Wedding Ceremony Format
This is a general guideline of a typical wedding ceremony, your Wedding Officiant can help you to decide which parts you would include in your special day.
- Pre-Ceremony: Wedding Music,10 to 15 minutes before the Bride enters.
- The Bride & Groom’s appointed friends or Ushers will greet each guest as they arrive and should escort them to their places (may offer females their right arm, the male guests follow behind them).
- The Bride’s family and friends may be seated on the left and the Groom’s family and friends on the right when facing the stage.
Groom’s then Bride's Mothers enter (and are seated) just before the processional.
2. Processional (Music may be different for the Bridal Party and the Bride):
- The Groomsmen can also walk down by themselves or accompany a Bridesmaid.
- The Maid of Honor is next followed by the Ring Bearer and the Flower Girl.
- The Bride will be the last to enter escorted by her Father (or parents).
3. Ceremony:
4. Recessional: (Music), guests may throw bird’s seed, bubbles, butterflies, dove release, or flower petals (check with your venue if allowed).
- Flower Girl and Ring Bearer follow five steps behind them and exit.
- Maid of Honor and Best Man follow five steps behind them and exit.
- Bridesmaids and Groomsmen do the same as above.
- Next Mother and Father of the Bride.
- Then Mother and Father of the Groom.
- Followed by the Grandparents.
Typical wedding standings when facing the stage:
Officiant
Bride-----Groom
Maid of Honor---------------------Best Man
Bridesmaids----------------------------------------------Groomsmen
Bride’s family -----------------------------------------------Groom’s family
Bride’s friends -----------------------------------------------Groom’s friends