Embracing Ceremony Blog

Are you wondering what the possibilities are for your processional? Do you want to be completely conventional or shake it up a bit? As a Taos wedding officiant I go through the possibilities with you and learn about what you want in your processional. I then script your processional as part of my writing your wedding ceremony. You’re left with something akin to a play script that guides you, your wedding planner or venue facilitator through the rehearsal. An additional service I offer as a wedding minister in Taos is to direct your rehearsal. You might peruse my earlier blogs on Rehearsals – Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

The first step is to determine who you’d like in your processional. Do you want to include grandparents? Parents? Typically these important people are seated either just before the processional starts or at the beginning of the processional. The next thing to determine is whether you want your attendants (bridesmaids/groomsmen) to file in separately or as couples. Do you have a ring bearer(s) and flower girl(s)?

Another layer of the scripting is deciding on music. What songs have you selected and where will the breaks be? I find it most effective when the pre-ceremony music fades out and the wedding officiant enters and takes their place. The silence and officiant standing in place cue your guests that the ceremony is about to start. If people are still milling around the officiant can announce that it is time to please be seated.

A typical sequence from there would be grandparents, parents, groom (I absolutely love it when the groom escorts his about-to-be mother-in-law down the aisle). Next are the groomsmen or the attendants as couples. And lastly, before the bride, come the ring bearer and flower girl. Have the music fade at this point, a brief pause before starting the bridal music and the bride makes her entrance escorted by her father or other close family member or friend.

Once you get to the front the officiant should take over and cue you through the ceremony so you don’t have to worry about which way to be facing at any one point.