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.
You can recite traditional vows or write your own. In a traditional wedding ceremony order, the vows are followed by the ring exchange. The groom usually goes first, though we invite you to be progressive.
Parents and Wedding Party Are Optional
Not all introductions include parents, and some don't even include a wedding party!
Maid of Honor/Matron of Honor
Before starting down the aisle, she should take a moment to look over the bride's wedding gown, dress train, and veil to see that they are perfectly in place. Then she walks down the aisle, after the bridesmaids and groomsmen, and stands next to the bride, on her left.
If the mother of the bride is taking part in the wedding processional, she is traditionally escorted by a close male relative like a son or brother or may enter alone. If the parents are divorced, she may be escorted by her partner. In some cases, a groomsman or best man will escort her down the aisle.
Typically, the maid of honor walks down the aisle with the best man, but this "head bridesmaid" could also walk behind the bride. If you have two MOHs and only one best man, you could either have him escort both MOHs down the aisle or tap another VIP (such as one of your brothers) to serve as a second escort.
Couples who wish to honor their parents may want to announce them at the reception as part of the grand entrance. If this is the case, the parents of the groom should enter first, followed by the father and mother of the bride.
Where should parents and grandparents of the bride and groom sit? Depending on the size and shape of tables you have, it's common to have a family table where the bride and groom's parents and grandparents sit together. Or, each set of parents can host their own table and be seated with close family and friends.
1) Fetching the bride, 迎亲 (ying qin)
Upon arrival, the bride's younger brother (otherwise younger male relative) will open the car door and give him a pair of oranges (symbolizing good fortune), to which the groom has to reciprocate with a red packet.
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.
Mother of the Groom with the Father of the Groom
Traditionally speaking, the mother of the groom will walk down the aisle with the father of the groom. They will take their seats on the right-hand side in the front-row.
That is completely up to you, who you want with you when you get ready. Most brides have their bridesmaids and mum. Some also have friends, or grandma, and mother of the groom too.
Balliet says most wedding ceremonies last around 20 to 30 minutes, but religious celebrations generally require more time. Xanath Banuelos, the owner and lead planner of XB Destination Weddings & Events, says that non-denominational weddings tend to be around 30 to 40 minutes.
In Australia the traditional wedding party and processional order has changed over the years, so that it is widely accepted that children and bridesmaids walk in first, usually in single file, followed by the MOH (Maid or Matron of Honour depending on whether she is married or not), with the bride, escorted by her ...
The officiant can ask, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man?” The audience or her parents will answer, “She gives herself, but with her family's blessing.”
The bride and groom sit in the middle, with the groom on the left as you're facing the table. Next to the bride are her father, the groom's mother, and finally the best man at the end. If you're not adverse to breaking tradition, you can organise the top table in a different way.
Again, the couple's parents may or may not walk down the aisle (they can also just take their seats as the procession begins). 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.
The bride's parents and grandparents are seated together, often with their children, children's spouses, and grandchildren if space is available. The groom's parents and grandparents are seated at another table, often with their children, children's spouses, and grandchildren if space is available.
Immediately after the couple has had their first dance, it's time for the parents to join them. The bride will typically dance with her father and the groom typically dances with his mother.
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. At same-sex marriage ceremonies, the couple might assign each family a side, and seat guests on "Bill's side" or "Kevin's side" accordingly.
With Both Parents
In the tradition, the bride's father is on her right and mother on her left as they walk toward the chuppah. You can swap the sides, but it's a heartfelt way to include both of your parents in your wedding ceremony.
What does the Maid of Honor Pay for? As the main event planner and bride's right-hand gal or guy, the MOH is often the one who covers some of the bachelorette party expenses — extra fun additions like decorations, a stocked fridge, or first-class upgrade for the bride's flight (if you're feeling extra generous).
Bridesmaids: The bridesmaids walk down the aisle one by one before the maid of honor enters.
The best man follows the bridesmaids and groomsmen and can walk down alone or with the maid of honor. He may also be the ring bearer for some weddings, and will stand next to the groom at the altar. Should you choose to have the maid of honor walk down separately, they should follow the best man.