The Reception Line

Spring is in the air friends, and as such people are falling in love and getting married.

What does that means for you and I? It means a whole boat load of receptions we get to attend. Hooray (with my voice going doing at the end).

And oh that dreaded reception line. I really don’t mind receptions so much, but oh that line!

So I was at my cousins wedding over the weekend and stood in the line waiting for my turn to give my congratulations to the happy couple. May be I have a touch of social anxiety because talking to perfect strangers in a reception line makes me terribly uncomfortable. So I planned a head and wrote down some potential conversation starters on 3x5 cards just in case I ran out of things to say.

The line was moving so smoothly. I stopped and talked to my aunt and uncle, and then moved to the groom’s parents, who I didn’t know. I shook their hands and said the obligatory “congratulations” and “so nice to meet you” and didn’t even have to whip out my 3x5 cards. And that’s when the line came to a total and complete stand still.

So now what? I had already discussed with the groom’s parents all the wedding pleasantries that I knew. What could I have talked about now? The rainforest, global warming, the cast of Jersey Shore. Were these appropriate conversations to have in a reception line? It's hard to say.

So there we stood in absolute silence, smiling…looking at each other…looking down…looking back at each other…smiling, praying that one of us could come up with something to talk about…but nothing. So we went back to smiling…looking down…etc.

After a while they got tired of me, so they just turned and talked to each other. I was left standing there feeling like I was invading their privacy, and almost said, “Hey, guys what you talking about?”.

So ten minutes later I was still standing there, sweating, and about ready to have an anxiety attack. In my mind I just swore at the guy in front of me and pleaded with him to please stop talking, so the line could start moving and I could get out of this dangerously awkward situation

And just at the point I almost reached over and pushed this talkative "friend" into the wedding cake, my good cousin told him that they needed to keep the line moving. Ah, sweet relief!

So I looked at the Grooms parents, smiled and said, “It was an absolute pleasure talking to you both.

I think I am going to start bringing Boggle with me to receptions just in case the line stalls again. That way the groom’s parents and I can play a quick round, as opposed to all that loud awkward silence.

Comments

j said…
I like to just hover at the "married couple end" of the line until someone stops to talk for a long time with the parents, leaving an opening at the happy couple. Jump in, say my congrats, and everyone (especially me) is happier.
Nathan said…
In a pinch, you could bring a few game choices: Phase 10, Life, Monopoly ...

Then you could really cater to the interests of those you're having to stand next to in line.
Mom4ever said…
You should try standing in the OTHER line. ;o)
Rachel B said…
That's why I aspire to be a bride's maid because we never have to go through the line!!
Erin said…
Next time just fake a cell phone call. Works for me every time!

Darn those lines! I'll never have one at my wedding.
kjgray75 said…
At least you had a nice slice of cake with creamy lard frosting, a sip of wedding "slush," and a mint and nut cup to look forward to after all the akwardness.
Carrot Jello said…
I'm with kjgray75.
I mean, I'm not with her, I agree with her.
Or him.
I just made it seem like we're a couple, when, in reality, I have no idea who that person is.
That's even more awkward than wedding reception lines.
Jana B. said…
cousin, i'm so excited that my wedding made the blog, but my heart goes out to you that it provided an awkward (albeit classically awkward) moment! mark's parents are so sweet and totally unintrusive and i could TOTALLY picture them just standing there nicely and smiling. haha! i was able to successfully dodge any awkward moments of my own since i was able to mostly recall everyone in the line that i was supposed to know - i had this fear that someone would go through the line and i wouldn't know his/her name. so, i told mark to ALWAYS ask someone's name before i had to politely introduce anyone i had totally blanked on. bless his heart for obliging.

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