One of the most memorable moments of any wedding day is when the bride walks down the aisle. It's the first time guests—and usually even the soon-to-be spouse—will see the wedding dress, and it marks the start of the marriage journey. Traditionally, fathers walk daughters down the aisle.
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.
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.
Walk down the aisle together.
Many couples now choose to meet at the top of the aisle and walk it together. It's a lovely way to signify that you are taking this journey together as equals. Meet at the altar: A fun twist on walking the aisle together is to walk it separately but at the same time.
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.
The maid of honor walks alone since the best man is already at the altar. Both the ring bearer and flower girl walk alone, and in that order. Optionally, they can walk together if you prefer.
Typically, the maid of honor pays for smaller-ticket items, like a bachelorette sash or tiara, decorations, and swag for the other party guests. If you, as the bride, don't want to pay for these smaller items, our advice is to give your friends space to take the reins.
In some situations, there is the sadness of an absent father, so a bride might choose her mother, a grandfather or grandmother, an uncle or aunt, a brother or sister, her own son or daughter, or any combination of people to walk her up 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. Read more about the wedding processional order here.
A regular tradition in Jewish ceremonies, many couples in other cultures and denominations are opting to have both of the bride's parents escort her down the aisle. It's seen as a gesture of respect, honoring the parents who had a hand in raising her and guiding her through her life to this next step.
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.
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 Groom: The groom proceeds to walk down the aisle accompanied by their parents, with his father on the left and his mother on the right. The Bridesmaids: The bridesmaids then proceed in pairs, starting with those standing farthest from the bride. The Maid or Matron of Honor: The bride's right-hand woman walks alone.
In traditional weddings, the father of the bride walks her down the aisle and hands her off to the groom. If this seems old-fashioned, that is because it is. The practice dates back to the days when women were the property of their father, and he gave her away in exchange for a dowry.
Traditionally, the groom's mother will take care of the rehearsal dinner arrangements and help prepare the guest list for the groom's side of the family. Both tasks should be done with both the bride and the groom's input. Any other responsibilities can be negotiated among the families.
Tell him you love him
If you find a few moments alone with your son on the big day, express how proud you are of him; how thrilled you are that he found someone special to share his life with; and how much you love him.
Anyone can walk the bride down the aisle as long as that's what the bride wants on their wedding day. Whether it's the parents, the groom, or someone else, “traditional” doesn't matter unless it's something that makes you feel good about your day.
Groom's parents
It's optional to honor the groom's parents by having them walk down the aisle. They can be seated after all of the guests and before the mother of the bride.
If the parents are on good terms, it's perfectly fine to sit them both in the first row, although usually not right next to one another. "A buffer of their spouses, or an aunt or a grandparent, works well," Dominick says.
We'd say there's a fairly solid consensus that the couple should pay for anything beauty-related for bridesmaids, like hair, makeup, tans or nails. Basically, anything that affects the way the girls look that the bride has specifically requested.
"The bride should cover the cost of her wedding party's hair and makeup, especially if she's requesting or encouraging them to have it done," says Jove Meyer of Jove Meyer Events. Meyer says most of his brides fund bridesmaid hair and makeup for their crew.
The groom's family financed the rehearsal dinner, the officiant's fee, marriage license, and the groom paid for the bride's engagement and wedding rings and honeymoon.