Each Wednesday, we tackle wedding etiquette. At times, it’s a reader question or one from a colleague, friend or family member and other times we’ll cover a popular issue. (Note: Questions may be edited for clarity and brevity.)
Question: We are working on a few details for our wedding and my fiancé and I aren’t sure about the order of procession for our parents. If it matters, his parents and mine are both chipping in the same amount for the festivities, we are both close to our parents and everyone gets along, but we want to make sure to do it right. Which parents go first in the wedding procession?
Answer: First, there’s no rule that says the parents have to join the procession. They can simply take their seats beforehand or take part. If everyone has decided that they will join the procession, the groom’s parents generally go first, then the mother of the bride or the couple sometimes might be escorted down the aisle by one or both parents. In the case of a same sex or nonbinary wedding, simply decide on the order or configuration you prefer. Frankly, that can also be the case for heterosexual weddings. As with many aspects of the wedding, proceed with compassion and kindness in doing what works for you as a couple and a family, regardless of who is footing the bill, how close you are or how well everyone gets along.
Do you have a solution to share or a wedding etiquette question? Email melanie@myneworleans.com.
P.S. Listen to the latest episode of the new “The Wediquette: A Let Them Eat Cake Podcast,” here, on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.