Two hours before the ceremony:
You should begin dressing with your mother and your bridesmaid in assistance.

One hour before the ceremony:
The bridesmaids - all fully dressed - gather with their flowers and pose for pictures. This allows you time to make sure everyone is properly dressed and ready to be transported to the ceremony in a group.

Forty-five to sixty minutes before the ceremony:
The ushers arrive at the ceremony site and put on their boutonnieres. They gather near the entrance to await the arrival of the first guests.
Thirty minutes before the ceremony:
The organist begins the introductory music while the ushers escort guests to their seats. Your friends and relatives are seated on the left side of the church, your groom is on the right.
At this time, the groom and his best man arrive. This is when the clergyman checks the marriage license, receives his fee from the best man and issues last minute instruction he may find necessary.

Ten minutes before the ceremony:
Your Maid of Honor, bridesmaids, and other attendants arrive at the church, followed by your mother, the groom's parents and other members of both families. The bridal party and the parents wait in the vestibule while the other relatives are seated.

Five minutes before the ceremony:
The mother of the groom is escorted to her seat in the first pew on the right side of the aisle. The father of the groom follows a few feet behind the usher escorting his wife, then takes his seat beside her. You and your father arrive in a chauffeured limousine about this time or stand inside at a back entrance of another room where your guests won't see you. Your mother is escorted to her seat in the front pew. If guests are still waiting at this time, however, they should be seated first. The bride's mother is always the last person seated by an usher. As she starts down the aisle, you and your father join the waiting members of the wedding party.

Just before the ceremony:
Two ushers walk in step to the front of the aisle to lay the aisle ribbons and canvas. The ribbons, used only at very formal weddings, remind guests to stay in their places until the parents and other relatives have been escorted out. At this time, the guests should all have been seated and the candles lit. The ushers can now pull out the runner if there is one. Care must be taken that the runner be secure if one is used and not impair or in any way cause the bridal party the chance of slipping.

THE PROCESSION
Everything is now set for the procession.
In Protestant services, the congregation stands as soon as the wedding march begins, the clergyman enters and takes his place at the front of the church. The groom and best man follow him to a position just in front of the first, right-hand pew, and all turn to watch the procession, The ushers enter from the back of the church in pairs according to height, followed by the bridesmaids. If there is an odd usher or bridesmaid, the smallest attendant leads off first. The maid or matron of honor comes next, followed by the ring bearer, if there is one, and the flower girl. The pages, if any, follow the bride, carrying her train. Catholic brides and grooms may follow the same procedure. Jewish processions vary according to local tradition, whether Orthodox, Conservative, or Reform and according to the preference of the families.
In the simplest Reform service, the ushers lead the procession in pairs, followed by the bridesmaids in pairs. The groom comes down the aisle next, with his best man followed by the maid of honor, the flower girl, if there is one, and the bride on her father's right. The groom's parents and the bride's mother may join in the procession and remain standing under the chupa or canopy during the service. An elaborate procession may be led by the rabbi and cantor, followed by the couples' grandparents, the ushers, the bridesmaids, the best man, the groom and his parents, the bride's honor attendants, her flower girl(s), and the bride with her parents. Ask your rabbi how he prefers to organize the procession, and take into account the amount of space available for the wedding party to stand in.

ALTAR PROCEDURES
When the bridal party gets to the first rows of seats they can form one of two alternate arrangements.

1. The ushers all turn right to form a diagonal line behind the groom and best man. The bridesmaids do the same thing on the left side.
2. Each pair of attendants separates going to each side placing a groomsman and bridesmaid beside each other.

Children may stand through the ceremony or be seated in the second or third row.

THE RECESSIONAL
When the organist begins the recessional music, you'll take the groom s right arm and proceed up the aisle together. Your attendants will follow you.
As soon as you reach the back of the church, if wedding pictures will be taken, you and the wedding party should walk around to the door where there is a place you and the whole wedding party can wait until all the guests have left the church. Meet at the altar for portraits of the wedding party. A good professional photographer will take no longer than 30 minutes.

THE RECEIVING LINE
If the receiving line is formed at the back of the church or stairway, the pictures are taken immediately after the guests go through the line. If the reception is somewhere other than the church, it is advisable to do your pictures before you leave the church while your party goes on to the reception where the receiving line will be formed. Many brides prefer not to have a receiving line and prefer to go around meeting their relatives and friends during the reception.

SPECIAL VARIATIONS
If your father has died, you may ask any relative or friend to act as your escort. Sometimes the mother or groom walk the bride down the aisle.
If your parents are divorced, your father can still give you away. He does not need to sit with your mother.
If the church has two center aisles, it's customary to use the left aisle for the procession, and the right aisle for the recessional. However, in most cases, the bride uses the aisle most convenient.