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.
The groom's parents precede the bride's mother during the processional. Here's a rundown: After the ushers have seated all of the guests, the grandparents start up the aisle, followed by the groom's parents. Then the bride's mother takes her turn. She is the last to be seated before the bridal party procession begins.
Seating married parents
The parents of the bride always sit in the first pew or row on the left, facing where the ceremony will be held; the groom's parents sit in the first row on the right.
The mother of the bride is traditionally escorted by her son if she has one. Otherwise, any close male relative, the best man, or a groomsman walks with the mother of the bride during the procession.
Mother of the bride
The mother of the bride is the last person seated before the officiant, groom and best man take their places at the altar. She can walk alone or be escorted by her son, son-in-law or another relative. She is seated on the left side in the first row.
The Parents of the Bride and the Bride: The parents of the bride escort them down the aisle, with the father on the bride's left arm and her mother on the right.
According to Katie Colosi, director of events at Laurie Arons Special Events, stepmothers can also participate in the ceremony processional, but they should always be seated before the biological mothers of the wedding couple.
As the wedding begins, the groom's mother will be escorted down the aisle, to the first pew, right-hand side, by the head usher or a groomsman who is a family member. A nice touch includes the groom escorting his mother down the aisle. As the groom's mother is escorted to her seat, her husband will follow along behind.
The mother of the bride plays the role of hostess, meaning you should spend some time greeting guests during the reception. Although there are exceptions, other wedding-day duties may include sitting at the parents' table and dancing with the father of the bride to help warm up the dance floor.
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.
The groom's parents walk down the aisle together in the procession, followed by the mother of the bride (often escorted by her son(s) or ushers). In the line of procession, the only people who would walk ahead of the groom's parents are grandparents, if they will be a part of it.
Traditionally speaking, your mother will be on the front as mentioned above (with her significant other if in attendance), and her immediate family will be directly behind her in the next row back. This generally would place your stepmother on the third row back in the second seat from the aisle.
The groom is then seated between his bride and her father, with the groom's mother on his right and the best man next to her.
After those people take their places, the best man and the groomsmen traditionally walk down the aisle, in order to protect the groom from evil spirits or attackers. Then the bridesmaids make their way down the aisle, followed by the maid of honor.
The priest and the ministers walk to the altar first. Only then do the rest of the members of the processional enter, in the following order: groom, best man, groomsmen, maids of honor, bridesmaids, ring bearer, flower girl, and the bride and her father.
Traditionally speaking, though, the bride's family pays for the bulk of the wedding—venue, reception, photographer, flowers, etc. As such, the mother of the bride is typically more 'in charge' of these things (along with the bride, of course) than the mother of the groom is.
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.
When it comes to involvement in wedding planning, it's usually at the discretion of the couple. There's no expectation that the mother of the groom should be more involved, and they shouldn't take on any additional responsibilities unless the couple asks them to.
Who Pays for the Mother-of-the-Bride and Groom's Beauty Team? As with most beauty questions, there is no hard-and-fast rule. Some brides may offer to cover hair and makeup services in order to thank the wedding party for being a part of their special day.
In many cultures, it's traditional to have both the mother and father walk their daughter down the aisle. Some brides may find this more suitable rather than choosing just one parent to do the honor. If you prefer to be escorted by both your mom and dad, Erb says go for it!
Whether or not divorced parents should dance together at a wedding is a highly personal decision, notes Angelini, that truly depends on the relationship between the parents. "If the parents are comfortable dancing together, it can be a beautiful and meaningful moment for the couple and their families," she says.
If you have an uncle, cousin, pastor, friend, or even a boss, you could choose one of these men to escort you down the aisle and into the arms of your beloved. For some, this is a beautiful option for including someone in your life who has meant a great deal to you and been there for you when your daddy couldn't be.