Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions

What's the order of your processional?

I've seen it done so many different ways, I just don't know what to do. So throw some ideas at me!
Some things to keep in mind:
  • We will be having 3 flower girls, and may or may not have a ring bearer.
  • I would like for each of my 3 bridesmaids to walk down the aisle with each of the 3 groomsmen (in pairs).
  • Grandparents will not be a part of the precessional, due to health issues.
  • My mom has requested to walk me down the aisle along with my father.
So, what order does everyone go in? Does FI mom walk him down the aisle, or walk by herself (FI dad has passed away)? Help!
Also feel free to throw in things you've seen that you though were cool, or things you've seen that you didn't like. Thanks Knotties!
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Re: What's the order of your processional?

  • From what I've seen, the groom and groomsmen usually follow the officiant in kind of before the processional, or at the beginning of it, and wait for the ladies at the front. Then the ushers escort any close family who are not members of the wedding party to their seats in the front row. Grandparents, then siblings, then parents except the bride's father. Then the processional music starts and it goes bridesmaids, MOH, flower girl and ring bearer (together or one then the other, and I've seen FG most of the time but RB first once or twice), then the bride and her father.

    For you, it would probably go something like: 
    1. officiant-and-groom
    2. ushers with close family besides grandparents
    3. cue processional music
    4. bridesmaids-and-groomsmen
    5.  MOH-and-Best-Man
    6. all the adorable kids
    7. you and both your parents
    You might want to swap the MOH/BM before the bridesmaids/groomsmen, though, since you're having the guys come in with the girls. It'll make the order at the front a little bit more natural, with each pair taking the outside places rather than lining from the outside in.
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  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited June 2015
    Do you mean the PROCESSIONAL?  This is traditional for non-Jewish weddings.

    Guests are ushered to their seats.  The last to be seated are the parents of the groom and, then, the MOB.  If there is a candle unity ceremony, the mothers often light the two family candles at this point, before the processional.
    The groomsmen  and the groom appear at the front along with the officiant.  They line up on the right side of the ceremonial space with the groom the closest to the left, nearest the officiant.

    NOW, the processional begins.

    1.  Bridesmaids
    2.  Flower girl and ring bearer (if applicable)
    3.  MOH
    4.  Bride and her escort.

    I am a retired church organist, and I have seen this done at least 100 times.



    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • CMGragain said:
    Do you mean the PROCESSIONAL?  This is traditional for non-Jewish weddings.

    Guests are ushered to their seats.  The last to be seated are the parents of the groom and, then, the MOB.  If there is a candle unity ceremony, the mothers often light the two family candles at this point, before the processional.
    The groomsmen  and the groom appear at the front along with the officiant.  They line up on the right side of the ceremonial space with the groom the closest to the left, nearest the officiant.

    NOW, the processional begins.

    1.  Bridesmaids
    2.  Flower girl and ring bearer (if applicable)
    3.  MOH
    4.  Bride and her escort.

    I am a retired church organist, and I have seen this done at least 100 times.


    BOXES----------------

    Just because you've seen this done at least 100 times doesn't mean this is THE way for a processional to go. I got married two weeks ago and we did it as follows:

    Groom enters from side
    Brother of Bride (also the officiant), walks mother in from the side to her seat, takes his place up front
    Bridesmaids/Groomsmen walked in pairs
    Bride and her father


    Nobody passed out at the sight of the groomsmen being part of the processional. It worked out beautifully.
  • edited July 2015
    Officiant and best Man (Alternatively, the officiant could wait up front and the Best Man could escort the Maid of honor.)

    Groom and his mother

    Bridesmaids and Groomsmen walk in pairs and take seats in front pew

    Maid of Honor 

    Flower Girls and Ring Bearer

    Bride and Parents, parents greet the groom and take their seats in the second pew behind the bms


                       
  • kikilamp said:
    Just because you've seen this done at least 100 times doesn't mean this is THE way for a processional to go. I got married two weeks ago and we did it as follows:

    Groom enters from side
    Brother of Bride (also the officiant), walks mother in from the side to her seat, takes his place up front
    Bridesmaids/Groomsmen walked in pairs
    Bride and her father


    Nobody passed out at the sight of the groomsmen being part of the processional. It worked out beautifully.
    The OP asked for ideas.  I gave the traditional church order.  That doesn't mean it is the only way to do it, but since I have never seen anything else done, this was my contribution.

    At my mother's last wedding, there was an unexpected glitch in the processional.  The priest's poodle dog got loose and came running in to find his master.  He barked and barked, and we thought the priest was going to faint.  Mother handed off her bouquet and picked up the dog, then saying "I do!"  Nobody will ever forget that one.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited June 2015

    Jewish weddings have processionals too. The differences between them and traditional Christian ones are that first VIP guests are ushered to their seats. Then the officiant enters, then the groomsmen and best man enter, followed by the ring bearer and then the groom and his parents. Then the bridesmaids and MOH enter, followed by the flower girl and then the bride and her parents. They all stand under the huppah, including the mothers. (Anyone who needs to sit is of course allowed to do so in a front row.)

    Edited because originally left out flower girl-oops!

  • Thanks for the ideas so far everyone!
    And yes, I meant prOcessional - I'll fix it :)
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  • We did it this way

    • Groom & Grooms Men walked up site to the front
    • Groom's mom escorted by Groom's Father
    • Bride's mom escorted by oldest Grandson
    • Bridesmaid
    • Brides escorted by father

    We didn't do flower girls or ring bearers and don't have any surviving grandparents.

  • This was how ours was - the seating of our parents was a part of the processional. 

    Everyone seated

    Officiant and DH were already at the front. 

    **music cued**
    • Seating of the parents (three sets)
    • DH father and stepmother
    • DH's mother and stepfather
    • My mother escorted by my brother
    • MOH
    • FG
    • My father and I

  • I have been debating our's. We are having a very small WP and slightly non-traditional. 

    I think its going to be (tentativley)
    Groom, Groom's Maid of Honor, and Priest at the front
    Groom's Father and step-mother? If they want to....
    Groom's mother and step-father (depending on his walking abilities at the time)
    Bride's mom (escort to be either Bride's father or brother)
    Bride's Best Man (if he doesn't escort mother)
    Ring Bearer
    Bride (With either father, brother, or solo... Still debating)
    11/21/2012 - Chapter 1: The Text
    10/23/2014 - Chapter 2: The Proposal
    11/21/2015 - Chapter 3: The Wedding

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