Although a beach wedding generally sets the scene for a less formal atmosphere, a receiving line is still a very nice, traditional custom most couples prefer to keep. Forming a receiving line and personally welcoming your guests to the reception is a procedure that takes some time but it’s also the best way to personally thank your guests and let them know how much you appreciate them attending your beach wedding.

Some couples choose to do this right after the wedding ceremony, but, if you decided to have a beach wedding on some of the popular public beaches, you have to have in mind that this tradition takes time so it’s best to leave it for the wedding reception. A well organized receiving line will help get the greetings done quickly, easily and without problems. According to some traditions, newlyweds and their mothers are the ones that are supposed to welcome the guests but, if you want, you can include the fathers, brothers or sisters too. In Italy, this tradition is usually for the best man as he is the one that should welcome the guests and offer them drinks as they enter the wedding reception hall.

Time is a very important factor here, so you must have in mind that the longer the receiving line is, the more time it will take for all the guests to be welcomed and introduced. So, if there will be a lot of guests attending your beach wedding, you might want to think about having a shorter receiving line and have the rest of the family and bridesmaids circulate and greet the guests throughout the evening. You are allowed to mix things up a bit to make sure everything goes smooth.

Since you will be having a beach wedding, there are so many things you can do to make sure guests feel comfortable from the moment they enter the reception site. Have the caterers serve bright colored, tropical cocktails, make sure each guest gets a silk lei and have the DJ play some music. That way you’ll break the awkward silence and make waiting in line comfortable and fun. You will feel more relaxed and cheerful too and that is very important because the greeting itself should be a pleasant, warm experience for everybody.

And don’t worry, you don’t have to spend three days memorizing the name of each and every guest that will be attending your beach wedding. The rule goes like this: guests from the bride’s side of the family should be introduced to the groom and the guests from the groom’s side of the family should be introduced to the bride. If this sounds like too much work you can always use warm, polite phrases like: “We are delighted to have you join us on this special day.” Just smile, give them a hug or handshake, say a quick greeting and they will feel special.

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