From walking down the aisle first to last, the traditional order is: Mother of Bride, Mother of Groom, Grandparents of Bride, Grandparents of Groom, Groom, Officiant, the Wedding Party, Maid of Honor and Best Man, Ring Bearer, Flower Girl and lastly the Bride and her Father.
Traditionally, the groom's parents will go first, followed by the mother of the bride, but the couple may choose to be escorted down the aisle by one or both of their parents.
Groom. Traditionally, he walks down the aisle solo but some grooms prefer walking down the aisle escorted by both parents. Other grooms prefer a more subtle approach by entering the ceremony from the side of the venue (following the officiant and followed by the groomsmen) to take his place at the altar.
The Groom. After the mother of the bride takes their seat, the groom will traditionally take their place at the head of the altar (coming in from the side of the venue or walking down the aisle solo).
The grandparents of the groom are the first to enter & are seated on the right side in the first or second row, if seats have been reserved for them. Ushers can escort a grandmother if so desired. Grandparents of the bride would follow immediately after & are seated on the left side.
In a traditional wedding ceremony, the processional begins with the bride's mother before the groom, best man, wedding party, flower girl, and ring bearer follow. The bride, who is escorted by her father, is the last to make her way down the aisle.
A Groomsman
This is the traditional choice and gives the guy another few moments in the spotlight. If the bride has a stepmother, she would be escorted to her seat by a groomsman before the mother of the bride; the bride's mom should be the last person to be escorted down the aisle, just before the bridal party.
One of the key focus areas of a wedding celebration is once the bride strolls down the aisle. However, the groom also deserves a warm reception as he enters. And there is no better way to do so than to select some unique songs to accompany his walk down the aisle.
5 minutes prior to ceremony: The groom's mother is escorted to her seat by the head usher, a son, or the groom. The groom's father follows and sits next to her. The wedding processional follows.
Firstly, what time should everyone arrive at the ceremony? As a general guide I usually advise the following: Groom, Best Man / Men and Ushers – 45 minutes before the ceremony. Guests – 30 minutes before the ceremony.
Walk Down the Aisle
Chief among father of the groom duties is walking the groom's mother down the aisle. If the groom's parents are divorced and the father is remarried, they should, instead, escort their new spouse down the aisle and to their seat.
So, the order would be groom's stepmother (escorted by groom's father or an usher), groom's mother (escorted by new spouse or usher), bride's stepmother (escorted by an usher), and finally the bride's mother (escorted by her new spouse or an usher).
In Christian ceremonies, the bride's mother is always seated last and the groom's mother is seated just before her. The seating of the bride's mother usually signals the ceremony is about to begin.
Parents' First Looks don't have to be limited to just the Bride. They can be done with the Groom and his parents as well. I'm sure Mom and Dad would love to see their son before he walks down the aisle, it may also be a good time for Mom to pin the boutonnière on her son as well.
For some heterosexual couples, the traditional “groom goes first” is exactly right for them and their ceremony. Culture and tradition may play a large part in this decision, or they may not have a choice in the order of vows because of their religion-specific requirements of the sacramental nuptials.
Where should the bride and groom sit? The bride and groom have the option to sit a sweetheart's table together or at a bridal party table with all members of the bridal party sitting together. Some couples also opt to sit a table with the Best Man, Maid/Matron of Honor, their parents and their grandparents.
The mother of the groom should wear colors that look nice on her and complement the wedding colors. That doesn't mean you're supposed to wear the wedding theme colors––you want to stand out at the wedding, not blend in with the backdrop.
Traditionally, the groom's parents are the ones to plan and host the rehearsal dinner. They are usually also responsible for hosting any other welcome parties for the rest of the guests. They may want to utilize the couple's wedding planner to help with the event, or they can choose to plan it all on their own.
The groom's or bride's father should give a speech that welcomes the bride or groom into the family. He should also mention the joining of the two families and express well wishes and thoughts of happiness for the newly married couple's future.
From walking down the aisle first to last, the traditional order is: Mother of Bride, Mother of Groom, Grandparents of Bride, Grandparents of Groom, Groom, Officiant, the Wedding Party, Maid of Honor and Best Man, Ring Bearer, Flower Girl and lastly the Bride and her Father.
Know the Basics
There are three big moments to pick music for: both of your processionals (one song each) and the recessional. Your partner's processional could also be the song the wedding party walks down the aisle to, or they can have a tune all their own, as you'll have.
For grooms who had to endure initial rejection from the bride's parents, or those who had to fight hard and do a lot to get their own parents' clearance to marry the girl of their dreams, watching that same woman walk slowly down the aisle towards them could result in a rush of emotions so intense that tears just start ...
She can spend the morning with the bride.
If that's the case, she should definitely be invited to join you pre-ceremony, and you should talk with your vendors about scheduling her in. If she doesn't know your mom well, this could be a good bonding experience for them.
The wedding party is announced. Traditionally they are announced in the following order: groom's parents, bride's parents, flower girl and ring bearer, bridesmaids escorted by groomsmen, maid/ matron of honor escorted by the best man and finally the Bride and Groom.
What is the Order of Speeches at a Wedding? The traditional wedding speech order goes father of the bride, groom, best man and other toasts. "In same-sex weddings, it is also common for both partners to speak but sometimes only one does," explains Marc.