A Guide to Your Lancaster Wedding Venue Processional Order

As a newly engaged person in the early stages of wedding planning, it’s natural to feel a bit overwhelmed and excited by the endless details that go into planning your dream day. The wedding processional is one aspect that can cause confusion, especially regarding the order in which all essential people will walk down the aisle.

In this blog, we’ll take a deep dive into the traditional wedding processional order and how to customize it to your unique style. We’ll also cover different parts of the processional wedding ceremony and how it fits into the rest of your special day, leaving you feeling confident and excited.

When envisioning your wedding day, do you imagine saying “I do” in a serene Lancaster farm wedding venue? If so, we invite you to tour our stunning venue! Customizing your wedding processional is just one way that we make your special day unique, and we work to do this through every step of our planning process. We are the leading Lancaster County wedding venue with helpful resources throughout your wedding planning journey. Book a tour today, and let us help bring your dream day to life!

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First Things First: What Is a Wedding Processional?

If you are newly engaged or have not attended many weddings, you may be unfamiliar with the ceremony processional. This term refers to the part of a wedding ceremony when the wedding party, along with special family members, guests, and friends, walks down the aisle at the start of the ceremony.

The wedding processional order sets the tone for your wedding ceremony and showcases who holds special places in both of your lives. The processional might include parents or grandparents, siblings or friends, and even furry companions if they join you on this special day. Watching each person walk down the aisle before you builds anticipation until, finally, it’s time for you and your soon-to-be spouse to take center stage together.

The order of the wedding ceremony processional is typically determined by tradition or by the religion of the couple. Generally, it includes the parents or other family members first, followed by one of the spouses, the wedding party, then finally, the other partner can walk down the aisle with their father or whoever is giving them away at the very end. It’s important to decide ahead of time who will walk down the aisle when and with whom so that everyone can practice together before the day of the ceremony.

When Does The Wedding Processional Happen in the Timeline of the Wedding?

The wedding processional marks when the ceremony begins and typically happens after all guests have arrived and have been seated. The wedding party members, including the wedding party, along with the flower girl and ring bearers, line up in a specific order in a separate location before the processional begins.

Our team can help line up your wedding party before the ceremony begins to ensure everyone is in their correct spots. We pride ourselves on helping weddings go off without a hitch and would love for you to tour our Lancaster wedding venue to see what we’re all about.

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What Is the Traditional Order for a Wedding’s Processional?

Each wedding ceremony order differs slightly from others, depending on your preferences and faith. While no two wedding days are the same, there is a general outline for you to follow for your processional walk so that you are not scrambling at the last minute to decide who walks down the aisle and when.

Before the wedding processional begins, it is common for wedding guests to be escorted to their seats. Other members of the couple’s extended family and special guests, such as grandparents or other family members, may also be traditionally escorted to their seats before the processional begins. Once most guests are in their seats, the traditional processional order is as follows:

wedding party laughing and walking away from ceremony

1. The Wedding Officiant

In most Christian or Catholic wedding ceremonies, the wedding officiant or clergy member leading the ceremony walks down the aisle at Lancaster County wedding venues first. This entrance also signifies to the wedding guests that the ceremony is starting.

2. The First Spouse & First Part of the Wedding Party

After the officiant enters the ceremony space, the first spouse enters, accompanied by their wedding party. They walk down the aisle in pairs, with the person of honor at the back. The spouse then stands with the officiant at the front of the space while the other wedding party members stand alongside them.

3. The First Spouse’s Parents

The parents of the first spouse are next in the processional to walk down the aisle. They are escorted by an usher, who leads them to their seats. Other parental figures, like step-parents, can be included here as well.

4. The Second Part of the Wedding Party

Following the parents, the other spouse’s part of the wedding party walks in next, the last of the wedding party to come down the aisle. Members of the wedding party walk individually in the order of which they are standing at the front of the ceremony venue. Each spouse’s side of the wedding party typically stands opposite one another at the front of the space, forming a visual balance. The last wedding party member walking down the aisle is the other spouse’s person of honor. They walk last to symbolize their special place in the couple’s life.

5. The Ring Bearer and The Flower Girl

Following the wedding party, the ring bearer and flower girls are next in the wedding processional order. They are typically children who walk down the aisle carrying the wedding rings and scattering flower petals on the aisle. The ring bearer carries the rings. However, many couples opt to keep the actual rings with the people of honor for safekeeping.

6. The Second Spouse & Their Parents

Following the ring bearer and flower girl, the other spouse is escorted down the aisle by one or both of their parents for their grand entrance. They walk down the aisle together and meet the other spouse at the front of the ceremony space. This walk ends the wedding processional order, begins the ceremony, and is a significant moment that marks the beginning of the couple’s new life together.

bride being walked down the aisle in an outdoor wedding venue

Turn to One of Lancaster County’s Top Wedding Venues, Melhorn Manor

If you are ready for the next step in your list together and want to book an exquisite Lancaster farm wedding venue, we have what you need at Melhorn Manor. From questions about our catering partners to things you might wonder about the wedding ceremony processional order, we can help you with every single step of your new journey together. Schedule a tour of our magical venue, or contact us for more information today!

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