ceremony procession - no idea!

lopezalonso

I am a little over 3 weeks away from my wedding and I have NO IDEA what my ceremony procession should look like! Please help me

*FI's parents are married and he has no living grandparents

*My parents are married and I have 4 grandparents. My maternal grandparents are married but my paternal grandparents are divorced and my paternal grandfather is remarried. 

*ALSO, FI's only brother is his Best Man and my only brother is a groomsmen. 

Who walks with my mom? If my brother does it then one BM is groomsman-less and the church wants everyone to be paired. They discourage us from having a groomsman run back around for a BM. 

Who does the groom enter with? Does he enter with the procession at all? 

Ahhh I have no idea...

professorscience

My father escorted my mother to her seat, and then circled back and walked down with me.  I have also seen weddings where the brother(s) of the bride walk the mother down and either go up to the altar (if the bridesmaids process alone) or circle back and escort their assigned bridesmaid.

We only had three grandparents at our wedding.  My BIL walked his maternal grandmother to her seat and circled back (he was a GM), and one of H's cousins (an usher) escorted H's stepgrandmother while his Poppa followed behind.

H escorted MIL to her seat, with FIL following behind, and then H circled back to the back of the church (or maybe he just went up to the altar?  I don't think he did, but I wasn't watching).  I think he circled back and then walked in with the priest.

Tami87

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_catholic-weddings_ceremony-procession-no-idea?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:615Discussion:623e7d77-5ab0-4fee-86f1-d1a94e78be29Post:87637fbc-a074-4515-91f5-f1215fc64351">Re: ceremony procession - no idea!</a>:
[QUOTE]My father escorted my mother to her seat, and then circled back and walked down with me.
Posted by professorscience[/QUOTE]

This is what I am planning to do too. I am glad to hear that someone else did this, because I wasn't sure if it would work. But this is what my mom prefers.

Edited to add:
FI is planning on standing up front with his groomsmen and bridesmaids are going to walk by themselves. The church we are getting married in gave this as one of our options, but if your church is insisting everyone be paired maybe FI can walk in with the priest. Or maybe FI could escort your mom then wait up front (I thought about doing this too).

egm900

We're using ushers to escort our "single" women that would walk down the aisle (i.e. mom, grandmother without a date).

Riss91

We had the groom and best men up at the altar. Then grandparents were seated, then parents. We had groomsmen assist in escorting and they circled back. My two sisters, both MOH, walked separately, unescorted.

I honestly don't know why your Church coordinator has such specific instructions on this. I can't imagine it being that difficult for someone circle back. Or why someone can't walk by themselves?

Can you find other family members (a Godson or an Uncle) to escort grandparents/mothers instead of the groomsmen? Ask your family members who they would like to be escorted by.

TeaForMe

My grandparents were in their seats w/o being escorted down - it would have been too much walking for them anyway.

My husband processed first with both of his parents.

Our MOH and BM walked down next together.

Then I walked with both of my parents.

Now that I'm thinking about it, I'm not sure if the priest walked in before my husband or if he was just standing at the altar. I guess I had other things on my mind at the time.

professorscience

Oh, now that I think about it, my husband's grandfather and his wife actually didn't wait for an escort and seated themselves.  And then when H's grandmother was escorted, they wouldn't scoot over to let her in the pew.  She had to climb over them.  Apparently it was really funny.

mpaone24

My wedding is obviously still a ways away, but I'm going to have FIs parents walk down first.  Then my parents, where my dad will circle back and walk with me.  The girls are going to walk by themselves because my FI and his groomsmen will be already at the alter.  After the girls, its my turn.  

Afterwards, the girls will walk down with the groomsmen after my FI and I, then our parents.

Ciardasully

Ha, FI and I were discussing this the other day. 

And I wish I have more to add.  I took a quiz for the CTR (Certified Tumor Registrar) class.  My brain is fried.

jfellows82

For our wedding, the alter servers and priest will walk in first followed by FI escorted by his parents, then my matron of honor and flower girl, then me escorted by my parents.  Unfortunately we won't have any grandparents at the wedding so I can't help you there.  

Calypso1977

my husband seated my mother (who was widowed) and teh my husband and i walked together.  the best man and the moh walked in together before us.  only the priest and servers were waiting at the altar.

H's grandma is the only living grandparent that we invited.  she showed up 15 minutes late and missed our vows so no one seated her formally.

my MIL was seated by her other son.

ootmother2

No living grandparents

MOG was escorted by FOG and they both sat in the front row

I (MOB) was escored to my seat by my favorite uncle who returned to sit with my aurt.
FOB escorted our daughter and returned to sit with me during ceremony.

Bridal party followed after I was seated

futuremrsbruno

We're planning on having my FI's brother (a GM) escort his grandmom in (FI's mom is deceased and his dad isn't in his life)

I'm going to have my cousin, an usher, escort my maternal grandmother, and have my paternal grandparents follow them.

My brother (another GM), is going to escort my mom in.

Then my dad will walk me down the aisle after the BM's and FG's go. Actually, it will be my grandparents first, then FI's grandmom, since she is acting as the mother, then my mom. His grandmom will stand at her pew and wait for my mom to come down so they can walk to the altar and light the unity candle pillars together as well as the memorial candle. When they get back to their pews it is the cue for the first BM to hit the aisle.

After my MOH the FG's will go down the aisle. Once they start their walk, the doors at the back of the church will close and my dad and I will get in place. Then when the girls hit the altar, the music will change and the doors will open.

futuremrsbruno

"*FI's parents are married and he has no living grandparents

*My parents are married and I have 4 grandparents. My maternal grandparents are married but my paternal grandparents are divorced and my paternal grandfather is remarried. 

*ALSO, FI's only brother is his Best Man and my only brother is a groomsmen."

Sorry, I didn't really address all of your questions:

Your grandparents would go down first. Let your paternal grandmother walk with an escort (you could use your brother, it's okay if they are in the wedding party, have the GM's leave a spot for him in the lineup), then your paternal grandfather and his wife, then your maternal grandparents. They can all walk down together 2 by 2.

Once they are seated, your FI's parents come in.

The Mother of the Bride is the last person to come down the aisle before the bridal party. She is the one who officially starts the ceremony. It's the signal to the guests that the bride is ready. Your brother can swing around from seating your grandmother and walk your mom down, unless your dad really wants to.

Your FI's parents don't need an escort since they are married. You FFIL acts as your FMIL's escort.

The you and your dad would take your walk.