Everyone knows how to walk, right? Well, turns out a wedding processional isn’t quite that simple. There are lots of choices to make. Who is walking first? Who are they walking with? Who comes next?
Who knew there were so many ways to get everyone to the altar!?!

Check out six different wedding processional order options below.

Traditional wedding processional

  1. Bride’s mother
  2. Groomsmen
  3. Best Man
  4. Groom
  5. Officiant
  6. Bridesmaids
  7. Maid/Matron of Honour
  8. Ring Bearer & Flower Girl
  9. Bride (with her father)

Traditional wedding processional with a twist

  1. Bride’s mother
  2. Bride’s grandparents
  3. Groom’s grandparents
  4. Bridesmaids & Groomsmen
  5. Best Man
  6. Maid/Matron of Honour
  7. Groom  (with or without his parents)
  8. Officiant (may enter from the side)
  9. Ring Bearer & Flower Girl
  10. Bride (with her parents)
Wedding processional with bride and her parents
Photos by Blush

Religious (Christian) wedding processional

  1. Officiant
  2. Groom & Best Man (enter from the side)
  3. Groomsmen & Bridesmaids
  4. Maid/Matron of Honour
  5. Ring Bearer
  6. Flower Girl
  7. Bride (with her father)

Religious (Jewish) wedding processional

  1. Rabbi & Cantor or Officiant
  2. Bride’s grandparents
  3. Groom’s grandparents
  4. Ushers (in pairs)
  5. Best Man
  6. Groom (with his parents)
  7. Bridesmaids (in pairs)
  8. Maid/Matron of Honour
  9. Ring Bearer
  10. Flower Girl
  11. Bride (with her parents)

Contemporary wedding processional

  1. Grandparents
  2. Parents
  3. Groomsmen
  4. Bridesmaids
  5. Ring Bearer & Flower Girl
  6. Couple
Wedding recessional and processional options
Photo by Blushing Bride Studio

Your processional, your way!

It’s your wedding so you should do things your way! The wedding processional order is completely up to you and who walks where, when and with whom should be 100% your call. There is no right or wrong way to do a processional – there’s only your way. Here are a few creative wedding processional options that might work better for you than the ideas above:

  • Walk in solo
  • Walk in first
  • Walk in with someone who means a lot to you like your grandma or favourite uncle
  • Walk in with your kids
  • Walk in with your dog
  • Enter at the same time as your partner – walk in hand in hand or enter from different doors and meet in the middle
  • Skip the wedding party and processional all together – just start your wedding ceremony where you are!

feature image by John Bello Photographer

How are you doing your wedding ceremony processional?