What is the Order of the Bridal Party Entrance?

For both the ceremony and the reception, the bridal party entrance remains the same with just a few differences.

Starting with the ceremony, you’re VIP guests will enter as such:

Officiant
Groom’s Parents
The Bride’s Mother
Groom
Best Man
Groomsmen
Bridesmaids
Maid of Honor
Flower Girl & Ring Bearer
The Father of the Bride with The Bride (some choose to walk with their mothers also)

Entering the reception the groomsmen and bridesmaids will walk together with their chosen partner:

Bridesmaids & Groomsmen Couples in order of their entrance to the ceremony
Maid of Honor & Best Man
Bride & Groom

Other Expert Answers

Bridal Guide

“Most Christian wedding processionals and recessionals follow the same basic order, with the exception of the Catholic wedding ceremony, where the bride’s father escorts her to the altar but does not give her away before taking his seat. Order in a Christian wedding ceremony is:

Officiant stands at the altar.
Groom and best man enter from a side door and stand at the altar.
Bridesmaids and ushers walk in pairs (if there are uneven numbers, the odd person can walk alone, or two maids or groomsmen can walk together).
The maid or matron of honor walks alone.
The ring bearer walks alone, followed by the flower girl, or the children can walk together.
The bride and her father proceed, with the bride on her father’s right arm.

At the altar, the bride stands on the left, the groom on the right, facing the officiant. The best man stands beside the groom, with the ring bearer and ushers to his right. The maid of honor stands beside the bride, with the flower girl and bridesmaids to her left.

(If your child attendants are too young to stand quietly throughout the wedding ceremony, it’s fine to have them stop at the end of the aisle and sit with a waiting parent.)” – Bridal Guide – they have more information concerning a traditional Jewish entrance as well.

The Spring Events

“1 | Officiant

Your officiant’s entrance will communicate to your guests that your ceremony is about to begin – YAY!

2 | Grandparents of the Groom

If present, the grandparents of the groom will enter + sit in the first row on the righthand side.

3 | Grandparents of the Bride

If present, the grandparents of the bride will enter + sit in the first row on the lefthand side.

4 | Parents of the Groom

If present, the parents of the groom will enter together + sit in the first two seats in the first row on the righthand side, next to the groom’s grandparents.

5 | Mother of the Bride

If present, the mother of the bride will be escorted in by an usher, groomsmen, or family member + is seated in the first seat in the first row on the lefthand side.

6 | Groom

Things are getting real now! The groom typically walks down the aisle on his own + takes his place to the right of the officiant when looking at the ceremony site.

You can also send all of the guys in at once. If you will be going this route, the groom will lead the way, followed by the Best Man + then the rest of the groomsmen in the order in which they will be standing.

7 | Wedding Party

In regard to the wedding party, there are several options here + no wrong answers.

You can either send your groomsmen + bridesmaids in individually or you can double them up + sent them down the aisle in pairs.

If you will be sending the wedding party in individually, the groomsmen will enter first, starting with whoever will be standing farthest from the groom + working your way in.

Once the groomsmen have taken their place, the bridesmaids will begin their entrance, once again, starting with whoever will be standing farthest from the bride + working your way in, ending with the Maid or Matron of Honor.

If you will be sending the wedding party in pairs, you will start with the groomsman + bridesmaid standing farthest from the couple + working your way in, ending with the Best Man + the Maid or Matron of Honor.

If you have uneven numbers – no worries! Feel free to have one groomsman escort two bridesmaids, one on either arm or have one bridesmaid escorted in by two groomsmen, one on either side of her.

8 | Ring Bearer

Depending on the age of your ring bearer, we typically suggest sending the actual rings with the Best Man + sending the ring bearer down the aisle with placeholder rings or maybe a cute sign!

The ring bearer can stand up at the front along with the rest of the wedding party or can be seated in the audience with his parents or another family member.

9 | Flower Girl

The flower girl should be the last person to walk down the aisle prior to the bride’s grand entrance.

Just as with the ring bearer, the flower girl can stand up at the front along with the rest of the wedding party or can be seated in the audience with her parents or another family member.

10 | Bride + Her Escort of Choice

The moment you have been waiting for is finally here! The bride will make her grand entrance holding onto her father’s left arm if present.

We have also seen brides escorted by their mother, grandfather, stepfather, brother, father, AND stepfather (one on either side), even their son or daughter – which we think is super sweet!” – The Spring Events

A Perfect Blend of Entertainment

“Just like a wedding ceremony processional and recessional, there is also an order to a reception grand entrance. You’ll want everyone to be introduced in pairs. If any of the parents are divorced, a family member or significant other can escort them in.

If there is an uneven number of bridesmaids and groomsmen, you can pair 3 of them up to walk in together. Below is the standard format for how to introduce the bridal party for a reception entrance.

Parents of the Bride
Parents of the Groom
Flower Girls & Ring Bearers
Bridesmaids & Groomsmen (lined up in reverse order, with Best Man & Maid of Honor introduced last)
Bride & Groom” – A Perfect Blend Entertainment

Other Resources

Difference Between A Bachelorette Party And A Bridal Shower?