but also because it will probably better for the gentlemen themselves.

When it comes to daytime weddings that are held in a hall or similar reception facility, often another event may be scheduled in the facility for that evening. Therefore, the facility may require that the function conclude by a certain time, such as 4:00 PM, so that it can be cleared and then set up for the evening reception. In such a scenario, when time will be considerably limited, it may require eliminating the receiving line.