I don't like lines

So, this past weekend I went up to Westchester on Sunday to meet with the general manager of the club where our wedding reception is going to be, and also looked in on the church (so pretty!). Pictures to follow, when I'm posting from home, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share part of the discussion my mom and sister and I had about timing of things on the wedding day, and that oh-so-formal tradition of the Receiving Line.

Short form? I don't love it. According to Wikipedia, the receiving line is a Scottish tradition, where the guests file past the bride and groom, introducing themselves. (I don't know how accurate that is -- I'd agree more with the later citation that it's an American custom.) Now, I expect to know everyone at my wedding. I don't want anyone to have to introduce themselves to me! Secondly, and more importantly, we've deliberately chosen to have a more casual cocktail reception rather than a formal sit-down meal because we hope and expect our guests to mingle with each other, and we want to be able to circulate among them and say hello throughout the reception, not just in the structured line. I just feel that a line often creates a bottleneck, either exiting the church, or getting into the reception.

Besides, I think we've struck on another idea. I like the Jewish tradition where the bride and groom spend some time alone after the wedding ceremony before the reception. Of course, with a ceremony at 1:30 and the cocktail hour starting at 3, there's not all that much time, not if we want to do pictures then as well! So, considering that we're going to be the first people out of the church (and now having seen the church, I think this will work!), we can whisk ourselves away to a little room, even just for five or ten minutes to be alone after the "I do"s. When all of the guests have left the church (with our wedding party asking them to stay near the doors), we can sweep out and do the big tossing of flower petals or blowing bubbles, or what have you! After that, formal posed wedding pics, then onto cocktails!

At the reception, even if we miss some (but hopefully not much) of the cocktail hour because of pictures, we'll be able to spend more time with our guests than a receiving line would allow.

Also, I spoke to my sister-in-law recently, who told me I wouldn't remember all the little details of the day, that they would pass in a blur, etc. etc. Honestly? I really hope not. But I think I'd be more likely to feel that way about the guests if they are just passing me in a line than if I can spend more time talking with them, dancing with them, and oh yeah, drinking with them.

So, count that as another wedding tradition I'm bucking!