Why is this so complicated! What is your processional order?

I think this is fine. We plan to have the officiant, FH, and some of the GMs head to the ceremony spot prior to starting the music then our processional will go:

1. GM (FH’s cousin) with MOG (FOG has passed and MOG has no SO)
2. GM (FH’s cousin) with MOB
3. BM
4. BM
5. BM
6. MOH
7. Me with my dad and my daughter

Typically the parents are seated first (with the exception of whomever is walking you down the aisle). Otherwise, the parents miss seeing everyone walk in. You can have the GMs walk down the aisle separately (as you currently have it), down the aisle with the BMs, or you can just have them come in from the side and go to the front. Also, you have your MOH going in first, but most of the time she is right before the bride (other than a ring bearer & flower girl, if you have them). This also allows her to stay with you as long as possible to adjust your veil and train right before you walk down the aisle.

I also just noticed that you have the ring beaters coming in after you. I’ve never seen a wedding processional where anyone enters after the bride.

*bearers

Edit button please!

Here’s mine: officiant, groom and fmil, bridesman (brother) and mob. Groomsmen, bridesmaids, moh, me and my dad. Recessional will just be couple, wedding party in pairs, then the officiant will make an announcement about the schedule and release everyone.

Ours is:
1. Officiant
2. Groom escorted by MOG and FOG
3. 6 groomsmen
4. 6 bridesmaids
5. Flower girl
6. Bride escorted by MOB and MOG

Two things strike me as odd about yours. The first is having his parents come in right before you and your parents (usually they’re at the beginning), and the ring bearers coming in after you (usually they’re earlier, near the flower girl or immediately before the bride if no FG).

In all the weddings I've been to, I've actually never seen the officiant, groom or groom's party walk down the aisle in the processional, so we didn't do it either. We had:

- My mother escorted by my brother
- My husband's parents
- (We only have one surviving grandparent and she could not make it otherwise she would have gone here)
- (I did not have bridesmaids other than my sister)
- MOH (my sister)
- (We did not have a flower girl or ring bearer)
- Me, escorted by my father

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Thank you!! I didn't think on the MOH thing, I'll switch her and FH parents. I might even have on of my BM stay back and walk with my nephews (their mom) just in case. And yeah I was wondering if that mattered! I just thought it'd be nice to see my nephews coming in and finishing the song off. There is a build up in the song when it's the perfect time for me to walk in but then there is still plenty of the song left and I didn't want to end it early/abruptly. I'll see if I end up changing the song or something!

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Thank you! I think I'll do all GM then all BM like you have actually. And I've switched his parents and my MOH. I'm still trying to figure out the ring bearer stuff because there will be a decent amount of the song left after I come in. I'm just adamant about cutting the song off early after I get there. IDK maybe I'll change the song.

Here's our order: Mine is slightly different because my dad is walking me down the aisle but is also the officiant.

Song 1 starts:

1. Groom & Groomsmen get into place at "alter" area.

2. Grandma of Groom.

3. Grandma of Bride.

4. Mother of Groom.

5. Mother of Bride.

6. BM

7. BM

8. BM

9. BM

10. MOH

11. Jr. Bridesmaids

12. Ring Bearer

13. Flower girl

Song 2 starts:

14. Me & Dad

You can do whatever order you want. But I would suggest having your ring bearers go before you. Typically the bride is the last one to enter.

For your wedding:

Officiant, Groom, Best Man, GMx3 Should be at the front before music starts, also FH's parents and yours should be the last guests to enter but they should also be out before music starts (exception is your dad if he is walking you, you could have 1 GM walk out with your mom before he joins groom).

1. Ring Bearers

2.BM

3.BM

4.BM

5.MOH

6. You (with whoever is walking you down)

Alternatively you could have the bridesmaids and MOH walk out before ring bearers

I agree it is a lot more confusing than I feel it should be!

My hope is that our DOC will set us strait during the rehearsal but this is what I have

Song 1

his - dad's mom

his - step mom's dad and step mom

his - step dad's mom

his - step mom's mom and his sister

his - mom's parents

his - dad and step mom

his - mom and step dad

my - dad's parent's

my - mom's dad 9with my aunt's assistance

Song 2

officiant

him

Song 3

BM & GM

GM & GM

Matron of honor & GM

Maid of Honor and Best Man

Song 4

Me - escorted by my mom and dad

We may cut down songs.

We may have FH and the officiant enter before music begins.

We may have all of the grandparent's and parents just enter with the other guests or this plus have his mom's parent's escort him down the isle

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If you're worried about too much song being left at the end, and not wanting to cut it off, could you cut off that time at the beginning? Example, song is 4:30 long. Instead of starting it at the very beginning, maybe start it 30 seconds in, or 1 minute in (depending on the song). OR

I think what I'm going to do, because my song is longer than we need, is to start the song from the beginning, but nobody will actually start walking for the first 30 seconds to minute in. The music will just play, then at some point, the bridal party will start walking. That way it will be at the right spot in the song when I start my walk, and it will end gracefully as I arrive at the altar.

If you have someone like a DJ doing your processional music, you should talk to that person about the length of your song, and see what the DJ recommends for alteration. This is what they do for a living, so I'm sure it's not the first time this question has come up.

Ours will be:

*DJs choice of music playing*

Officiant enters, says a welcome and unplugged ceremony speech

Mother of the Groom

Mother of the Bride

*Begin wedding party song*

Groomsmen

Best Man

Groom

Bridesmaids

Matron of Honor

Ring Bearers

Flower Girl

*wedding party song fades out if still playing*

*Begin Bridal entrance song*

Bride/Father

I never thought about grandparents being apart of it! I only have my granny & he has maybe his grandfather coming, do they walk by their selves?

For me officiant, groom and best man are already there so then it’s
1. groom parents
2. my mom
3. MOH
4. gm
5. bm
6. me and my father
I think he had to fire a groomsman due to lack of communication and participation.

So for you I would suggest already having groom and officiant there so you could send his parents first then best man and also you and parents should be last so send ring bearer before that.

This is what I would do.

Have the Officiant and the GM/BM up there with them. Your groom could be up there if he wanted, or he could walk down with his parents if that is something he would like. Then have the BM, the ring bearer and flower girl in that order. Then you.

What is nice about having the men and the officiant walk up there is that it gives a cue to the DJ to start the song.

Sounds good to me. We will have our officiant already up there. Then my brother walks my mother in and to her seat, my FH walks his mother in and to her seat, then each of our 3 FM walk in, then my 3 BM, and then I walk in with my father. It is your wedding and you can do whatever you want. 😁

Really, you can do it any way you want. We just had a MOH and Dude of Honor. So it was:

Officiant

Dude of Honor

Maid of Honor

The two of us

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I can't really start the song later, it's more about making sure I walk down at the perfect part of the song. It's just that after that part, there's still some of the song left. But yes!! I'll talk to the DJ, I'm thinking maybe there's a spot in that leftover part of the song that can be faded out and maybe picked back up for the recessional. Thanks for that!