Worried about the wedding procession order? Fear not, soonlyweds. We’ve got all you need to know right here. From who goes down first to when the flower girl comes in, here’s the list to make that walk down the aisle picture perfect.
It’s important to note that every wedding is different and there are no “rules”. Your wedding procession can look however you want it to look. The below is written for a typical Christian wedding ceremony but your processional order may look a little different depending on your faith, orientation, or vision.
Procession (Before the Ceremony)
Entering First to Last…
- Partner A or groom’s paternal grandparents (if participating; they don’t have to, especially if there are mobility issues)
- Partner A or groom’s maternal grandparents
- Partner B or bride’s paternal grandparents
- Partner B or bride’s maternal grandparents
- Partner A or groom’s parents
- Mother of Partner A or the bride, either alone or escorted by close male family member or sometimes someone from Partner A’s side of the wedding party or one of the groomsmen
- Partner A or groom and their side of the wedding party or groomsmen, with officiant
- Partner B’s side of the wedding party or bridesmaids
- Partner B’s person or maid of honor
- Ring bearer
- Flower girl
- Partner B or Bride, with father, another escort, or alone
Cue the welcome, vows, I Dos, and first kiss! Yay, you’re married! Now what? You have to get back down the aisle, right? Basically, the recession is just the procession in reverse order. It should look something like this…
Recession (After the Ceremony)
Exiting First to Last…
- Newlyweds!
- Partner A’s person or best man and Partner B’s person or maid of honor
- Partner B’s side of the wedding party or bridesmaids, escorted by Partner A’s side or groomsmen
- Partner B or bride’s parents
- Partner A or groom’s parents
- Partner B or bride’s maternal grandparents
- Partner B or bride’s paternal grandparents
- Partner A or groom’s maternal grandparents
- Partner A or groom’s paternal grandparents
- Remaining guests, row by row
