Wedding Processionals are the order by which your Officiant, Family, Honored Guests, Groom, Wedding Party and Bride enter the aisle and approach the altar. The Wedding Processional is the order that your Wedding Coordinator will line you up in for rehearsal. Your Wedding Recessional is then how everyone will leave after the ceremony.
Wedding Processionals
There are many ways and orders to do a Wedding Processional, however, some specific religions offer different approaches. Here are the very basic options to consider.
Catholic Wedding Processionals
Priest, Groom and Best Man enter and wait at the altar
Groomsmen
Mothers and the groom’s father
Bridesmaids
Maid of Honor {alone}
The Ring Bearer and Flower Girl
The Bride, and her escort to her right
Jewish Wedding Processionals
Rabbi and/or Cantor
Grandparents of the bride {seated in the front row}
Grandparents of the groom {seated in the front row}
Groomsmen {in pairs}
Best man {alone}
Groom, escorted by his parents {Father on his left, Mother on his right}
Bridesmaids {in pairs}
Maid of honor {alone}
Ring bearer and Flower Girl
The bride, escorted by her parents {Father on her left, Mother on her right}
Protestant Wedding Processionals
After all your guests are seated, Mothers are seated by ushers, or by the Groom. He can stay up at the altar at that time.
Officiant, Groom and Best Man enter and wait at the altar
Groomsmen enter or can escort the bridesmaids
Bridesmaids
Maid of Honor
Ring Bearer and Flower Girl
The Bride, and her escort to her right
The rules for a non-traditional ceremony, non-denominational ceremony, or secular ceremony are flexible and you can combine above guidelines or completely customize them.
Recessionals
These are fairly consistent across the religious traditions and can be flexible as well. Here is the simple and standard version:
Bride & Groom
The Ring Bearer and Flower Girl {or you can skip them and let them exit with their parents}
Maid of Honor & Best Man
Bridesmaids & Groomsmen come together and leave as couples
Bride’s Parents
Groom’s Parents
Go Back: How to Coordinate Wedding Altars | Project Block 4
Read Next: Ceremony Script Writing
Post Image Credit(s) ~Kelsea Joann Photography
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