How to Create your Wedding Day ‘Lineup’
What is a lineup?
For every wedding, we create what we refer to as a ‘lineup.’ Think game day lineup; this is essentially a list of your important people, their roles, the order they will be walking in, and to what song(s). This includes the processional, recessional, and introductions. The lineup is a necessary resource for your DJ and coordinator to assist in getting everyone in the correct order for these events. This is truly a matter of personal preference and knowing what your crew is up for – there is no right or wrong answer here.
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Processional
This is the order in which your family and wedding party walk down the aisle to begin your ceremony. Your processional order will depend on several factors, including your family dynamic, wedding party, height order, etc. There is a ‘traditional way’ to approach this, but even religious ceremonies don’t require a specific processional order. Ultimately, the choice is yours and there are no hard and fast rules. To begin creating your processional order, we suggest considering a typical one as a framework and adjusting it to your preferences.
An example of a non-denominational ceremony processional might look like this -
Song title & artist
1. Officiant – Some choose to start their ceremony once the officiant has entered from the side and is standing at the front, others prefer that they walk the aisle.
2. Grandparents – It is ultimately up to you if you’d like to have your grandparents walk the aisle, but if they do, this is typically when they would walk.
3. Parents – Parents, stepparents, or any other parent-like figures you would like to walk down the aisle who will not be accompanying the bride or groom.
4. Groom – Sometimes accompanied by his mother or other important figure in his life, sometimes unaccompanied. Some also choose to skip walking the aisle and just start up front.
5. Wedding Party – Sometimes together in pairs, other times unaccompanied. *note that if you plan to have your wedding party members walk alone – you may want to ensure you have chosen a long enough song.
- Order
o Start with the Best Man/Maid of Honor (or wedding party member standing closest to the couple) and process to build the lines outward
o OR begin with your last wedding party member (standing the farthest away from the couple) and build the line inward towards the couple.
6. Ring Bearer and/or Flower Girl(s)/people – If you have both, they may walk together, or you may prefer that they walk separately. If walking separately – the flower girl is typically the last person to walk before the bride.
Many couples choose to play a different song for the bride and the officiant may ask guests to rise at this time.
7. Bride – Often accompanied by her father or other important figure in her life, but may also walk the aisle unaccompanied if preferred.
An example of a Catholic ceremony may look like this –
Song (There may be restrictions on choices depending on the Church and what instruments are available)
1. Priest, Groom & Best Man
2. Groom’s Parents
3. Mother of the Bride – Unaccompanied or accompanied by another close family member if Bride’s father will be walking with the bride
4. Wedding Party
5. Maid of Honor
6. Ring Bearer and/or Flower Girl(s)/people
7. Bride (& Father or other important person accompanying.)
*In some churches, the parents are escorted to their seats from the side, so we encourage checking in with your church about their particular traditions.
An example of a LGBTQIA+ or more modern ceremony may look like this –
Song
1. Officiant
2. Parents
3. Wedding party
4. Junior attendants/Rings/Flowers (with flower girl(s)/people going last)
Potential song change
5. Couple walks the aisle together
Processional Song Choices-
When possible, it is best to include your song choices noted within the lineup so that we can go over song cues in rehearsal if desired/needed. (Some couples decide to keep their song choices a surprise – if this is the case, let us know and we will make sure it stays a secret.)
Most couples choose two songs for their processional – one for the bride/escort and one for everyone else. Alternatively, you can have one song play for the entire processional that does not change for the bride/couple walking at the end.
Keep in mind that if you decide to use just one song or if you have a larger wedding party all walking separately, you may want to choose a long song or designate a backup song to play if the first one ends before everyone has completed their walk down the aisle.
If you are struggling to decide on songs, your DJ is a great resource for suggestions. We have also found that there are some incredibly helpful playlists specific to this topic (in places like Spotify or YouTube).
