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Ladies, I need help. Once again I’m confronted by the need to make decisions on something for which I have no opinions (my friends would be STUNNED to hear this, I’m sure): the whole bridal party-ceremony-processional-seating-etc situation. Please share your brilliant, creative, and fabulous plans to save a poor Cheese. Mr. Cheese will even make the pouty face for you.
We have three bridesmaids and groomsmen and a MOH/ BM… so 8 people, plus a flower girl and junior bridesmaid. My brother and sister — one of the groomsmen and bridesmaids — will likely be our musical team. Mr. Cheese thinks he wants the groomsmen to stand with him rather than be a part of the processional. I want it all to be simple and easy, which doesn’t seem to be an option.
Crap, I don’t know… which is why I’m asking you. What are your processional plans and do you have any recommendations for me? Smoochies!
Will people be standing when you walk down the aisle? If so, why not let the maids stand at the front (mirroring the groomsmen) until the moment people are told to be seated, then the entire crew can uniformly (ha!) take seats in the first or second row?
So you don’t want anyone standing up there with you? I like MrsCPT’s idea.
Or maybe you can have everyone walk down, but go two-by-two, to speed things along. When they get to the front, they can part and be seated.
Well we are having a Catholic wedding so there are several rules involved when it comes to the procession. Each BM has to walk with a groomsmen. The guys are not allowed to simply wait at the altar, that goes for the groom as well. He has to walk up the aisle as part of the procession, so we are having his parents walk with him (and he will essentially “seat” his mom). So if I were you I would check with your church first to make sure you can do it however you want. Oh, and I like MrsCPT’s idea about everyone sitting down together.
(apologies if I’m curt… am typing this on teeny tiny keys on my phone)… no church. Not enough room at the front for 8 people plus us and pastor… so what if men stand w Mr., then as bm gets to front she stands and waits… then girls and I proceed, then everyone sits before we start. I kind of like all the bm’s walking together to start the thing off. My original idea that we just pop up out of the woods together (ta da!) is sounding better and better! Lol.
Miss Cheese,
I like the idea of having the girls and guys up front and having the flower girl and jr. bridesmaid walk down before you.
Is someone walking you down the isle or are you being very brave and going it alone?
If you are doing it solo, then I don’t see a problem in having a moment to yourself before you make the walk.
Are you going to take a moment with just you and Mr. Cheese before the ceremony to see eachother or is it going to be saved for the ceremony? If you are, then why couldn’t the both of you walk down together - or as you say pop out of the woods?
How are guests getting to their seats? Maybe your wedding party could “lead” that processional, and once guests are seated, they could either remain standing or sit in their appropriate spots?
I’m of the belief that you can do whatever feels right to you. If you want your bridesmaids to do cartwheels down the aisle…do it!
I’m a stickler for symmetry though, so I’m not sure if I have any advice if there’s not enough room. Perhaps as the bridesmaids get to the front they can pause and hug Mr. C, but then go to their seats - but remain standing as the guys go to their places as well. That way, they’re still standing out from the crowd as the bridal party, you get the hugs in, and they’re already in place so you can take command of the aisle.
This is completely different from your situation, but you may be able to combine the two…
In my processional the groomsmen are standing at the front, the bridesmaids are walking down…same old same old. But the groomsmen will meet them each about 3/4 up the aisle, then the BM can take his arm and he will walk her the rest of the way to the front of the church. You could do something similar and have the groomsmen walk the BM to her seat, then walk to his seat. That way you lose one at a time until all that is left is the Best Man and MOH…then junior bridesmaid/flower girl…then YOU!!!!! This might not help, but it’s my 2 cents…
This is completely different from your situation, but you may be able to combine the two…
In my processional the groomsmen are standing at the front, the bridesmaids are walking down…same old same old. But the groomsmen will meet them each about 3/4 up the aisle, then the BM can take his arm and he will walk her the rest of the way to the front of the church. You could do something similar and have the groomsmen walk the BM to her seat, then walk to his seat. That way you lose one at a time until all that is left is the Best Man and MOH…then junior bridesmaid/flower girl…then YOU!!!!! This might not help, but it’s my 2 cents…
However, you need to make sure that you do what feels right and makes you and your FH the most comfortable…so if having everyone already seated feels right, I think it’s a wonderful idea!
