What is a wedding reception?

A wedding reception is usually deemed the party at the end. That is usually how people define that. Usually it is held as a kind of hospitality for the people that came to the ceremony. This is where the new bride and groom receives the people that love and care about them for the first time as a married couple. The hosts are usually the ones that provide all of the food and the drink. More often than not there is a cake, but now more and more people are using cupcakes instead of the traditional three-tiered cake. Some people are also using dessert plates that have a variety of some of their favorite desserts in miniature form, like brownies, pies, lemon cakes, and more. Most societies have the tradition of a wedding reception, and they can last anywhere from a half an hour to many hours to even days in some societies.

A wedding reception before World War II was usually help in the bride's home. Depending on the means of the family, this wedding reception could be a grand ball, a luncheon, or an afternoon tea. Sometimes people would even have join events to save on costs. But in the modern day, people generally rent out a large hall of some kind to hold the party. This is usually because the celebrations have expanded to be much bigger than what can be comfortably fit inside one person's house. These can now include places like community halls, hotel ballrooms, social halls, restaurants, or garden parties. Some small businesses even have places for this kind of event.

Sometimes there is a social staple to have the guests be greeted in a receiving line. For this tradition, the couple, wedding party, and usually the parents of the bride and groom, stand in order of importance and greet every guest that is coming to the event. The guests usually start with the person who is the lowest precedence first and then continues on until they are welcomed by the bride and groom. Usually people only greet each other, offer small congratulations, and not much more. The line must move steadily or it would take a long time. After the receiving line, then the bride and groom can mingle amongst the guests.

Another tradition is the grand entrance instead of the receiving line. This can involve presenting only the bride and groom, or it can include the wedding party too. It might also include the family of the bride and groom. Usually a disc jockey or a master of ceremonies introduces all of the people involved in the grand entrance. The whole thing might be done in the same way and order as they did when walking down the aisle. Often this is a much faster option than a receiving line, and guests are able to be seated before the grand entrance and arrival of the bride and groom. This can almost be an event in itself, and can be very amusing depending on how the bride and groom want it.