It’s common for the wedding party to have a special entrance into the ceremony and the reception. If you’re unsure how to feature your bridesmaids and groomsmen, there are plenty of wedding party entrance ideas to consider.
Even though your wedding day is really about your and your future spouse, it’s important that other people in your life are honored as well.
From family members to formative friends, forming your wedding party is a great way to celebrate the relationships that have made you who you are.
However, you may be wondering how to best honor them on the day of. There are many different ways to highlight the wedding party, but the easiest and most common you see is to give them a special entrance.
Keep reading for all sorts of wedding party entrance ideas.
Ceremony Wedding Party Entrance
At your wedding ceremony, the emphasis is all on the bride and groom and the lifelong commitment they’re about to make. However, it is traditional to honor the wedding party and other family members in some way.
From the maid of honor’s train holding duty to the father of the bride walking her down the aisle, most wedding parties are visible in some way.
For your wedding, you can incorporate your wedding party into the ceremony however you may like– in fact, they don’t necessarily have to be visible at all, if that’s what you want!
If you’d like to include your wedding party in the ceremony, keep reading for a few different ways.
Walk Down the Aisle
In the most traditional variation, the couple’s family members, like parents and grandparents, and the groomsmen and the bridesmaids all walk down the aisle.
This can be done in a couple of different ways– for example, some ceremonies have the party members walk in together in a line, while others pair off bridesmaids and groomsmen and have them escort each other.
For some brides, they may feel that having everyone walk down the aisle is too time-consuming and takes away from the bride’s special moment.
If timing is a concern, you can read more about how long it takes to walk down the aisle.
If it seems too overwhelming and you don’t know how to organize so many people going down the aisle, you can read more about the traditional order for a wedding processional.
Through the Side Doors
If having everyone go down the aisle isn’t for you, it may just be most simple to have them all enter through some side doors.
It obviously depends on your venue and the way it’s set up, but having your wedding party enter from the side and take their positions at the end of the aisle is a great compromise.
The first thing to do if this idea appeals to you is to designate a standing order at the end of the aisle.
Before walking in, they’ll have to arrange in that order, and then they can enter easily. Those in the audience will surely notice this subtle idea.
Fun Entrance
If you want your wedding to be a total party, you can have your friends enter the ceremony in a fun way, like dancing to a fun song!
This idea was most popularized by Jim and Pam’s wedding in The Office, but even if that seems cheesy, it’s really a fun idea!
You could pick music with a fun beat and give each member of the wedding party their own special moment to show off their moves as they get down the aisle.
This will surely have the attendants in good spirits by the time things get more serious as the bride enters.
Wedding Reception Entrance Ideas for the Wedding Party
Once the cocktail party winds down, you may want to have the wedding party make a special entrance before the newly married couple.
There are several great ways to do this, depending upon the vibe of your reception!
However, it’s important to note that this should definitely be before the big couple’s entrance that kicks the night off.
The presentation of the couple is an important element of the reception that the wedding party should be there to see!
Plan out the schedule for your reception in advance and make sure that bridesmaids and groomsmen understand where they fit in.
Announcement
One of the easiest options is to have your DJ or band announce the entrance of the wedding party. Often, the reception’s entertainment will act as emcees for the reception, facilitating the order of events as they come.
If you’re unsure how to ask your DJ to take on this role, you can read 9 questions you must ask your wedding DJ.
They can be announced however you may like– the emcee may say each member by name, or just announce things like “the bridesmaids!” and “the groomsmen!”
It totally depends on how much time you’d like to spend on this entrance.
Dance Party
Just like the fun way to enter the ceremony, a fun way for your party to enter the reception may be to dance their way in!
If you’d like to get the party going from the get-go, be sure to announce your wedding party’s entrance with one of these 50 wedding entrance songs for the wedding party.
Obviously, you’ll want to ask your wedding party how comfortable they are with the idea of dancing in front of all of your guests, but if they’re cool with it, it can be a really fun way to start things off with high energy.
You could even try a flash mob!
Couples Reception Entrance
Another thing you may want to take into account is the relationships of the bridesmaids and the groomsmen.
If you have a handful of couples in your wedding party, maybe you want to have them enter together, or even get their own special dance. This could be accompanied by the couple’s parents as well.
By pairing off your bridesmaids and groomsmen, you can show that your wedding is about celebrating everyone’s love– not just your own! And who knows, maybe a few single members of the wedding party will form a connection!
More About Your Wedding Party
Here at Yeah Weddings, we’re here to help you plan all of the elements of your wedding. From how to pick your bridesmaids to planning the perfect reception exit, keep reading for answers to all of your questions about the big day.
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