Honor your closest friends and family by having them introduced at the reception during the grand entrance. Fun entrances are memorable, but you want to be sure they are done the right way so everyone's identified properly.
How the Entrance Works
While most couples are familiar with how to introduce a couple at a wedding reception, they may not realize exactly what happens behind the scenes to get everything in line to pull this traditional event off. These are the events that lead up to and comprise the grand entrance:
- After the ceremony ends, guests will head to the reception location.
- Members of the bridal party often stay behind to take professional photographs together, so they will arrive anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour after the last few guests.
- Upon the arrival of the bridal party, the wedding DJ or wedding emcee should be alerted by one of the attendants.
- The bridal party lines up in the back or just outside the back of the reception.
- The DJ or emcee will get the guests' attention, often by announcing their arrival and lowering the music before switching to the entrance song.
- The first couple or person in the entrance line enters and the DJ or emcee announces his/her name and role.
- After the first person or couple is announced, the emcee will pause for a few seconds.
- The next couple should begin walking in during their introduction.
- The bridal party members proceed to the head table and stands behind their chairs.
- Once the newlyweds are introduced and get to the front of the reception, the entrance is over and the reception begins.
Grand Entrance Order
Traditionally, the grand entrance order should be the same as the wedding processional order. Keeping the entrance order the same allows guests to identify the bridal party members easily when they don't have the wedding program in front of them. The order generally would be as follows:
- Ushers (could be together or individually)
- Bridesmaid and groomsman
- Bridesmaid and groomsman
- Maid of honor and best man
- Bride and groom
Couples who don't have a large bridal party may have each attendant walk in by him- or herself, too.
Children in the Wedding
Junior bridesmaids, ring bearers, and flower girls may not want to participate in the entrance if they are exhausted from the day's activities. If included, you can place them after the ushers or before or after the maid of honor and best man.
Are Parents Announced at the Reception?
Couples who wish to honor their parents may want to announce them at the reception as part of the grand entrance. If this is the case, the parents of the groom should enter first, followed by the father and mother of the bride. Reception hosts, if not the parents of the couple, could also be introduced just before the parents or before the bridal party.
Introduction Examples
Discuss how to introduce each couple or wedding party member with the DJ or emcee. Make sure s/he knows how to pronounce first and last names. Keep the introductions consistent; if you add a line about your friendship to one person's intro, be sure to add it to everyone's. Introductions could be basic or more descriptive. For example:
- A simple introduction for bridesmaids and groomsmen would be: "Miss Elizabeth Brown, sister of the bride, and Mr. Ronald Smith, friend of the groom."
- When introducing the best man and maid of honor, be sure to include their titles: "Please welcome Sara's maid of honor and sister, Miss Penny Cenplers, and Brian's best man and friend for life, Mr. John Drake."
- If you want to add a bit more background and informality to the introductions, try: "Let's put our hands together for Jenny's amateur wedding planner and best friend since diapers, Kate Callahan, and Brad's favorite man to beat in darts, his youngest brother, Nathan Henning."
Figuring out how to introduce the bridal party will vary based on the couples involved and your wedding style, plus personal preferences. When in doubt, simply ask your wedding party. Go over your newlywed introduction with your spouse to be sure you're both comfortable.
Add a Little Something Special
The introduction isn't complicated, so don't worry too much about how you do it. In fact, many couples add some levity to even the most formal weddings by including grand entrance wedding songs, dances, or funny hats and sunglasses. Allow your bridal party's personality to shine and you're sure to make it through the entrance without any trouble.
