7 options for a groom's processional - A Sweet Start (2024)

In my work as a wedding officiant I’m often guiding my couples on all their options for the logistics of the ceremony. I’ve already talked to them about the ideal ceremony lengthand tips for the best wedding processional.

Because I help them envision and then plan the entire ceremony, from pre-processional to recessional, how the groom (in an opposite-sex wedding)enters the ceremony comes up in our conversation. I usually lay out the different options of how he can enter, always ending the conversation with: “But you can do whatever feels right for you; there’s no standard for how it should be done and even if there were you can still do whatever you want!” So, I thought it would be useful to share with all of you the different ways a groom can enter a wedding ceremony.

Groom’s Processional

1. The groom, followed by his groomsmen, can walk down the aisle to a song that’s just for them.

2. The groom, followed by his groomsmen, can come in from stage left (the guests right) and get into place to a song just for the guys.

3. The groom can enter from stage left in the silence between background music as the guests are arriving and the processional music. I call that silence a “pregnant pause” since it signals to the guests that the ceremony is about to begin and heightens everyone’s awareness.

4. The groom, followed by his groomsmen, can come in from stage left (the guests right) in the “pregnant pause” (see above).

5. The groom can be escorted down the aisle by one or both of his parents.

6. The groom can walk down the aisle holding his bride’s hand.

7. The groom can escort his mother to her seat and then take his place up front.

There are many other ways, as many as your imagination can conceive, so don’t just limit yourselves to these seven. I’d love to hear your ideas in the comments.