Making an Entrance - Here comes the bride

Admit it – you sang that as you read it didn’t you? So, as you might have guessed, this blog post is about the bride’s arrival to the ceremony – traditionally on the arm of her father, after the rest of the bridal party, to meet the groom at the alter to the familiar sound of the wedding march. But you don’t have to stick to tradition – and that is what we want to talk about here.

Just to be clear though – we aren’t knocking tradition. We love tradition!! We are just offering some fresh alternatives for those who are taking a more contemporary approach to their ceremony.

Who’s walking you down the aisle?

Elaine and her dad share a joyful celebratory shot during their memorable wedding entrance, beautifully captured by Stephanie Shenton Photography.

So, first of all – dads walking their daughters down the aisle – and ‘giving them away.’ Well, that’s steeped in history isn’t it. From days of old, when marriage was a transaction between the heads of two families – the head of course being the man of the house. So, the head of the house giving away his property to another household to safeguard both family’s interests. 

We are both lucky enough to have ours still with us, and to have great relationships with them. This isn’t a blog post criticising fathers. In our role as wedding celebrants, we’ve witnessed some of the most heartfelt moments between dads and their daughters during that iconic walk down the aisle – moments brimming with love, pride, and joy.

And of course, many wedding traditions still nod to age old rituals – and this one to many can feel too much like it’s all about the idea of possession and control.

So, if you don’t feel comfortable with this – then don’t do it!

Me, myself and I

The bride gracefully walks solo down the aisle, clutching a stunning bouquet of white and pink flowers adorned with lush greenery.

Me, myself and I – we’ve seen many brides walk down the aisle alone. Think Carrie Bradshaw (but don’t think of how that wedding turned out!) – she was showing her independence and was proud of the life she had built for herself. Or maybe the bride’s father is no longer here, or unable to attend for any reason and the bride doesn’t want anyone else to do it instead – whatever your reason for walking down the aisle – we are all for it.

Unity

The bride and groom making their entrance together.

Walk in together to set the scene that the day is for the two of you! You’re showing your guests from the off that you’re a partnership – doing this together. You can have that special ‘first look’ moment in private (although please do invite your photographer – it’s amazing to capture the moment you first see one another on the big day). 

Family First

If you want to involve your parents then why not walk with them both, and step parents too if you want. Do you want your siblings or grandparents, or someone else who is super important in your life to walk you down instead? Do it. Your day, your way.

Alan and Chloe share a heartfelt moment with their adorable ringbearer, Rocky, in a stunning photograph captured by Harriet and Chris, also known as th

We’ve seen brides walked down the aisle by their beloved family pets too – anything goes to make it authentic to yourself.

Processional music

Music is yet another way to put your own stamp on the ceremony. We’ve already mentioned the Wedding March – and we love that obviously – but we also love brides walking down to heavy rock, to a string quartet, to romantic ballads or to their kids’ rendition of their favourite Disney song.

Flower girls and ring bearers

Shots! Anyone? - Who needs flower petals when you can have shots!

Flower girls don’t have to scatter petals you know – as lovely as that may be. We’ve got a wedding coming up where the flower girl (who is actually a fully grown woman!) is handing out mini bottles of booze for the guests to make a toast to the happy couple during the ceremony. Maybe not appropriate if your flower girl is indeed a pre-schooler – but I bet she’d like to blow special bubbles or sprinkle glitter if that’s the vibe you’re going for. And you can jazz up the role of ring bearer too – full on ring security with aviators, handcuffs and a locked briefcase. Think Men in Black for outfit inspo!

At the end of the day, wedding traditions are all there to enhance your day and your unique love story! Whether you want to stick with the classics, or mix it up with some fun alternatives, we are here to guide you through. We are all for tradition but if it doesn’t quite hit the mark for you then no worries – there are plenty of creative options to explore! Just remember – be true to yourselves and your values and you won’t go far wrong.

Rebecca xx