Specializing In Memorable
Traditional & Custom Wedding Ceremonies

The positions which the bride and groom and the wedding party assume once at the ceremony site will depend on your faith, your celebrant, and your ceremony site. Below are some guidelines for traditional placements, as well as suggestions for alternatives. As with other aspects of the wedding, you and your fiance should consider the alignment that you would both like during the ceremony and then work with your officiant to be sure that adheres to any guidelines suggested by your faith and/or the individual church or officiant.

Christian

The typical Christian ceremony lines up at the altar as follows:

	Officiant
	Bride and Groom
Maid of Honor		Best Man
	Flower Girl and Ring Bearer
Bridesmaids		Ushers

The position of the bride to the groom's left dates back to the days of marriage by capture. The right hand was generally accepted to be the sword hand, thus with the bride on his left, the groom kept his sword hand free to defend the bride from attack and capture by his rivals.

Alternatives

Your wedding party may form a semi-circle around the two of you, with the opening facing the guests. Depending on the age of your flower girl and ring bearer, you may have them sit with their parents during the ceremony. Your officiant will be a good resource for other alternatives that you and your fiance might wish to use.

Jewish & Interfaith Ceremonies

The typical Jewish ceremony lines up at the chuppah as follows:

	Rabbi/Cantor
	Groom and Bride
Best Man		Maid of Honor
Ushers	Groom's and Bride's Parents	Bridesmaids

Alternatives

The groom's parents may stand to the right of the Rabbi and the bride's parents may stand to his/her left. Grandparents may stand or be seated to the side of the chuppah.

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