The wedding procession is the order in which everyone walks down the aisle. Over in America the Groom, parents of the Bride and Groom and even their Grandparents get a moment in the spotlight as they enter the ceremony. Here in the UK we do things a little differently.
The Groomsmen
At most weddings, the Groom and Groomsmen lead the wedding guests into the ceremony room or church. By the time the bridal party arrives everyone should be at their seat waiting for the ceremony to begin. There is usually a dedicated staff member to ensure this all runs smoothly.
The Bridal Party
The order the bridal party walks down the aisle causes the most confusion in the UK.
Traditionally, the flower girl and page boys walk down the aisle first, scattering petals if they have them. Next the Bride and the Father of the Bride walk down the aisle. They are followed by the bridesmaids; the maid of honour or chief bridesmaid being the closest to the bride. The bridesmaids make sure that the brides dress and veil is as it should be before taking their seats.
While this is the most traditional way for the wedding procession to walk down the aisle, it is more common for the Bride and the Father of the Bride to go last. This creates a build-up of excitement and anticipation for their arrival as the bridal party arrive at the altar. The maid of honour or chief bridesmaid remains standing until the bride has arrived at the bottom of the aisle to straighten out the wedding dress and veil if needed.
When it comes to deciding on the order of walking down the aisle there is no longer a right or wrong way. Whichever way you decide to organise your bridal party, just be sure to talk about it before you arrive at the ceremony doors!
In our next wedding tips post, we’re looking at different ways to ask: Will you be my bridesmaid?