The Wedding Processional Order

(Extract from The Ultimate Guide to the Wedding Processional Order — Brides.com)

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 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.

• The bride's mother
• The groom
• The best man
• The groomsmen / ushers
• The bridesmaids
• The maid or matron of honour
• The flower girl and ring bearer
• The father of the bride and the bride

• The rabbi and/or cantor
• The grandparents of the bride
• The grandparents of the groom
• The groomsmen
• The best man
• The groom
• The bridesmaids
• The maid or matron of honour
• The flower girl and ring bearer
• The parents of the bride and the bride

• The groom, the groom's family and the groom's friends
• The bride's family
• The bride and bridal party

• The celebrant
• The groom
• The best man
• The groomsmen, then the bridesmaids
• The maid or matron of honour
• The flower girl and ring bearer
• The father of the bride and the bride