Etiquette of the Wedding Procession

In a Christian ceremony, the groom and best man enter before the procession and wait to the officiant’s left, near the altar. The groomsmen may also enter and wait, or they may begin the procession, either walking alone, in pairs, or accompanying bridesmaids. If there is an odd number of attendants, you may place some in pairs and one walking alone, or, The Knot suggests, have two groomsmen or two bridesmaids walking together. In any case, the maid or matron of honor enters last, unaccompanied. If the wedding includes a ring bearer and flower girl, they enter next, either together or with the girl last.

A key distinction of a Jewish ceremony is that the families enter in procession. First to enter are the couple’s grandparents, followed by the groomsmen in pairs. The best man enters alone. The groom follows, walking with his parents. Female attendants mimic this sequence: First come the bridesmaids in pairs, then the maid or matron of honor walking alone. The ring bearer follows her, and the flower girl follows him in turn. The bride and her parents are last. The grandparents sit down after the processional, but the parents may stand if the chuppah, a ceremonial awning at the altar, is large enough to accommodate them. The rabbi and cantor may enter first and wait at the altar, or, Martha Stewart Weddings suggests, they may lead the procession.