Walking down the aisle - bride or bridesmaids first?

Are you getting married in a church? If so I think your vicar will have the final say.

Im having my bridesmaids go first, then all eyes are on me! My mum was shocked when I told her that was the plan, she says bridesmaids should come after the bride. One of them can sort my dress before they set off, I only need to walk in a straight line anyway. Do you have any one at the venue who will sort your dress out for you?x

I'm sending BMs firSt as the aisle is relatively short and the music we've chosen Has a swell in it at the end that will make me walking in a bit more epic. I guess it depends on how it will work for your venue as to which way works best.

I think I am going to send my BMs down the aisle first, I just think it makes more of an entrance for the bride although I hadn't thought about my train messing up as I turn the corner at the end...

I would definitely have bridesmaids first. Everyone gets to see the bridesmaids properly and builds anticipation for the bride. If you're worried about your train if it involves a corner just ask someone to wait there and pause for a quick fluff lol. Everyone gets a really good view of the bride and the back of your dress. Plus a good view of how Oceanside. You and or your bridesmaids ho to a lot of effort for them not to mention expense. Give them a good showing off I say.

Bridesmaid first

My bridesmaids went first.

In our meeting, the vicar had said that bridesmaids going first always seems to 'fall flat', but that it was our decision.

So we did it the way we wanted and I'm much happier with it. My dress, although the train is huge, sorted itself out by the time I was a few pews in to the aisle, so no problems there either

I've been a BM 4 times & have always gone ahead of the bride, so I thought that was just how it was always done, & what I was planning to do! However all of these weddings have been civil ceremonies rather than church weddings.

I'm interested that everyone has said bridesmaids first - I'd have thought it would be more of a split. I think most of the weddings I've been to have had the bride first.

It's a civil ceremony, so no need to worry about what a vicar says. I think SAL127 has a good point about the music - in my case, the music has a big opening, then sort of fades away a bit, so I think I might go first so the opening bars are all mine!

My bridesmaids went first and I went last.

If you prefer to go last but want your bit of music you could always have two pieces. One for bridesmaids then your big music entrance.

I'm sending my flower girl and page boy, then my MOH and then me and Dad. I love the idea of a bit build up before I'm seen. Only walk up the aisle once!

When I was a bridesmaid in the 90s it always seemed to be bride first, all the weddings I've been to as an adult have bridesmaids first.

Mine will be going first so she can help my page boy if he goes off course. Then once they down and out of the way I'll walk in.

Now you've got me thinking. I'm having one bridesmaid and my brother is accompanying me down the aisle. As I've only got one maybe it seems a bit mean sending her in first? Her toddler son will be there though so if he makes a bee line for her (which is fine) then it might be ok although I don't want to recruit an official page boy. We're having a civil ceremony and the "aisle" is short.

Maybe I'll just ask what she'd prefer. It's not our first wedding so I'm fairly relaxed about format.

My BMS are going to go first. My music is about 3 mins so I will send them down at 30 secs and 1 minute in, and then I will come out at the 2 mins in mark when the music builds up, meaning plenty of time for them to file in at their seats so my groom and tog have a good view of me. Then 30 seconds up the aisle and another 30 seconds of music to listen to at the end ?

My BMS are going to go first. My music is about 3 mins so I will send them down at 30 secs and 1 minute in, and then I will come out at the 2 mins in mark when the music builds up, meaning plenty of time for them to file in at their seats so my groom and tog have a good view of me. Then 30 seconds up the aisle and another 30 seconds of music to listen to at the end ?

I tend to advise BMs going first. That way your photographer should get a good clear shot of both BMs and most importantly the bride coming down the aisle (let them get to the front before you head down). I personally think its a better flow and stops any potential bottle-necks with BMs being behind. Your MoH can then probably just whip behind you to straighten out our dress where need be. A little dependent on music choices sometimes too.