I like Bruschetta’s idea. Did you mention a hill or something that has to be negotiated? Maybe the attendants can basically usher in your guests that way? And then at the end the only people processing down the aisle is you, your flower/ring girl and the person who will walk with you.
It’s your wedding Miss Cheese, you can do whatever you want, so do whatever your heart (and Mr. Cheese’s) desires! 
Personally I like keeping things simple too, so I like the idea of just have the flower girl and Jr. BM walk down before you. I like Miss Bruschetta’s idea too.
I think processionals are optional for non-religious ceremonies, but even in a religious ceremony there isn’t any rule about matched sets of people coming up the aisle. (With apologies to the prior commenter, there isn’t any Catholic requirement that bridesmaids must be accompanied down the aisle and that the groom/groomsmen can’t just wait at the altar! Your parish may want it done that way, though.)
Miss Cheese, if you don’t want a processional (other than the flower girl/jr. bridesmaid), you shouldn’t feel pressured to do one. It could be quite nice for the bridal party to be stationed in the ceremony area to greet guests as they arrive, especially if you aren’t having ushers.
Considering the number of ladies that would precede you in a processional (say that five times fast!) I think you’ll have a little moment to yourself before the big walk regardless. If you want a dedicated, longer moment to yourself, and you’re concerned that that’s not quite long enough, then just carve it into your itinerary to make sure it happens! I want a minute to get peaceful before my big walk too, so I’m asking my bridesmaids to head to the “starting line” of the processional right before my brother brings my Dad to come get me. There’s a short walk involved, so I know I’ll have a built in five minutes of total alone time to gather/ready myself. I consider this mental/emotional/physical readiness super important, personally.
It sounds like it’s important to Mr. Cheese that the men stand with him…..so I don’t want to suggest that they shouldn’t even though it’s probably more “practical” that they just walk in pairs with the ladies and then split off to go to their seats. I’m going to suggest the guys go and sit one at a time, as each bridesmaid arrives at Mr. C for their last minute squeeze.
Also forgot to thank you for posting a photo of Mr. Cheese’s pouty face. Love it!
My theory is that the men are at the venue already, so they can just be standing up waiting at the front/altar/whatever, and then the flowergirls and bridesmaids walk in gracefully, followed climactically by YOU. This really doesn’t take long. The weddings I’ve photographed, the bridal party gets down that aisle so fast you can barely get a picture!
This is how we are doing it. The guys will walk in from the side and stand next to FI. The girls will walk down one at a time and stand. We don’t have a flower girl, so this would be the time yours would walk in. Everybody stands when you walk down and sits when the ceremony starts. The bm and gm will sit for the duration of the ceremony. I might have my MOH and Best Man stand next to us.
Haha, I love the pouty face. And I’m with you on this one. I don’t care about all those traditional processional things and even which side friends and family sit on. I’ll be reading through your suggestions to get inspiration for myself!
I just went to a wedding where the front row was left empty and all the groom’s men filed in and stood along the front row on one side then the BM’s did the same and just sat when the whole audience sat. It looked lovely and was not strange at all
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Mrs. Cheese, Knoxville Age and Occupation: 29, Engineering Manager Fiance's Age and Occupation: 27, CAD Designer Engagement Date: July 31, 2008 Wedding Date: May, 2009 Blogging Since: October 16, 2008 Venue: Our home and the two acres it sits on About Me: I’m an emotional girl who loves sentimental things, parenthetical asides, and trying to do things herself. I can cook, sew, am a whiz at planning, terrible at delegating, and totally in love with my fiancé (who will be my second husband but first love of the rest of my life). For our home/ garden/ DIY wedding, we’ll be moonlighting as interior designers, home improvers, and gardeners with the help of our fabulous friends and neighbors. We can’t wait to be married, and are learning how fun getting married can be.
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