If the bride's dad is deceased, asking someone else to escort the bride is a powerful tribute. This could be an uncle, family friend, step-parent, sibling, the mother of the bride, or friend. It's also appropriate for the bride to walk herself down the aisle.
When couples are together, you'll tend to view your partners' parents as your own, and if you require a father figure to walk you down the aisle, your father-in-law can be a great choice. Grandparents are also a common choice for some brides, having their grandfather or grandmother walk them down the aisle.
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!
The bride is escorted down the aisle by her father, who stands on her right side. Traditionally, the father escorts her to the end of the aisle and then takes his seat in the first row next to the bride's mother.
Can brides actually walk down the aisle alone? Absolutely! It is actually an old tradition that the father is passing his daughter to her husband to take care of and cherish.
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.
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.
“Well, the tradition comes from an era where women were the property of men,” she says. “Fathers walking their daughter down the aisle and giving their daughter, the bride, away represented a transfer of ownership from her father to her new husband.”
List the names of deceased persons where appropriate in wedding programs, adding "the late" in front of the names. For example, if the bride's mother has passed away, the bride's parents would be listed as "Mr. John Smith and the late Mrs. Jane Smith."
If a parent is a widow or widower, it is acceptable to list them alone as the single host of the event. If you wish to honor a deceased parent, you can also describe the bride or groom as “the child of Mr. John Smith and the late Anne Smith.”
Put succinctly, tradition states that the father of the bride is responsible for paying for the wedding.
There's no rule that says you have to walk in with your father. If you're closer with your mother or another relative, you can, by all means, walk down the aisle with them instead! Another alternative is if you don't want to leave your mother out while walking down the aisle with your father, you can take them both.
If you do not have your father to walk you down the aisle, you still have many options. You can have another family member walk you down the aisle, like your mom, brother, grandpa, etc. Or you can have another person who was a father figure in you life growing up walk you down the aisle.
Absolutely! I had a good friend walk me when Hubster and I married. You may have anyone, or even no one(!), walk you down the aisle. It is your day.
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.
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 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.
If you have a birthfather you can have them both walk you down the aisle. If they don't get along or that just doesn't feel right to you, another option is to have your stepdad walk you down half of the way, and then your birth father walks you towards your groom.
While today the wedding tradition of walking down the aisle with your dad can be a super-special moment, “this custom stems from the days of arranged marriages when a father's looming presence was a good way to prevent the groom from backing out,” explains wedding historian Susan Waggoner.
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. Read more about the wedding processional order here.
You can make a distinction by calling the single one your maid of honor and the married one your matron of honor. Brides have been doing this for decades. If neither are married, then they'll both share the same “maid of honor” title. And if both happen to be married, then technically you'll have two matrons of honor.
“The Maid of Honor refers to a bride's honor attendant who is NOT married. The Matron of Honor refers to one who is married. Honor attendants are usually a best friend or sister. Recently though, some brides have selected their mother for this role.
In traditional Chinese weddings, the groom's side is supposed to pay for the wedding. But in the States, the bride's family is expected to pay.