Offbeat Bride, can you help me with receiving line alternatives? My mother-in-law has a medical condition called MRSA that means she needs to avoid physical contact. Both of our families live out-of-state and have not met the majority of our guests. I want them all to meet, but but I also want to respect the needs of my mother-in-law. – Reader Germaphobe
Related Reading
Do a circle dance instead of a receiving line
If you’re looking to avoid the never-ending linear hugs of… Read more
We touched on the receiving line alternative issue way back in 2010, but the issue is even more relevant now. We’re updating this post in the era of COVID, we all know how important socially distancing is to reduce the spread of coronavirus…. and MRSA is no joke! Finding a way to greet your guests without physical contact is a great idea for everyone, for a whole bunch of reasons.
So, let’s talk about a few alternatives to the receiving line that will minimize contact and maximize sweet moments of connecting with your guests and expressing gratitude. You’ll still probably need to discreetly mention the no-contact needs since people will likely go in for the handshake or hug no matter what, but these activities will help.
Pare it down to just the couple
If you’d still like a traditional receiving line, you could cut out the rest of the crew and just have you and your partner do the greeting. You’re the ones they want to see anyway, so you likely won’t get complaints. Plus, the line will move a lot faster when it’s just two people to greet.
Greet guests as they enter the reception
If you’re not going to be occupied when guests enter the reception venue/area, plan to greet them as they arrive. Your crew can head in and you and your partner can handle the hugging and handshakes instead. Bonus points to handing them a favor or a drink, too!
Use a photo booth as your mingling session
Related Reading
Skip the receiving line and do photos together instead
Ah, the receiving line. That thing that many couples sorta… Read more
With a bunch of props at hand, there are less ways to make actual contact. Set up a photo booth to gives you time to greet everyone, get some rad photos, and skip the receiving line altogether.
Have a cocktail reception
Before or after the ceremony, arrange to serve drinks and/or a few appetizers to get everyone chilled out and mingled up. Plus, you can put the receiving line members behind the food table to keep a barrier between you and the guests.
Serve dessert or drinks to your guests
Elle and Bear ran with the idea of serving dessert by grabbing platters of muffins and walking them around right after the ceremony. Post-ceremony yummies, arms too full to do hugs — it works. Here’s what Elle said about it:
We wanted to serve our guests, not just be served by staff … It was great to have a quick chat, hug, and offer tasty treats in this way because these people had done so much for us.
Visit guests at their tables
Related Reading
Is four hours long enough for a reception?
“The venue we’re looking at allows us to be there… Read more
Greeting groups of guests at their tables while they’re eating is a great way to talk to larger groups and keep your distance while they nosh. You can also have your mother-in-law skip this part, avoiding the issue altogether.
Do ye olde video messages
Designate someone with a camera to record messages from guests just like they did in wedding movies in the ’80s. They can say something sweet to you and you’ll have lots of video memories to relive later on. Win-win.
Related Reading
No wedding receiving line: Socially distanced ways to greet your wedding guests
“I have a condition called fibromyalgia which causes me near constant pain and makes me feel tired very easily. I am really worried about how to deal with receiving lines…” Read more
Now it’s your turn: what’s a great receiving line alternative that you’ve seen done?
