Its a common situation for brides and grooms. Youre making the rounds at your wedding, and a well-meaning relative stops you and proceeds to talk your ear off for what feels like forever.

While its always nice to have a long conversation with loved ones, your wedding reception is not the time. Theres cake to cut, photos to take and a dance floor to tear up not to mention all the other guests you need to greet. Still, in these situations you might feel trapped but dont want to be rude.

Guests understand that the newlyweds are obligated to make the rounds and chat with everyone at the event, so its totally OK to politely excuse yourself from too-long conversations and keep circulating, said Nick Leighton, an etiquette expert and co-host of the Were You Raised by Wolves? podcast .

But what exactly is the best way to stop a guest from monopolizing your time? Below, Leighton and other etiquette experts share their advice.

Express your gratitude.

When excusing yourself from a conversation at your wedding, the key is to be polite and gracious.

Diane Gottsman, an etiquette expert, author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, shared a suggested script for what to say if a family member is monopolizing your time:

Thank you so much for coming and sharing this special day with us. You have always been a special part of our family and it means a lot to have you here. If youll excuse me, Im going to continue to say hello to other guests but I will see you a little bit later on in the evening.