20 The QUEE NS Courier • bridal • february 25, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com s bridal WHO WALKS WHEN? By Tresa Erickson With all of the planning you have to do for your wedding, one of the last things on your mind may be the order of participants in the processional. Sure, everything will start with the mothers and end with you, the bride, but as for who should come between, you don’t know. You’re hoping to work out all of that at the rehearsal. Meanwhile, you might want to brush on the traditional lineup in processionals. Traditionally, the process begins with the seating of the groom’s and bride’s grandparents and parents. Once all of the guests have arrived and been seated, an usher, or groomsman if not having separate ushers, walks each of the groom’s grandmothers down the aisle, one at a time, with their husbands following, and seats them. Another usher or groomsman then walks each of the bride’s grandmothers down the aisle with their husbands following in the same fashion. The ushers or groomsmen then take turns seating the parents, starting with the groom’s parents and ending with the bride’s mother. The seating of the bride’s mother signals that the wedding has officially begun. After all grandparents and parents have been seated, the officiant and groom enter the room at the front and stand facing the guests. The best man follows unless he is escorting the maid of honor down the aisle. If the groomsmen are not serving as ushers, they enter the room as this time too, following behind the best man. The groom should stand on the right side of the aisle with the best man and groomsmen slightly to his left. The attendants are up next. They can walk down the aisle in a couple of ways. If the groomsmen are serving as ushers, they may walk down first, either in pairs or alone, followed by the bridesmaids, either in pairs or alone. The groomsmen may also escort the bridesmaids down the aisle. Once near the altar, the attendants may either sit in the front pew or stand with the bride and groom. If standing, the bridesmaids should line up on the left, leaving room for the maid of honor, and the groomsmen on the right, leaving room for the best man if he is escorting the maid of honor. If they have come down the aisle together, the groomsmen and bridesmaids may line up in a semicircle behind the officiant and bride and groom. It is now the maid of honor’s turn. She may walk down the aisle alone or be escorted by the best man. Once at the altar, the maid of honor should take her place next to where the bride will stand and the best man should stand next to the groom. Any children in the wedding follow the maid of honor. Experts disagree as to whether the ringbearer or flower girl should come first. It is your choice, and if the children are young and tentative, you could have them walk together down the aisle. Children may sit with their parents or stand at the front. The flower girl should stand with the maid of honor, and the ringbearer with the best man. Finally it is the bride’s turn to shine. Traditionally, the bride’s father escorts her down the aisle. The bride should stand on her father’s left. Once the father has given the bride away, he may either step to the side and remain at the altar or return to the pew and sit with his family. This is the traditional order of participants in a wedding processional. Keep in mind that you do not have to follow it. In fact, you will probably have to make some adjustments according to your situation. You may have to seat all of the grandparents well ahead of time due to their declining health and skip the seating of your mother if she is walking you down the aisle. You may have only one attendant each and choose to disband with the processional altogether. It is entirely up to you as to who walks down the aisle and in what order they do so.
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