I
have a question about wedding
processions. How would one determine the best procession with the
people given, in an outdoor wedding, how would the bride and
everyone else enter the ceremony?
Without seeing the actual location, I can only
give you some general ideas on the processional. Following is the typical
order of the processional at most weddings. First, the grandparents are
seated if they choose to be seated at the beginning of the ceremony (some
don't like to wait that long and prefer to be seated when the guests are
seated). Then, the mothers are seated, mother of the groom first, then mother
of the bride just before the members of the wedding party enter. If
step-mothers are involved, the bride should decide when to seat them. Some
brides choose to seat the step-mothers first, then the moms at the beginning
of the wedding. Other brides prefer not to include the step-mothers in the
actual processional and have them seated when the guests are seated.
Next, the minister and the groom enter. The best
man may enter with them or he may escort the maid of honor in, whatever the
bride prefers. Next the maid of honor enters, either by herself or with the
best man. The ring bearer is next, then the flower girls. The coin bearer
may enter with the ring bearer or before the ring bearer. Finally, the bride
and her father enter.
I would suggest that the couples who are
presenting the veil and the cord be seated in the first row, then stand to
make their presentation at the appropriate time. If the bride prefers that
they enter as part of the processional, they should come in after the groom
and before the bride's attendant.
For the recessional, everyone exits in the
opposite order that they entered: bride and groom first, then flower girls,
ring bearer, coin bearer, maid of honor and best man. Guests should remain
seated until the mothers have been escorted out (the minister can make an
announcement asking them to remain seated). The mother of the bride should be
escorted out first, either by an usher or by the bride's father. Then the
mother of the groom is escorted out, then step-mothers.
Every outdoor location presents its own problems
in creating a way for the wedding party to enter.
Look for a place where the bride, particularly, can be kept out of sight until
the ceremony begins. Is there a dressing room available for her use that can
be used to assemble the wedding party? If not, you may have to get creative.
I have had brides who arrived by limousine with her attendants and they sat in
the limo until time to enter. I have also seen brides that borrowed a motor
home and parked it nearby and used it for their dressing area and "staging
area."
I suggest that you and the bride visit the
location before the wedding and decide where the wedding party will enter from
and where they will go when they exit. The wedding party doesn't have to
enter down a center aisle if that won't work at the location. I have
had wedding parties enter from the side or enter facing the guests. If the
location is best set up with two aisles instead of one, have the wedding party
use both aisles if you choose.
Best wishes to you.
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