Wedding Ceremony Order

Traditional wedding ceremony is perfect for couples who want a conventional celebration. Bride and groom will exchange rings, share a kiss and the minister will announce them as a married couple. Here’s the simple breakdown of wedding ceremony order.

Processional

Processional is when wedding party and family members head down the aisle to take their places at the altar or to find their seats. It begins with the mother of the bride, followed by the groom, best man, wedding party members, flower girl, ring bearer. After them, the bride and her father will walk down the aisle – the father will give her away to the groom.

Welcome

When everybody takes their place, the officiant will say words of welcome.

Introduction

Officiant will offer an introduction and also some thoughts on the marriage. This could be a statement about the wedding ceremony or a brief summary of the couple’s love story.

Readings

If the readings are included in the wedding ceremony, the officiant will invite readers to say a few words.

Officiant addresses couple

Officiant will talk about marriage responsibilities and the importance of the vows.

Vows exchange

After the readings, the couple should recite their vows. This is very emotional part of the wedding ceremony.

Rings

After the vows, the couple will exchange rings. This is a symbol of the commitment two people make to each other on their wedding day.

Kiss

After the vows and rings exchange, it’s time to seal the marriage with a kiss.

Unity ceremony

In the unity ceremony, the couple should do something that symbolizes their new union. They can light a single candle using two candles or bind their hands together using a ribbon.

Closing remarks

If the wedding ceremony is a religious affair, this is the time for the closing prayer. Typical prayer includes asking for faithfulness, prosperity and strong bond. If it’s not a religious wedding, the officiant will say a few words of encouragement.

Recessional

This is the last thing in the wedding ceremony order. The officiant will pronounce the couple married. He will then turn to guests and introduce the married couple for the first time. Then, the newlyweds will lead the recessional down the aisle. The order in the recessional is the reverse of the processional.

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