Who's Walking Down The Aisle And When? Tips For Planning Your Ceremony Procession - Danversport Weddings (2024)

Your wedding ceremony might only be 30 minuteslong but there’s still a lot to consider and it all starts with the procession…

The first decision you need to make is whether or not your bridesmaids and groomsmen will walk together down the aisle. Most couples choose to have their bridesmaids and groomsmen walk separately during the procession and then pair up after the ceremony is done.

A traditional ceremony procession begins with the officiant, the groom and his groomsmen walking up from the side of the ceremony. Then the bride and groom’s parents are ushered down the main aisle. Once the parents are seated we start with the bridesmaids followed by the maid of honor and the ring bearer / flower girl (if any). Then,the music will change, the guests will stand and the bride will walk down the aisle with her father.

Who's Walking Down The Aisle And When? Tips For Planning Your Ceremony Procession - Danversport Weddings (3)

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It’s a magical moment that you’ll never forget and we’re here to help you every step of the way!

Who's Walking Down The Aisle And When? Tips For Planning Your Ceremony Procession - Danversport Weddings (2024)

FAQs

Who's Walking Down The Aisle And When? Tips For Planning Your Ceremony Procession - Danversport Weddings? ›

This would be considered a traditional order of walking down the aisle: start with the officiant and groom, followed by family members - grandparents, parents of the groom, and mother of the bride. Next is the wedding party, ring bearer, and flower girl. Lastly, the bride enters, escorted by the father of the bride.

Who walks down the aisle at your wedding? ›

The wedding processional is the group of people who walk down the aisle as the ceremony begins. This group includes an arrangement of the bride and groom, bridesmaids, groomsmen, ring bearers, flower girls, and family members in various orders depending on your preference.

When should the officiant walk down the aisle? ›

Officiant

The officiant can be given the opening spot in the processional and walk down the aisle first. Alternatively, the officiant can enter the ceremony from the side of the venue to take his/her place at the altar.

What is the normal processional order for a wedding? ›

The most classic processional order would have the bridesmaids and the groomsmen coming down the aisle in pairs. However, nowadays, the groomsmen will walk down the aisle individually either after the groom or after the parents (the best man is always last).

Are grandparents part of the wedding procession? ›

The Bride and Groom of course lead the way, followed by the Maid of Honor and Best Man, the rest of the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen, Parents of the Bride and Groom, Grandparents of the Bride and Groom and then the Officiant. The rest of the guests will follow suit.

Do the groom's parents walk down the aisle at a wedding? ›

The groom's parents can also walk down the aisle together, followed by the groom as he walks alone. Or the groom might opt to use one of the above options, such as walking down the aisle with both of his parents.

What is the correct order of a wedding ceremony? ›

In a traditional wedding ceremony, the processional begins with the bride's mother before the groom, best man, wedding party, flower girl, and ring bearer follow. The bride, who is escorted by her father, is the last to make her way down the aisle.

Is the officiant part of the procession? ›

The wedding processional refers to the group of people walking down the aisle in a specific order to mark the beginning of a wedding ceremony. The processional often includes a permutation of the officiant, the wedding party, flower girls, ring bearers, and the bride and groom and their parents.

Which mother walks down the aisle first? ›

This would be considered a traditional order of walking down the aisle: start with the officiant and groom, followed by family members - grandparents, parents of the groom, and mother of the bride. Next is the wedding party, ring bearer, and flower girl. Lastly, the bride enters, escorted by the father of the bride.

Who walks out first after wedding ceremony? ›

Wedding Recessional Order at Christian Ceremonies

At a Christian ceremony, the newlyweds are traditionally followed, in order, by: The flower girl and the ring bearer, if they remained at the altar during the ceremony. The maid of honor and the best man. The bridesmaids and groomsmen.

Does maid of honor walk first or last? ›

After those people take their places, the best man and the groomsmen traditionally walk down the aisle, in order to protect the groom from evil spirits or attackers. Then the bridesmaids make their way down the aisle, followed by the maid of honor.

Do the best man and maid of honor walk together? ›

The best man follows the bridesmaids and groomsmen and can walk down alone or with the maid of honor. He may also be the ring bearer for some weddings, and will stand next to the groom at the altar. Should you choose to have the maid of honor walk down separately, they should follow the best man.

Do guests stand during the wedding processional? ›

Etiquette expert Elaine Swann says, "No. That is not acceptable." For her, guest comfort is the most important thing when planning a wedding, and asking guests to stand is just poor etiquette, she says.

Do aunts and uncles get invited to rehearsal dinner? ›

At larger gatherings, aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews of the bride and groom are frequently included as well.

Who is the leader of wedding procession? ›

Although this is usually done by the father alone, some brides may choose to have both their parents escort them, with one parent on each arm. In other cases, the bride's mother may lead the wedding procession.

Which parent is seated first at a wedding? ›

Seating married parents

The parents of the bride always sit in the first pew or row on the left, facing where the ceremony will be held; the groom's parents sit in the first row on the right.

Who else can walk the bride down the aisle? ›

Walk with a grandpa, your stepdad, an uncle, or a brother. If your dad wasn't a prominent figure in your life but another man was, invite him to walk you down the aisle. We never fail to tear up when a bride walks down the aisle with her brother.

Do siblings walk down the aisle? ›

Traditionally, the father of the bride walks the bride down the aisle. Now, you can have anyone who is special walk you down the aisle – brother, uncle, cousin, your children, your sister, you Maid/ Matron of honor, or maybe even both parents. The officiant is at the front waiting for the wedding party to walk down.

Who enters first in a wedding ceremony? ›

The Officiant, Groom, Best Man, and Groomsmen enter first, typically from the side of the ceremony site but sometimes up the aisle depending on preference. Following them are the grandparents, the parents of the Groom, and the Mother of the Bride. Finally, the Bridesmaids, Maid of Honor, and Flower Girl enter.

Who pulls the aisle runner at a wedding? ›

First, the runner is traditionally rolled out by your ushers (or two of your groomsmen, if you're not using ushers as seaters) from the front of the ceremony to the back. This is usually done after all the guests have arrived – right before the wedding party processional begins.

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