Planning a wedding processional is not difficult; however it requires organization and good planning. These are only some guidelines to follow. It’s your wedding and you can break from tradition if you desire.

Some General Suggestions

Play soft music or wedding hymns during seating. It adds a nice atmosphere. Your wedding planner or director, or someone you delegate should handle this for you. As your guests arrive, ushers should greet and show them to their seats.

Programs, if used, should be handed to the wedding guests as they arrive. Most weddings have friends act as ushers.

If you are following traditional seating, the wedding party sits upfront. For a Christian wedding seat the bride’s guests on the left and the groom’s guest’s to the right.

For a traditional Jewish wedding, the reverse holds true. Seat the bride’s guests on the right and the groom’s on the left. For secular weddings or non-denominational weddings, it is open seating.

Allow the aisles to fill from front to back, always allowing room for the wedding party upfront. You may want to reserve the first row for the wedding party.

The Actual Ceremony and Procession

Play the couple’s choice of music. This can either be from a CD or live music. The processional starts and the first to walk down the aisle are the groom and the best man. If there is not a ring bearer, the best man holds the rings.

Next the groomsmen proceed. All of these individuals remain standing.

Ushers will lead the following individuals to their seats in this order, grandmother of the bride, grandmother of the groom, groom’s mother, followed by the bride’s mother.

Ushers should be sure that women are guided to their seats by offering the guest their right arm. Men follow behind the ushers.

After the grandmothers and mothers are seated, the bridesmaids walk down the aisle. They remain standing and are placed next to the groomsmen. The bridesmaids are then followed by the maid of honor.

If a ring bearer is used, this is where they enter into the processional. One thing to keep in mind about the ring bearer – especially if it is a young child, you may want to have inexpensive plastic rings tied to the pillow for the ceremony and have the best man keep the rings until later.

If a child trips and falls, losing a plastic ring is not a big deal. Losing and expensive wedding ring is a problem. The last to follow down the aisle before the bride is the flower girl(s) if used. They will throw flower petals down along the aisle.

The wedding march or choice of music begins and the father of the bride (or person of the bride’s choice) escorts her down the aisle. Finally the maid of honor holds the bride’s flowers, the father of the bride lifts up the veil as he gives her away.

Father of the bride then returns to his seat. Then the ceremony begins and vows are read. The recessional begins with the choice of couple’s music. Recessional is in the reverse order of the Processional.

When planning a wedding processional take the time to get it all down on paper. Give this list to your wedding planner or director so that they know what needs to be done. This way the wedding goes off without a hitch.