When Should Bride And Groom Greet Guests?

The bride and groom enter the venue, followed by their groomsmen and bridesmaids. They greet and thank each guest for attending their wedding. A receiving line is not required, but it is important to greet and thank everyone.

Arrive on time and plan your travel accordingly. Delegate roles to ushers and help welcome guests as they arrive. It’s important for the bride and groom to greet as many guests as possible.

The parents of the bride and groom should meet well before the wedding to ensure they are on the same page about their wedding plans. Getting to know each other before the wedding is also a good way to show love and support.

The bride and groom should be the first to hit the dance floor with a romantic first dance, followed by the bride and her father, the groom and his mother, and the groom’s parents. The DJ or band should keep the music rockin and invite all guests onto the dance floor.

If a receiving line is chosen, it’s one of the mother of the bride’s duties to greet guests as they arrive at the reception venue. Dress appropriately and avoid ignoring the dress code if the wedding invite specifies it.

Make guests feel welcome with simple gestures like a cool drink or setting up dispensers of spa water. The greetings session should begin shortly after the ceremony, and the couple should stay together and accompany the video and guests during the session.

Table visits usually happen near the end of dinner while guests are still seated. After the bride and groom have finished their meals, they should greet every guest, if only for a few seconds.

Does the groom greet the guests before the ceremony?

Are receiving lines required?. Lets start by setting the record straight: A receiving line isnt required.However, the bride and groom do have to greet and thank each and every one of their guests for coming to their wedding. A receiving line really is the best way to be sure that they dont miss anyone, especially if the wedding is large (more than 75 people). A receiving line is also a great (and efficient) way to be sure that all the guests have a chance to meet the couples parents and attendants. At a small wedding, its fine for the bride and groom to visit with each table—usually during the meal—to greet, thank and chat with their guests.

Where is it held?. The receiving line is held either at the ceremony site as people exit the service, followed by formal picture-taking, or as soon as the couple reaches the reception site, after the formal pictures. Ideally, the location is one that flows into the reception area or permits guests to have refreshments while they wait their turn.

Whos in line?. For some reason, groomsmen often panic about having to be in a receiving line. Relax, guys, youre off the hook. Whoever is hosting the wedding is the first in line. Traditionally, thats the brides mother, followed by her father, the grooms mother and father, the bride, the groom, the maid or matron of honor, and one or two bridesmaids (they can take turns and share the duty). But if Aunt Martha and Uncle Fred are hosting, Aunt Martha starts the line. Fathers arent required to stand in line; they can circulate, with the groomsmen, among the guests. However if one father participates, the other should also. In a military wedding, its protocol for a groom in uniform to stand before his bride.

What is the proper etiquette for inviting guests to a wedding?

Key Takeaways:Invite your family in groups rather than pick and choose your favorite relatives.Always invite couples as a pair unless they arent in a committed relationship.Clearly write the guests names on the invitations, so theres no question about whos invited.

Your wedding is a big deal, so you might want to invite the most friends possible, from your old college roommate to your favorite barista at Starbucks. You probably also have a list of people you do NOT want to come, which can get you in a sticky situation.

Lets break down wedding guest list etiquette and talk about big wedding DOs and DONTs to ensure you have all your loved ones around you without any faux pas that might raise eyebrows.

• Key Takeaways:. Invite your family in groups rather than pick and choose your favorite relatives
• Always invite couples as a pair unless they arent in a committed relationship
• Clearly write the guests names on the invitations, so theres no question about whos invited

Who welcomes guests at a wedding?

Who gives the welcome speech at a wedding? At the ceremony, that would be the officiant. At the reception, whoever is hosting will welcome the guests. It may not be in a speech, but could happen in a receiving line and/or by the couple going to each table to greet the guests.

How soon before a wedding should guests arrive?

Wedding Etiquette for Guests: The Ceremony. Arrive on Time. You should always assume a ceremony will start at the time listed on the invitation—and plan your travel accordingly, say the experts, arriving 15 to 30 minutes early. “The old adage of “‘Fifteen minutes early is on time, and on time is late, applies here,” say Van Son. Dont risk sneaking in the back door during the ceremony or walking down the aisle just before the wedding party. “The last thing you want is to be arriving during the processional or brides entrance,” says Gomes. “If you do arrive late, rely on the ushers to let you know when you can enter the ceremony.”

However, you also dont want to arrive too early. “Arriving too early—for instance an hour-plus before the ceremony time—can cause hiccups for the vendor team, like the florist, who is rushing to finish the florals but might have to slow down or make concessions due to safety,” says Van Son. “Its also a slippery slope: If guests see someone seated early, they will probably also sit early and then the room fills up too soon, and we often use spaces like the ceremony location or dining room for bridal portraits or other photos.”

Dont Call the Couple. If youre running late, your flight got canceled, or a stomach virus is going to prevent you from attending the wedding, you should let someone know—but not the couple. “To reach out last minute to the couple to say you are running late or have an issue is not advised, as it can add stress to an often already high-pressured day,” says Meier. “Instead, try reaching a wedding planner, bridesmaid, or groomsman who can help you.” The couples website should also have information that can help—like directions to the venue, a reminder of the schedule, and the dress code, says Van Son.

