The Ultimate Wedding Processional Order Guide

We know wedding planning can be extremely stressful, especially with all of the etiquette rules to follow. It seems like every step of a wedding is steeped in tradition, even the wedding procession!

Since the walk down the aisle is one of the most important moments for a bride, it needs to be as perfect as possible. This is the moment she will make her debut in front of her soon-to-be husband as well as her friends and family. To make sure the procession goes smoothly, we created a guide explaining the most common wedding processional order.

Several parties prep the runway before the bride makes her grand entrance.

1. The mother of the bride is the first to walk down the aisle. Once she arrives at the altar, she takes her seat in the first row on the left.

2. Next come the groomsmen. They either walk one by one or escort the bridesmaids.

3. The best man follows the groomsmen. Again, by himself or with the maid of honor.

4. The groom either follows the groomsmen down the aisle or enters from the right with his groomsmen and the officiant before the bridesmaids make their walk down the aisle.

5. To honor his role in the ceremony, the officiant comes next. He can also enter from the side with the groom.

6. The bridesmaids walk next if they have not already been escorted by the groomsmen.

7. The maid of honor follows the bridesmaids. She’s one of the last to walk down the aisle so she can make sure the bride is prepared and looking perfect.

8. The flower girl and ring bearer are the last to enter before the bride. They alert the crowd that the bride is getting ready to make her entrance and scatter petals as they make their march.

9. Finally, the father of the bride and the bride walk down the aisle arm in arm. He stands to her right and gives her away to the groom and then takes his seat beside the mother of the bride.

While this processional order is the most common, the order of the wedding procession can vary depending on the couple’s religion and how traditional they would like the wedding to be. For example, in a Christian wedding it is common for the the officiant, the groomsmen and the groom to enter from the right side and await the entrance of the bridesmaids.

Jewish weddings have a significantly different setup. The groom stands on the left and the bride stands on the right (which is the opposite of what is listed above). The procession also follows a slightly different order and involves both sets of grandparents.

We hope this makes your wedding planning a little less stressful! Don’t forget to savor every moment and enjoy your big day. If you are still looking for registry items or gift ideas check out our wedding gifts. You can personalize everything from cutting boards to coasters with your wedded name and the date of union!