Bridal Party 101 | The Grand Entrance
Once your wedding ceremony is over, it’s party time! Kick off your reception with the perfect party-ready wedding entrance and song. Our Event Coordination team will direct you and your bridal party; all you have to do is decide what style of Grand Entrance you want.
Grand Entrance Order
Sydney + Kevin | David Manning Photographer
Like everything else at your wedding, which gets announced first at your reception is simply up to you. Generally, the wedding party is absent for a while after the ceremony. They’re all with the photographer while the guests are at the reception, eating hors ‘devours.
As the wedding party re-emerges, you can have your professional DJ announce special pairs, the groomsmen, bridesmaids, and/or the wedding couple. The order is usually very similar to the recessional, meaning whoever paired up to follow the Bride and Groom back down the aisle after the vows can be introduced together again. Typically the second-to-last people introduced are the Best Man and Maid of Honor. In the grand finale, everyone stands, and the happy couple is announced.
Sometimes couples keep it simple and only announce themselves, leaving the bridal party extra time to socialize during cocktail hour. Other times, they choose to introduce all the bridesmaids and groomsmen together. It’s all entirely your choice as a couple.
Processional VS Entrance Songs
Maddie + Matt | Vee Taylor Photography
Wedding entrance songs are not the same as processional songs. Processional songs play during the wedding ceremony. Entrance songs happen when the wedding party is announced at the wedding reception, usually at the end of cocktail hour. Nothing is off-limits during the grand entrance, so be sure to choose a song that sets the tone for the evening.
Song Choice
Julie + Adam | Mike Thezier Photography
Does the entrance song have to be boring? Absolutely Not.
The time for the traditional “Wedding March” is over. This is your party, so jazz it up however you’d like. Lighten the mood with something humorous or play a country wedding entrance song that both you and your spouse love. You can make it as upbeat or as traditional as you like.
Generally, the wedding party’s best entrance song has a good beat and lyrics that people will recognize. Try to stay away from songs that distract from the love message or talk about cheating. (It seems like an obvious rule, but you’d be surprised what comes up.)
How Many Songs Do I Need?
Ariana + Trevor | Davin Lindwall Photography
The short answer is as many as you like. But, generally, one song is long enough for up to 9 introductions. That could be the parents, grandparents, one to five sets of the wedding party, the best man and maid of honor, and the newlyweds.
(Get ready to do a little math.)
The average song is 3 minutes long. It can take 20 seconds for a couple to prepare and get from the entrance to their seats or the dance floor. As you increase the number of introductions, add on another song. A 3-minute song at 20 seconds per introduction roughly equals 9 introductions per song depending on how wild each one turns out.