How long does a wedding processional usually take? The duration can differ based on the order of the processional and additional variables. In our conversation today, we're going to look into how the typical time frame of a wedding processional can be affected by different factors.
The wedding processional is undoubtedly one of the attractions of every ceremony. This usually consists of the bride entering the wedding venue followed by some other important family members. Typically, the order of processionals varies on culture. And the time for the processional also varies based on the order.
In the below part of the article, we will discuss how the wedding processional order and time can vary. We will also let you know about the processional orders followed in various cultures.
What is Wedding Processional?
The wedding processional is a widely practiced culture during the wedding day. Although most popular in western cultures, you can find its traces in other cultures too. The wedding processional is nothing but a group of people related to the groom and bride walking down the aisle. Typically, the wedding processional is the way to begin a wedding ceremony. That means it happens before any other events of the day.
Based on the culture, the wedding processional can consist of various peoples. This includes the marriage officiant, ring bearer, flower, girl, parents of the bride and groom. And of course, the bride and groom must be also included in the list. Who will start the processional by walking through the aisle usually depends on the culture or the religion. Talking about religion, the processional order varies on a large scale based on it.
Note that if the wedding is not formally religious, it is not that important to follow the specific order. You can go for the nondimensional wedding procession which offers a lot of flexibility. Later in the article, we will discuss how the wedding processional can vary according to the religion in practice.
How Long is Wedding Processional and How It Vary
As we mentioned earlier, the wedding processional duration varies on a large scale. However, it is usually around 3 to 4 minutes in most cases and doesn’t go up more than 5 minutes. If there are more people walking down individually, it will require more time. If you are music and if you want to match with it will require additional time. Here are the things that can affect the wedding processional:
Aisle Length
The length of the aisle is one of the main factors that affect the wedding processional time. Based on your wedding venue, the aisle can be very short while some other can be very long. There is no doubt that the time of the processional will vary based on the length of the aisle. If you want more precise information about the aisle and the required time, you might consider asking the venue.
Number of Attendants
The number of attendants can also make the time vary. Based on the size of the wedding, the number of attendants might be more or less. Besides, it will also depend on whether the attendants going in a group through the aisle or individually. Based on these things, time will be different. We recommend you decide how many attendants you want and how they will walk the aisle before the wedding.
Walking Pace
Well, this is ridiculous but this will also affect the wedding processional period. While checking out the venue, you might track the time to discover how long it will take. Moreover, if you want to keep the aisle for a specific time, you might walk it down and then shorten or increase the time with practice. After trying a few times, it should be easier for you to decide how long it will take to complete the walk.
The Songs
Marriage can play a big role while the bride is walking through the aisle. Sometimes they might pick a song and want to hit the venue at just the right time based on the lyric of the song. In such a case, your processional duration will vary based on the choice of the song.
Here is a quick tip about the processional for the bride – try to keep it slow. That is because this is one of the important moments of your life and it’s a memory that you want to remember. Besides, it will also don’t look so nice when you go through the aisle quickly.
Wedding Processional Order of Various Religion
The processional order varies on the religion mostly. Below, we will discuss the wedding processional order for Christian and Jewish weddings.
Christian Wedding Processional Order
Here are the most common orders followed in the Christian wedding processional.
- The mother of the bride enters the ceremony to mark the begin of the processional. Then she walks to the end and take the seat on first row.
- Now the groom will go in front of the altar from one side of the venue. However, they can also go through the aisle sometimes escorted by parents.
- Then the best man goes to the altar walking through the aisle and stand next to the groom. They sometimes bring the bride’s ring.
- Then groomsmen enter the ceremony through aisle one by one. After that, the bridesmaid enters the ceremony.
- Then the order follows as – the maid of honor, the flower girl, and ring bearer. Finally, the bride enters the ceremony escorted by her father.
Jewish Wedding Processional Order
- In a Jewish wedding ceremony, the rabbi enters first then the grandparents of the bride.
- After that the grandparents of the groom enter the ceremony and then the groomsmen.
- Once after groomsmen stand aside the groom, the best men enter and then the groom.
- The next orders are bridesmaid, the maid of honor, ring bearer, flower girl, bride with her parents.
When it comes to the nondimensional wedding, the orders can be flexible. That means you don’t require any specific order.
Conclusion
The wedding processional is a very important part of every wedding ceremony. We hope that this article will help you to understand how long the wedding processional can be and how it can vary.
