If the bride and groom are not seeing each other before the wedding, then during the groom's tish the bride will be in her own room welcoming guests. This is called her kabalat panim, or welcoming. In traditional circles the bride is seated at the front of the room, on a special “throne.” This special chair symbolizes the bride's honored status as a queen on her wedding day.

At many traditional Jewish weddings the mother of the bride is seated to her right and the mother of the groom is seated to the bride's left. The custom of the bride being seated on a “throne” may be a very ancient one. The Talmud in tractates Ediyot and Yivamot speaks of a special bride's chair, and later commentaries identify this as something elaborate.

The bride's friends and guests file by her, wishing her mazel tov. Usually a band plays in the same room and there is a more elaborate array of foods served than at the groom's tish. Today there may be a smorgasbord or hors d'oeuvres at the kabalat panim, and though this is primarily for women, men are usually welcome to partake.

If the bride wishes, the tanaim may be signed on the bride's side even if the bride and groom are having their kabalat panims in separate rooms. Neither the groom nor the bride sign the tanaim, rather it is agreed to by representatives of their families, usually a father or mother, and signed by designated witnesses. Thus, the groom is not required at all for this ritual, and signing the tanaim on the bride's side might be more convenient for the two mothers who will break a plate after the signing. Though at many weddings the tanaim are signed at the groom's tish, signing them on the bride's side may help to involve those in the bride's room in a more official capacity.