Wedding reception

A party after the vows

Entertaining guests once a couple have married is a custom in most societies. The word reception carries the idea of receiving: the pair, now wed, meet the people who watched them marry. In earlier times families in Europe and North America held a wedding breakfast after a morning ceremony, or a ball when the wedding was in the evening. During the 1900s the reception took the place of both, and the name came to mean any gathering after a wedding, whether it was brunch, tea, dinner or a dance. Some cultures hold separate celebrations for the two families.

Where it is held

Until the years following the Second World War, most celebrations happened at the home of the bride's family and matched what that family could afford. A wealthy household might put on a grand ball; middle-income families held a lunch; working-class families served tea with cake and lemonade. Some families arranged mass weddings to share the expense. Dance halls appeared in the early 1900s and were hired when a home was too small. Today people use church or temple halls, restaurants, gardens, hired banquet rooms, hotel ballrooms, and venues run by firms that specialise in weddings and parties.

Food and cake

What is served follows the hour of the wedding and the habits of the place. It may be no more than a soft drink and a slice of cake, or a dinner of many courses, and the hosts' budget decides. Where a couple's faith or culture rules out alcohol and dancing, the party can centre on dessert. Local customs appear too: a croquembouche in France, or the cookie table that families in and around Pittsburgh fill. Cakes are usually stacked in tiers and iced in white. A couple may show a small decorated cake and serve plainer sheet cake, and in the southern United States a groom's cake, often chocolate, is shaped around his hobbies.

Greeting the guests

In a receiving line the couple, their hosts, and often their parents and attendants stand in an agreed order and meet every guest in turn. A guest gives a name to the first person in the line, who passes them along to the next. At least one host and the couple are expected to greet people; other members of the wedding party are not obliged, and since many couples now pay for their own party, it is common for the two of them to stand alone. Couples on the east and west coasts of the United States often choose a grand entrance instead, with an MC, band leader or disc jockey announcing the wedding party, sometimes in the order they walked in at the ceremony.

Toasts and dancing

Speeches wishing the couple well are made by members of the wedding party, before or after the meal. The speakers commonly include the maid of honor, the groom, the best man and the bride's father, though no list is fixed and toasts are optional. A photo montage of the pair growing up is a newer addition. Where there is dancing, the couple open it. Waltzes were once the usual choice; now pop songs, club styles or a rehearsed routine are common, with a disc jockey hired and a playlist agreed in advance. Guests traditionally join in soon after. A formal departure may end the evening.

How Wedding reception is kept

Guests arrive at a place the couple have chosen, usually straight after the ceremony. They are met either one by one at a receiving line or all together at a grand entrance announced by an MC or a disc jockey. Food follows, from cake and a drink up to a full dinner, and the couple cut the cake, feed each other a bite and may sip from linked arms. Speeches are made. The couple open the dancing, guests join in, and the evening ends when the newlyweds leave, sometimes through a shower of rice, seed or bubbles.

When and where

It follows the marriage ceremony, on the same day, and most receptions are held in the evening with dinner. Couples may instead choose a lunch, a late-morning brunch or an afternoon tea. The date is settled by the couple and their families along with the wedding itself.

The custom is found in most societies. It is strongly established in the United States and other Western countries, and in some cultures each family holds its own celebration. Venues run from a family home or garden to rented halls, restaurants and hotels, and church or temple rooms are used when the ceremony takes place there.

What Wedding reception means

The name says what the party is for: the couple receive the people who came to see them marry, and thank them. Guests in turn greet the pair, wish them well and share the first hours of their married life. Feeding each other cake looks back to an ancient Roman wedding rite. Throwing rice or seed carries a wish for plenty. Standing in a line to meet every guest is a way of honouring each one.

Questions people ask about Wedding reception

See also

TamaladaA gathering where tamales are the main dish or a communal tamale-making party in Mexican and Hispanic cultures.NalukataqA spring whaling festival of the Iñupiat in Northern Alaska, featuring a blanket toss and communal feast.PicnicA meal taken outdoors in a park or scenic spot, often shared with friends and family.Garma Festival of Traditional CulturesA four-day cultural gathering in northeast Arnhem Land celebrating Yolngu traditions and fostering two-way learning.

Good reading and sources

• Wedding reception on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.