Bridal party entrance - include dates?

kerbohl

I have a quick question.  I would like to have my bridal party enter with their dates, just because I don't want their dates sitting awkwardly at a table with strangers while their significant others come in, and they are all couple units that I don't want to needless split up at any time.  However, two groomsmen are single, one recently so, and I am getting the vibe that they might be sensitive to the fact that they are single.  Do you guys think that having the rest of the bridal party come in with their dates will rub salt into the wounds of these two groomsmen?  Should I just have the bridal party come in separately to avoid this? 

PrettyGirlLost

Or you could just skip the bridal party entrance.  In my experience, people clap politely for the WP but they honestly don't care. They are more excited to see the Bride and Groom enter.

OliveOilsMom

I don't think that you need to have your WP enter with their dates/SOs.  Their dates/SOs won't be sitting at a table alone for very long because once they walk in, they should be able to go right to their seat where their SO will be waiting.  They will need to mingle with others during cocktail hour, while the WP gets their pictures done etc.  I think for the comfort of your two GM, just have the BM/GM pairs walk in together.  Do the SOs know each other? 

kns1988

Aesthetically, I think it would look better to have the groomsmen and bridesmaids enter together. My FI and I were recently at a wedding where he was in the wedding party and I wasn't. I had no problem waiting for him while he entered with a bridesmaid. It was actually kind of fun to watch him come in while I got to sit and drink my wine. 

I'd have them enter as a bridal party, but it's a really small detail in the grand scheme of things. Whatever you decide will be fine.

RebeccaB88

I would totally skip the bridal party entrance too.  I mean, people will know that the bridal party members are all the people in matching clothes. Nobody really cares. I've never attended or  been in a wedding where anyone other than the bride and groom are introduced (and most of the time, they aren't even introduced).  People won't miss it and will probably be glad they don't have to sit through it. After the ceremony and pictures, your bridal party is technically off duty anyway. At that point their only job is to enjoy the reception.

manateehugger

Meh, I don't mind the WP entrance - I see it at pretty much every wedding. If it's done well (a fun, upbeat song, and the WP keeps moving right on in) it takes less than 30 seconds. 

Anyway, I personally think it's fine to have the SO's/dates waiting at the table. I don't view it much differently than the SO's/dates flying solo during the ceremony while a GM escorts a BM. I've been on both ends of this as date and as WP member, and it's never bothered me. 

ETA: I would make sure your WP members don't mind though. Be sure to check in with them and get an ok. 

Inkdancer

I did one WP entrance and it was super awkward. Of course, FI had already been waiting at the cocktail hour (just downstairs) for 40 minutes by the time we finished pictures, so entering without him was sort of irrelevant.

tigersgirlgv

I would agree that you should just have the bridal party walk in together. If I was a single wedding party member, I would feel uncomfortable walking in alone when everyone else was with their dates. 

HisGirlFriday13

I've always seen the WP enter together, BMs paired up with GMs. DH and I skipped it at our wedding. We did our entrance and that was it. 

Our WP told us, when we announced the decision, that they were really grateful, because they weren't looking forward to "parading in" in front of a bunch of strangers. Plus, it made things go faster.

If you're going to do a WP entrance, just pair them up and have them go in together. Their SOs will already be seated anyway, so it would be MORE awkward to have them come out and have to march back in.

phira

If you do a wedding party entrance, you don't include their dates.

Honestly, a lot of weddings I've been to lately have had wedding party entrances. I get it--you want to honor your honored guests. All of these wedding party entrances have also included parents, and some of them included grandparents as well.

But ... eh, I don't know. As a guest, it's not really all that interesting or exciting. Like, "Okay, great, it's your parents who I've met for about 5 minutes ... okay, great, it's your bridesmaids, woo, now where are you guys?!!"

So if you're feeling super stressed about the wedding party entrance, skip it!

AddieCake

I hate BP entrances. I honestly don't care about your BP, and I don't mean that in an ugly way. I just don't see the point of announcing them. If you do it, I say skip the dates. I know if it were me and I was single, I would feel awkward being announced and not having a date. 

photokitty

We didn't have a WP, but we did have an entrance…all of our siblings and their spouses, our parents and DH's grandma were announced. We did this so the other side knew who was who. If the WP is just friends I don't see it as useful. But I do like the parents/ hosts to be announced so I know who to tank and be sure to say goodnight to before leaving. Without this it sometimes isn't clear who is who IMHO

Jen4948

I've never seen or even heard of dates included in wedding party entrances.  I think it would actually be more awkward for a date to be announced than it would for him/her to quickly take his or her seat at their table while the wedding party get ready to enter. 

Of course, if the wedding party is sitting together at a head table at the front of the room, I can see that it could be awkward for the dates to sit at that table by themselves while the wedding party members make their entrance, but it's only for a few minutes.

BlueBirdMB

I don't like BP entrances.  It takes so long and then I have to sit through speeches and special dances right after usually…  I try to go to the bathroom then so I can find someone to chat with in there.  Just soooooooo boring.  

As a WP member I have felt very awkward and embarrassed to be a part of these displays- it seems very forced.  

kerbohl

Thanks for all the advice!  I'm going to just have the wedding party enter without their dates, but I'm doing things a bit differently - I'm sort of combining my "thank-you" speech to the wedding party with the entrance by introducing them with my husband and thanking them for all their support as they come in.  It does make more sense to do it with just the wedding party.