Wedding reception
Until after World War II, wedding celebrations were most commonly held in the bride's home, in whatever style of entertainment was within the means of the family.
The choice depended primarily on the family's economic situation, and in some cases, mass weddings were favored as a way to share costs.
At the beginning of the 20th century, dance halls became common, and were rented by those planning a celebration beyond what their homes could hold.
In a receiving line, newly wedded couple, the hosts, and often their parents and any honour attendants, stand in order of precedence and greet every guest in turn.
As each guest properly speaks little more than his/her name (if necessary) and conventional greetings or congratulations to each person in turn, the line progresses steadily without unnecessary delays.
Another option, especially popular on the East and West Coast of the United States, is having a grand entrance instead of a receiving line.
The type of food is chosen entirely at the discretion and budget of the hosts as costs for catering weddings have soared.
[6] Some receptions, especially if the wedding party's culture or religious faith prohibits alcohol or dancing, focus on dessert.
Hosts may also choose to honor regional or local customs, such as by serving a culturally important cake like croquembouche in France, or featuring a cookie table[7] as is celebrated in Pittsburgh[8] and some surrounding areas.
Commonly, the couple ceremonially cut the first piece of the cake, and in a nod to an ancient Roman wedding rite, may feed a bite to one another and perhaps sip a glass of wine or other drink with linked arms.
[9]: 428 In most Western countries, either before or after food is served, toasts are made by members of the wedding party, wishing the couple well.
[9] A new trend involves the addition of a DVD slideshow or photo montage video, featuring pictures of the new spouses growing up and meeting.
Rice or birdseed, signifying abundance, may be thrown at the departing couple, with birdseed preferred by facility managers, since it requires less clean up work than rice, and new, mess-free substitutes, such as blowing soap bubbles or ringing small bells being even more favored by the cleaning staff.
[9] On occasion, the newlyweds will stage an official leave-taking, so that guests feel free to leave, and then quietly return through another door.
Very often, the restaurant will provide poker and mahjong (麻將) for gambling; the time can also be used to socialize with other guests and take photos with the bride/groom and their families.
Nowadays, for Chinese couples' weddings in the U.S., you are less likely to see mahjong being played before the banquet; it is often replaced by a cocktail party.
[citation needed] However, if the wedding reception takes place in southern China, Hong Kong, Macau, and even parts of Canada (where there is a large Cantonese population), mahjong might still be played before the dinner.
Two people will be at the sign-in tables (one from the bride's family and one from the groom's) to register guests and receive gifts/red envelopes.
Very often, the bride will change into a traditional Chinese red wedding dress (鳳褂, or qípáo) at that time, if she has been wearing a different style of clothing before.
