Weddings by Dan          Rev. F Daniel Latour

When marrying at a wedding facility chances are good there will be some one there to guide you through a rehearsal and offer options for staging the ceremony. You should ask when booking a facility so you know in advance what you need to make every thing run smooth. 

If you have hired a planner or consultant, they will be at the rehearsal and wedding as part of a package.

 If neither are available and you are unable or unwilling to coordinate on your own, Rev. Dan will act as coordinator for the rehearsal and wedding if available.

Advance booking is required with an additional deposit and payment in full  two weeks before the wedding.

For a free packet in .pdf format via email which includes a Planner, Budget, Ceremony Form and Rehearsal Guide, go to the Contact Us page. 

There are two ways attendants are paired for the procession. Traditionally, the Best Man and Maid or Matron of Honor make up the first pair. Then follow a pair of siblings or best friends, then 2nd best friends, 3rd best friends, etc.  However all walk in reverse order so that the Best Man and Maid of Honor walk immediately before the Bride. Another format is to keep the Best Man and Maid/Matron of Honor paired, but the remaining attendants are paired in order of height for a more symmetrical appearance and more pleasing photos of the ceremony. Either is acceptable.  Unless the ceremony is a full mass, it is not appropriate for attendants to sit during the ceremony so they will be standing in place during the entire ceremony. 

If grandparents on both sides will attend the wedding, give them the choice of whether they would like to be escorted in just before the ceremony, or if they would prefer to be seated upon arrival like other guests. It is improper for grandparents on just one side to receive special treatment.

The order of the procession is as follows: (1)Groom’s grandmother escorted with grandfather following in step immediately behind; (2) Bride’s grandmother in same manner;  (3)Groom’s mother escorted in with his father following immediately behind; (4)Bride’s mother escorted in with father following unless he will stay behind to escort the Bride; [Note: If there will be a Unity or Sand ceremony the Mothers are escorted to the front to light the small candles or carry and place the cups of sand on the ceremonial table and then be seated.] The Groom and Officiant take their places at the front after parents are seated.   (5)Attendants proceed according to the method chosen (see next section). (6)If there is a flower girl or ring bearer, they should walk together at this point just before the Bride. (7)When every one is in position, the Bride, either alone or with her Father or other escort, makes her entrance usually with different music chosen for that purpose.

Manner of escort.  Option One is for all groomsmen to escort all bridesmaids from beginning to end.  Option Two is for the Best Man to enter with the Groom and Officiant, while the other attendants walk the entire way in pairs. When the Maid/Matron of Honor gets almost half way up the aisle, the Best Man leaves the front and goes to meet her and escorts her the rest of the way. This gives them both added respect and distinguishes them from other attendants. Option Three is the old tradition for all Groomsmen to line up in front and all Bridesmaids walk alone. The Best Man may leave his position and meet the Maid of Honor half way if desired. Option Four is to create a side aisle among guests so that the groomsmen can be lined up to meet their bridesmaid halfway through the procession.  Again, the Best Man can either be up front with the Groom, or may stand with the other groomsmen. There is really no preference and all is a matter of deciding what will look best and have all comfortable.  In some cases Bridesmaids are shy and would rather not walk alone. The Bride might want to present this option to them and let them make the decision. When together at the front, all attendants should stand facing at an angle between the betrothed and guests.  If there is a flower girl and/or ring-bearer that is very young, it is recommended they take a seat in the front row after every one else is in position to avoid fidgeting or other interruption during the ceremony.

The giving of the Bride’s hand in marriage is done for most weddings. This may be done casually or formally.  When done casually, the Bride is escorted to the front, her escort kisses her and may tell her something privately, then turns and shakes hands with the Groom and the Bride is ‘given away’ in that manner.  When done formally, the Officiant steps forward and asks ‘Who brings this women to be married to this man’. After a reply the Officiant moves aside and motions the Groom to step forward and claim his Bride, and the Groom brings his Bride the few steps remaining to be in position for the ceremony.

If there are any readings, they are usually done before the vows. When the Officiant announces the reading(s), the reader should come to the front facing the guests but off to the side a little not to block the Bride and Groom. After the reading the reader returns to his or her seat.

If flowers are being presented to mothers it should be done immediately before the vows are said. This is symbolic of a final ‘good-bye’ to her family before committing to marriage and the beginning of a new family. In some cases, flowers are presented at the end of the ceremony during the Recessional. Just before saying the vows (or presenting flowers to mothers), the Bride hands her bouquet to her Maid of Honor to hold.

The vows are said with the betrothed holding hands and looking into each others’ eyes.  Then the Officiant will ask for the ring(s).  Whomever has the ring(s) shall present them to the Officiant for blessing, otherwise hand them directly to the Bride and Groom. If there is a ring bearer, it is the same, except some times the bearer presents a pillow holding the rings for the Officiate to bless them, then hands the pillow to the Best Man for him to untie the rings and hand to the couple.

If the marriage documents are signed during the wedding it is done either after the vows or ring exchange, depending on which ceremony and the plan that was agreed upon, and any additional ceremony is also held at that time. After that the Bride reclaims her bouquet and the wedding continues to it’s conclusion. All attendants then follow the newlyweds out in reverse order in which they entered. If the marriage documents are signed after the ceremony, all should proceed to where the documents are to take care of that bit of final business.

IMPORTANT:  If you do not have a Coordinator, select some one to greet vendors (musicians, readers, photographers, etc.) when they arrive for the wedding. It is important they have a contact so they can set up quickly and not have to bother the Bride. They will need queues so everything happens at the right time.

If Rev. Dan is performing the ceremony, he will meet with the attendants and all vendors on his arrival to confirm the order of the ceremony and verify queues.

After the rehearsal, go home and begin packing whatever you will need for the Wedding Day. Be sure to include your License and Marriage Certificate, rings, and anything else that needs to go to the facility. If the facility is available, they will sometimes allow you to bring everything for the rehearsal so you do not have to worry about it that day.

It is recommended that the Bride and all attendants arrive at the location an hour before the wedding to avoid any last minute problems. The Groom should arrive about 20 minutes later to avoid seeing his Bride and keep his groomsmen company. 

It is customary for the Bride and Bridesmaids to be hidden from view until the procession begins. The Groom may greet guests at the entrance however should go to a private place with his groomsmen and the officiant at least 10 minutes before the wedding for last minute instructions.