If the bridesmaids walk behind, is there a potential bridesmaids tripping over wedding dress scenario as they squeeze past to stand to the left? I like traditional however I do like the idea of everyone seeing my dress and am a little concerned about my dress being in their way???

It depends on the layout, I went first and my bridesmaids followed but as we got married in a church and the bridesmaids had the second row so the gap between us was fairly substantial. No one stepped on my dress.

We were asked how we were doing it, and some of our friends are really ditzy (like me) so we had "here comes the bride" music so they knew I was coming, and it seemed silly to have that music and then the bm's first because, the bride isn't coming just yet. I'm also part selfish and wanted to go first because I was the bride, but I had no little people in the bridal party and I think that makes a huge difference, because you want them to be sat with mummy/daddy when you as the bride comes in incase that's the moment they want be mischievous.

I want my bridesmaid to go first but I feel a bit concerned about my dress because I need to come down some stairs (which everyone will be able to see me doing) then turn a corner and then walk down the aisle. I suppose I'll have to look at my dress again at the dress fitting; maybe it'll sit okay even if it's not perfect.

This is probably a silly question, but I thought the bridesmaids and groomsmen stood at each side of the alter? Or is this only for a certain bit and then they sit down? Does the bride and groom stand the entire time? Sorry going off on a slight tangent here...

I would like "here comes the bride" music so I think I'll have similar to Tidal Wave.

I and my flower girl and BM's going in first one at a time - I think it worked really well however, the older generations like my Mum and Grandmother did comment that it was a bit odd. It's down to what the vicar / registrar allows and personal preference!

I'm pretty sure that in weddings I've been to, the bridesmaids and ushers haven't been standing - they normally take seats in the front row. In church weddings I've been to the bride and groom stand for some, sit for some and kneel for some. I've only been to one non church wedding but I'm pretty sure the two grooms stood throughout, though that was quite a short service.

If I get the choice I'd rather stand than sit as I don't want to crumple my dress too early in the day!

In a lot of American weddings I've seen the bms and groomsmen stand at either side of the alter. The term groomsmen is a relatively new thing in the UK. Here it is usually just best man and ushers.

On Saturday I was bridesmaid for the 7th time and we were in front. The only time I think I've been behind was at the church wedding so 3 out of 7. We are having a church but I think I may opt for bridesmaids in front.

Oh and yes, they all sit down

I think it all depends on how they do it at your ceremony venue. Mine was CofE, our 2 best men and my dad stood up at the altar with us, and the bridesmaids stood down to the side (still in front of the pews but not up with us). There was a lot of moving around though. If you're having a church wedding I would definitely recommend speaking to the vicar about how the ceremony works, as they can vary quite a lot it seems.

I'll put that on my list to sort out later then, there will be a new vicar by the time our wedding comes round so it will only change again. I like the idea of them standing up the front makes them more involved.

I still can't decide bridesmaids before or after

I think I will be going ahead of my bridesmaids! We are having a civil ceremony (rather than church) if this makes any difference! The reasoning behind my decision is that we have been to 3 weddings since becoming engaged, and at all 3 the bridesmaids have been first. And at each one, I couldn't see the bride because of the bridesmaids. At one, the groom even commented afterwards that he couldn't see his bride coming down the aisle, all he could see was bridesmaids. Decision made haha.

It is actually interesting seeing the other replies, but our bridesmaids sat for the duration after walking in, and the best man stood for the entire time. For us, we were stood at an angle so we could see the curate, each other and the congregation could see us, then after the vows we knelt, then moved to the high alter for the Lord's Prayer where we were also standing.

However we attended a wedding recently and I can only assume as it was catholic and we had a CofE, they sat next to each other for the majority facing the congregation, then stood for the vows etc, which was really nice.

Civil ceremony for me and I'm having my bridesmaids and groomsmen go down first as i want a build up and also this way they can be seen properly! Not sure where they should go afterwards- think having them stand will be a bit much and it may block guest views so may have the first row reserved for them to sit in