Is it rude to not greet guests?

When you greet someone, you say hello. Most people do this without thinking. Not greeting someone you know can hurt their feelings and cause misunderstandings. Ignoring someone is the most offensive thing you can do. It goes against our basic human needs for inclusion and social interaction. If someone who usually greets others in a friendly way doesn’t greet them one day, those other people may feel snubbed or think that person is acting oddly. This can happen for many reasons, like being busy, late for an appointment, or forgetting glasses. These omissions can be fixed with a warm greeting the next time, but they show that good greetings start with noticing others.

Informal greetings can be verbal or gestured. Hello and hi are the most common greetings. Hey is popular in some places and with some people. You usually say the person’s name with a smile. Some places still say “good morning,” “good afternoon,” and “good evening.” Children and teenagers have their own ways of greeting, which should not be copied by the general population.

When to greet guests at a wedding?

Have your receiving line on the way into cocktail hour or the reception. Go to the entrance as soon as the ceremony is over and greet your guests as they come in. This has a downside. A line. If guests are coming from the ceremony or shuttles, a receiving line at the entrance means they’ll have to wait to say hello before going inside. This is best with smaller guest counts. Who is in the receiving line? The receiving line usually includes the parents of the couple in this order: the mother of the bride, the father of the bride, the newlyweds, the mother of the groom, and the father of the groom. The fathers can mingle with the crowd instead. The fathers should either both be mingling or both be in the receiving line, following the father of the bride. Some couples also include the maid of honor and bridesmaids, who should stand after the groom’s parents. What if your parents are divorced? If your parents are divorced, they shouldn’t stand next to each other in the receiving line. The maid of honor or best man should stand between the parents to show they are no longer a couple. If your stepparent is remarried, you can decide whether to include their new spouse. If you and your parents are close and they’re okay with it, invite them to stand by your parents’ side. Your stepmother should stand next to your dad, and your stepdad should stand next to your mom. If you don’t get along with your stepparent(s) or think the situation will be tense with them there, ask them to mingle with guests instead.

How early should the bride arrive?

Typically the bride and bridesmaids will be ready around an hour before the service (assuming they dont have to travel to get there). Its best to check with your hair stylist/ make up artist but usually the bridesmaids will be done first and the bride will be the last to get ready.

As a wedding photographer, I know that preparation and planning are absolutely essential for the smooth running of a wedding and having a wedding day timeline is one key part of that. A wedding timetable will help your guests know what’s going on, allow your suppliers to work together to keep things running smoothly and allow us, as photographers, to know where to be to capture those perfect photos. But, unsurprisingly, most couples haven’t organised a wedding before, so where to start? Check out our guide to planning a wedding day timeline, with a 1 pm ceremony as an example, below:

Before I start, I think it’s really important to make a few things clear.

• It’s totally okay to throw this all out the window and do your own thing! I’ve included a section at the end for alternative wedding day timetables, you can get married at the crack of dawn if you like or get married late in the afternoon or evening.
• It’s your wedding, do it your way! Don’t feel you have to follow all, or any, of the ‘typical wedding’ traditions. If you love them do them but if they don’t suit you, that’s fine too. If you want to do the speeches at some other point in the day, like before the meal (so people can relax and have a few drinks over dinner), want to get ready in the same place or want to ditch the first dance – do it!
• This wedding timeline is worded for a heterosexual couple, but it’s not intended to exclude same-sex couples. Obviously, if there’s two grooms, you might need to allocate a little less time to hair and makeup. And the ‘Bride getting dressed’ section might need a bit of adapting! We love weddings of all shapes, sizes, ethnicities, and genders, and this guide absolutely adaptable to a same-sex couple. Love is love and each wedding is unique.

When should bride and groom speak at wedding?

Tradition states that the Wedding Speeches should be conducted after the meal and they essentially bring an end to the days formalities at which point the party side of the day can begin. By serving the meal first it means your guests are finally being properly fed.

What is the correct order of a wedding ceremony?

In a traditional wedding ceremony, the processional begins with the brides mother before the groom, best man, wedding party, flower girl, and ring bearer follow. The bride, who is escorted by her father, is the last to make her way down the aisle. Other types of religious ceremonies, such as a Hindu wedding, have a slightly different processional order.

Traditionally, the groom stands on the right side of the altar with his best man directly beside him and the rest of his groomsmen following. With the bride on the left side, her maid or matron-of-honor stands directly next to her before the rest of her bridesmaids follow. While there are no rules when it comes to the order of your bridesmaids and groomsmen, considering the pairs who will walk down the aisle together may help the order fall into place.

A wedding ceremony will require three to four songs. The recessional and processional will require one song each, which will be in addition to the prelude music. You may also choose a specific tune for the brides entrance or merge this with the processional song.

When should I invite people to my wedding?

• Save the date cards can be sent out as early as a year from your wedding date
• Invitations should be sent to your guests six to eight weeks in advance of your wedding.
• Invitations for destination weddings should be sent to your guests three months in advance of your wedding.

Designing your wedding invitations and sending them out can be an exciting part of wedding planning. Using these recommendations along with adding personal flare will leave you with beautiful wedding invitations thatll get your guests just as excited as you are to celebrate your love story.

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