How Do I Create My Wedding Processional for Ceremony?
Your Guide For Creating Your Wedding Processional For Ceremony
The anticipation of the bride walking down the aisle is one of the biggest highlights of any ceremony, and although the girl in the white dress is the star, there are still some really important people, that helped her get there to that special moment. The groom and his groomsmen, along with grandparents and parents are all special and have their place in the processional as well. We are going to break down ONE of many ways you can do a processional for your ceremony. There are many other traditional ways for other religious ceremonies such as Jewish or Hindu weddings that have different processional orders but this is one that we see the most of.
We are going to break down one way to create a processional order to give you an idea of how you should outline yours. This will be really important to have before you rehearse the night before your wedding. A wedding processional is a group of people who walk down in a specific order prior to the ceremony beginning. It includes the officiant, grandparents, parents, and the bride and groom. Sometimes wedding parties will add in a ring bearer or flower girl before the bride walks in.
Prior to the bride’s mom walking in, some couples will have the officiant enter and make a short announcement asking phones to be silenced or signify the ceremony will be beginning shortly. The grandparents can also be escorted down the aisle as well, or can just be seated before the parents begin to enter.
GROOM’S PARENTS:
Usually the groom’s mom is escorted by an usher or her husband down and is seated to the right of the aisle in the first chair on the inside. Sometimes the groom can be escorted in by his parents as well. This would mean the bride’s mom would be the first to start.
BRIDE’S MOM:
The Mother of the bride entering shows the processional is beginning. Once she reaches the end of the aisle, she takes her seat to the left of the aisle in the first row.
THE GROOM:
The Groom usually enters and will come in with his parents if he chooses. Some will enter with the best man or will have the full groomsmen group follow him in. Some opt to have the bridesmaids and groomsmen enter in pairs and then split at the end of the aisle. There are many options for this so make it your own!
THE GROOMSMEN:
The groomsmen enter and head to the end of the aisle. The file in starting on the far right and then the best man is the last to come in. He will stand right next to the groom and they also hold the rings for the ceremony. They can also not file in and come in one by one.
THE BRIDESMAIDS/MAID OR MATRON OF HONOR:
The bridesmaids walk down the aisle one by one before the maid or matron of honor. The maid or matron of honor has an important role with the bride. She usually is there to help and support the bride. Whether it is adjusting her train of the dress before she walks or even when she is up in her spot about to say I do to her groom. She will stand on the bride’s side across the aisle from the groom.
THE FLOWER GIRL OR RING BEARER:
These are optional but also so fun. We have seen so many versions of this. To have the flower girl and ring bearer be cute little nieces or nephews or a friend’s little one to having a grown man do a flower girl position and totally rock it. They will usually carry flowers and spread them down the aisle before the bride walks down to meet her groom.
THE FATHER OF THE BRIDE & THE BRIDE:
The bride’s dad usually escorts their daughter down the aisle and stands to the bride's right. When they get to the end of the aisle, they usually pause and allow the officiant to do a welcome before he “gives the bride away.” This is signified by the dad taking the daughter’s right hand and placing it in the grooms where he can lead her up to the altar to begin the ceremony.
When you have your order, you will want to take it with you to rehearsal for your venue or officiant. It will make your rehearsal run smoothly and you will be off to the fun, rehearsal dinner, and drinks with your friends and family.
We hope this was helpful for you as you plan your wedding ceremony!