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Recessional
Most often we see wedding party members file out in the order they are standing in at the altar/arbor starting with the couple and going down the line(s). We suggest thinking about anyone who did not stand with you through the ceremony that you would like to recess back down the aisle (i.e. Parents, Grandparents, ring bearer, etc.) We also suggest putting some thought into your song choice and if there are any special things like bubbles, a flower petal toss, or a photo op that you would like to include.
An example of this may look like –
Song
1. Bride & Groom – Discuss if you would like to plan a photo here, many choose to stop halfway down the aisle for a kiss or dip. (Check with your venue rules before planning a ‘toss’ of any kind. At Cold Spring Farm, we ask that you do not throw confetti or anything that is not natural/biodegradable as we have grazing animals very close to our ceremony space, but we welcome bubbles or real flowers/petals and appreciate your help in keeping our animals safe.)
2. Flower girl(s)/people & Ring Bearer – If they are standing and/or recessing with the wedding party. They may recess last or not at all if they were seated with family during the ceremony.
3. Wedding Party - Maid of Honor and Best Man first, followed by the others in order going down the line.
4. Parents – If you’d like your parents to recess down the aisle, they will exit after the wedding party.
5. Grandparents – If they were in the processional, they often join the recessional, although not a requirement.
Once everyone has exited the officiant may announce what comes next. (I.e. “The couple invites you to join them for cocktails and appetizers in the barn,” or something similar.)
*The formal recessional may only include those who stood with you through the ceremony. Seated guests, including those who walked in the processional may exit with the rest of the guests.*
Recessional Song Choice-
Couples typically choose one upbeat song for the recessional. One is typically more than enough for timing, but you may want to consider a second one to continue music while all of your guests walk out. We suggest working with your DJ to find the right choice for you.
Grand Entrance/Introductions
The order is often similar to your processional, but truly comes down to personal preference. Some choose to announce wedding party and couple only, others include parents, grandparents, children, etc. Whatever you decide, it is important to be specific about names and order for this event as your DJ will be announcing each person by name on the mic (unless otherwise specified not to.)
Song (often an upbeat or even funny choice to encourage some dancing and silliness on the way in)
1. Parents or Grandparents (if participating)
2. Wedding Party – You can do this by pairs, singles, or all bridesmaids as a group and all groomsmen as a group – whatever you prefer.
3. Newlyweds – “For the first time ever as Mr. & Mrs….” Discuss with your DJ how you’d like to be introduced.
Grand Entrance Song Choices-
Grand Entrance song choices are usually upbeat and energetic songs that keep the energy high and fun. You can decide on one song for everyone (as this tends to go pretty quickly,) or you can change the song up for each group walking in.
**We suggest discussing names you would like your DJ to announce with them ahead of time to avoid any mispronunciations.**
The most important thing to note here is that there are no rules. Ultimately what matters most is that you are doing this the way you want to.
Wondering when to enter your reception? Check out our great blog about creating your wedding day timeline here.
Have even more questions? Check out our FAQs or feel free to Contact us.
Thanks for stopping by our blog! We hope you found this information helpful. As you may know, Cold Spring Farm is a locally owned and family operated business. We hope to use our platform to create awareness around the value of supporting locally owned wedding venues and vendors. Small, locally owned businesses not only create local jobs, improve the local economy, and support the communities in which they exist – but they also tend to provide a much more personalized wedding day experience. We find you will often see a higher level of service, better communication, and greater dedication to truly ensure your wedding exceeds expectations from small, locally owned wedding venues and vendors.
Whether or not we are the perfect fit for your wedding day vision, we hope that you strongly consider the importance of patronizing small, locally owned venues and vendors for your day. In an effort to support other businesses like ours– here are a few other amazing locally owned wedding venues from all over the country.
https://www.vineyardatstcharles.com
https://www.harborshoresresort.com/the-inn/southwest-michigan-wedding/
https://www.scsoutherncharmevents.com
https://www.mistletoebough.com
