We are getting married at a beautiful bed and breakfast (a 17 room victorian mansion) in Napa Valley and are having a somewhat formal outdoor ceremony. We are having the ceremony at the gazebo, which is located in this small garden area, surrounded by trees - a pretty small space. We're having a small wedding of between 40-60 guests and guests will be seated almost 360 degrees around the gazebo, leaving, of course, a space in front for the wedding party processional. I would be coming from the front door/porch of the Inn, down the stairs onto the sidewalk, which winds around and enters the garden where the gazebo is located. You can't see the gazebo from the Inn or the sidewalk until you are in the garden and the same goes for the ability to see the Inn from the garden. In other words, the "aisle" is basically 10-15 feet (MAYBE 20?) long. I've done some searching to find ideas for short aisle brides, but can't seem to find much. What does one do for ceremony music? How do brides maximize on the experience of the groom seeing the bride for the first time in her dress, or the experience of walking down the aisle? That's typically a pretty powerful few moments and I'm not sure how to do it justice with such a short aisle. The Inn hosts weddings frequently, so I'll be sure to ask about this tomorrow, but I wanted to see if you guys had any ideas or suggestions beyond my coming into the garden and standing there awkwardly while the pianist scrambles to rush through Canon in D.
I kid... but seriously though.