PROCESSION OF WEDDING PARTY AND COUPLE (continued) 10 – Skip the processional all together! If the idea of walking down a long aisle with all eyes on you fills you with dread, skip the processional all together! Just show up at the front – you could discreetly enter from a side door or back door. You could even be there before guests arrive. Or you could mingle with your guests and slowly make your way to the front when you want the ceremony to start. DON’T FORGET YOUR PARENTS We have conducted many wedding rehearsals where a discussion (and sometimes a debate) breaks out when the parents have a different vision of what the procession will be and whether they will be included in it. Let’s avoid that awkwardness and now think about when and how you want your parents to enter the venue.
BRIDE’S ENTRANCE The bride’s entrance is always a special moment in a ceremony. Sometimes it is the first time that the couple will see each other in their wedding finest. If the bride will be escorted up the aisle by a parent(s) or loved one(s), there should be a meaningful “transition” from walking the aisle to joining your partner at the front of the venue. Consider having the bride and her escort(s) pause before reaching the front (usually at the first row of chairs). Your partner will then step forward to join in as you hug and embrace your escort(s). This brief moment symbolizes the welcoming and joining of the families. The couple will then come together (lock arms or hold hands) and join the officiant at the front of the venue.
