For some types of receptions that you may be hosting it is tradition to have a reception line in place. It is proper to do this at the end of a wedding ceremony and before people move on to the reception. Since the guests at the wedding will remain seated while the bride and groom walk out, the wedding party and the parents follow along. It is customary for all of them to stand in a single line at the exit of the location of the wedding.
As the guests file out they go past the reception line. This is a time to say hello to those you know and to meet those you dont. Since weddings often bring together so many people it is an exciting time. There is plenty of opportunity to meet some new people that will become your friends later on.
Since everyone knows the bride or the groom at the wedding this is where the biggest group of people will spend the most time. Dont get impatient though as the reception line can take a while to complete. People shouldnt be hogging the floor as they move through it but they shouldnt feel rushed either.
Most of the guests enjoy gathering outside of the ceremony and talking with each other until the reception line has been...