The Ultimate Guide to the Wedding Processional Order

These days, almost every element of a wedding can be customized—and that includes the wedding processional order, or the order in which members of a wedding party and the couple walk down the aisle during the ceremony. The processional is undoubtedly the highlight of your service; it’s the first time guests will see you and your VIPs on the big day, which means the anticipation is high. That’s likely why duos stick to a traditional script, which is often dictated by religion or culture, for this moment. The processional often includes a permutation of the officiant, parents, the groom, the wedding party, the flower girls, the ring bearers, and the bride (who usually makes her big-day debut last).

Of course, no two wedding parties are the same—and not every wedding has a bride and groom. If you’re planning a modern celebration and want to walk down the aisle together, a ceremony with two grooms or two brides, or a service that involves a mismatched number of bridesmaids or groomsmen, remember that a “traditional” wedding processional order can be adjusted to fit your needs or reflect who you are. Having a jumping-off point, however, might be helpful as you iterate. Different types of weddings, from Christian and Jewish to Hindu and nondenominational services, employ different processional orders, so we’re breaking it all down to ensure your march is seamless—and to give you a model to use as you tweak and adjust your own wedding processional order to best suit your union.

Before we break down a few wedding processional order examples, it’s important to first discuss who is involved—which vary depending on the type of religious wedding service you may (or may not be) planning. “Both Hindu and Jewish ceremonies include more family members than traditional or nondenominational ceremonies,” says Victoria Miller of LUXE Atlanta Events. Jewish weddings, for instance, have both parties’ grandparents walking down the aisle. At Hindu weddings, the parents are more involved in the processional; the bride’s mother and father even sit with the couple under the mandap for the service.

Ultimately, a religious wedding will involve more tradition and structure—so if you want to switch things up and have more control over the order of your march, a nondenominational celebration may better suited for you. “Jewish, Hindu, and Catholic processionals are typically more stringent than traditional or nondenominational processionals,” says Miller, who advises a nondenominational ceremony for more flexibility.

Below, check out our ultimate wedding processional order guide—which offers who walks down the aisle, when they do so, and where they sit when their march is done— below to help you work out how you’ll walk down the aisle on your big day.

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The mother of the bride’s entrance signals that the processional is about to begin. Once she reachs the end of the aisle, she takes her seat to the left of the aisle in the first row.

After the mother of the bride takes her seat, the groom will traditionally take her place at the head of the altar (coming in from the side of the venue or walking down the aisle solo). However, many couples choose to have the groom’s parents escort him down the aisle (his parents then sit to the right of the aisle in the front row).

The best man either walks in from the side and takes his place at the altar next to the groom, or he can walk in as the last groomsman. He may also hold the bride’s ring (or both rings).

The groomsmen open the processional as they walk down the aisle one by one.

The bridesmaids walk down the aisle one by one, ahead of the maid or matron of honor. Some couples may choose to have the groomsmen and bridesmaids walk in together in pairs.

Before the ceremony, the maid or matron of honor assists the bride with her dress, veil, and train, making sure everything looks perfect before she walks down the aisle. She then stand by the bride’s side at the altar, holding the bouquet and sometimes the groom’s ring.

The ring bearer and flower girl precede the bride down the aisle. Traditionally, the ring bearer carries the wedding rings (or decoys, if they’re too little to be trusted with the real things), tied to a small pillow. The flower girl may carry a basket of petals, which she scatter as she walks, or a posy of flowers. After the procession is over and the rings are handed off to the best man, the children’s work is done; they can be seated with their parents.

The bride’s father traditionally escorts his daughter down the aisle, standing to the bride’s right. After the father of the bride “gives her away,” he lifts the veil and kisses the bride, signifying his blessing—then takes his seat next to the bride’s mother.

Either or both officiants would stand at the altar under the traditional chuppah to signal the beginning of the processional.

The bride’s grandparents walk down the aisle first. Once they reach the front, they are seated in the first row, on the right side. In Jewish ceremonies, the bride’s family and guests sit on the right and the groom’s family and friends sit on the left.

The groom’s grandparents follow. Once they reach the front, they sit in the front row on the left side. Jewish weddings involve more family members than other ceremonies, including both parties’ grandparents.

At a traditional Jewish wedding, the groomsmen walk down the aisle in pairs, starting with those standing farthest from the groom.

During the processional, the best man walks solo after the groomsmen and takes his place as the right-hand man of the groom.

The groom proceeds to walk down the aisle accompanied by his parents, with his father on the left and his mother on the right.

The bridesmaids then proceed in pairs, starting with those standing farthest from the bride.

The bride’s right-hand woman walks in alone.

The ring bearer walks down the aisle followed by the flower girl. They then sit with their parents after they reach the altar.

Both parents of the bride escort her down the aisle, with the father on the bride’s left arm and her mother on the right. Parents of both the bride and groom can stand under the chuppah with the couple if they wish.

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“The groom enters with all of his friends and family in a celebration called a Baraat, where traditionally he arrives on a [white] horse as everyone dances around him,” says Miller. This festive celebration marks the beginning of a Hindu wedding ceremony.

The bride’s family waits for the groom and his family to arrive. The parents of the bride may feed the groom sweets and exchange gifts or flower garlands with the groom’s parents. They then head to the mandap, the traditional Hindu arch which signifies the altar, together.

The bride then enters and walks down the aisle together with the rest of her family, wedding party, and friends; the bridal party enters first in an attempt to hide the woman of the hour until it is time for the big reveal. The bride then walks down the aisle until she reaches the mandap and exchanges garlands with the groom. At this point, the couple, the parents of the bride, and the priest sit under the mandap to begin the ceremony.

The officiant—who may be a friend, family member, or anyone ordained to perform weddings—should walk in (either down the aisle or from the side) and stand at the altar to mark the beginning of the processional.

Like the officiant, the groom and his groomsmencan choose to arrive at the altar before the true processional starts, coming in from the side. However, many modern men choose to walk down the aisle solo.

Depending on what the groom decides, the best man will do the same. Should the groom opt to enter from the side and wait at the altar, the best man should be by their side. If the groom decides to walk down the aisle during the processional, the best man will follow.

The bridesmaids and the groomsmen typically walk in pairs, starting from those who will stand farthest from the couple.

The maid or matron of honor walks alone after the other bridal party members; in other configurations, she walks in on the arm of the best man.

The children chosen will walk down the aisle one after the other (typically, ring bearers process ahead of flower girls, who sprinkle blossoms to signal the arrival of the bride). The kids should sit with their parents once their job is complete.

The bride may be escorted by their father, mother, or both—she may decide not to have an escort at all or meet her parents halfway. Nondenominational wedding processionals are extremely customizable, so you can configure whatever entrance you’d like.

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