The short answer
The order of a wedding ceremony is for you and your officiant to set. One shape to start from runs: guests seated, a processional, a welcome, readings or music, vows, rings or another exchange, a declaration, a kiss or other close, and a recessional. Keep the parts that mean something to you, add what your families or faith ask for, and ask the officiant what must be included.
What goes in the order of a wedding ceremony?
Start from a list of parts rather than a fixed script, and decide with your officiant which ones your ceremony has. A short civil ceremony may have only a welcome, the declarations, the vows and the signing; a religious or cultural ceremony may have parts in a set order that the officiant leads. Write the parts you choose in order on one page, with who leads each one.
Then add what makes it yours: a reading by someone you love, a moment for a parent or a child, a ritual from one of your families, a song, or a few words about someone who has died. Each addition is a line on the page with a person and an approximate length, so nothing is left to be worked out at the rehearsal.
- Guests seated, and music as they arrive
- Processional
- Welcome or opening words
- Readings, music or a ritual
- Vows
- Rings or another exchange
- Declaration
- Signing, if it happens during the ceremony
- A kiss or another close
- Recessional, and announcements for guests
Who walks in, and in what order?
The processional is whatever entrance you choose. You can each walk in separately, walk in together, be accompanied by one or both parents, by a child, by a friend, or by nobody. If you have a wedding party, decide whether they walk in pairs, one at a time or not at all, and who walks last before you.
Choose by what suits your families and the space, not by a rule. Then write the order down with a music cue for each change, and give a copy to the officiant, the musicians or DJ, the venue coordinator and whoever is lining people up. Measure the aisle or ask the venue, so the music runs as long as the walk.
How do religious, cultural and civil ceremonies differ?
Ask your officiant what their ceremony includes, in what order, and which parts can change. A religious or cultural ceremony may have parts that must happen, or happen in a set sequence, and an officiant may have their own requirements about readings or music. Ask early, before you plan readings or a processional around something that cannot move.
If your families come from two faiths or traditions, ask both officiants or advisers what each needs, and whether parts can be combined, held one after the other, or held as two ceremonies. Whatever the ceremony, ask what must be said or signed for the marriage to be recorded where you marry, and keep that part in the order.
How long does a wedding ceremony take?
Add up your own parts rather than relying on a figure. Ask the officiant how long their parts take, time your vows and readings aloud, and ask the musicians how long each piece runs. Then add the processional and recessional, which depend on how many people walk and how long the aisle is.
For example, a hypothetical ceremony with a 5-minute processional, a 3-minute welcome, two 2-minute readings, 4 minutes of vows, 2 minutes for rings, 2 minutes for the declaration and close, and a 3-minute recessional runs 5 + 3 + 2 + 2 + 4 + 2 + 2 + 3 = 23 minutes. Put that length into your day timeline, and leave a few minutes before it for guests to sit.
Do you need a ceremony program?
A program is optional. It can list the order, the people taking part, the words of a reading, a translation, a note about a ritual for guests who have not seen it, or the names of people you are remembering. If you would rather have no paper, a sign at the entrance or a page on your wedding website can do the same.
If you print one, check every name’s spelling with the person, check the order against the officiant’s final version, and print it after the rehearsal changes are known. Ask someone to hand programs out or put them on seats.
What should the ceremony rehearsal cover?
Walk the order once, at speed, with the people taking part. Practice the processional to the music, where each person stands, who holds the rings and when they hand them over, where readers stand and how they reach the microphone, and how everyone leaves. If there is a signing, show the witnesses where it happens.
Ask the officiant to run the rehearsal or name who will, and agree the cues: who signals the music, who tells the first person to walk, and who checks that the rings and license are where they should be. Note any changes on the order of service the same evening.
Ceremony order
Use one row for a decision or deliverable. Keep unanswered items visible. Download the blank worksheet to open in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
On a small screen, swipe the worksheet sideways to see the remaining columns.
| Part | Who leads or takes part | Words or music | Minutes | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guests seated | — | — | — | — |
| Processional | — | — | — | — |
| Welcome | — | — | — | — |
| Reading or ritual | — | — | — | — |
| Vows | — | — | — | — |
| Rings or exchange | — | — | — | — |
| Declaration | — | — | — | — |
| Signing | — | — | — | — |
| Close | — | — | — | — |
| Recessional | — | — | — | — |
A message you can make your own
Change the wording to suit you, fill in anything in brackets and keep the questions that apply. You decide what to send and send it yourself.
Hi [name], could you send us the order you would suggest for our ceremony, with the parts that must be included and the ones we can change or leave out? It would help to know about how long each part takes, when you need our readings, vows and music choices, and whether you will run the rehearsal. We would like to adapt it together. Thank you.
Common questions
What is the order of a wedding processional?
A wedding processional has whatever order you choose. You can walk in separately or together, with one or both parents, a child, a friend or nobody, and a wedding party can walk in pairs, one at a time or not at all. Write your order down with a music cue for each change and share it with the officiant and musicians.
When do you exchange rings in a wedding ceremony?
Rings are exchanged where you and your officiant place them, for example straight after the vows. A ceremony can also have no rings, or an exchange of something else. Decide who holds the rings until that moment and how they are handed over, and practice it at the rehearsal.
Where does the signing happen in a wedding ceremony?
The signing can happen during the ceremony, straight after it, or privately, depending on your officiant and what the issuing office asks. Ask the officiant when and where it will happen, who signs, and whether witnesses are needed, and tell the photographer if you want it photographed.
Can the two of you walk down the aisle together?
The two of you can walk down the aisle together. You can also each walk in from a different side and meet, or one of you can wait at the front. Choose what suits the space and your families, and tell the musicians whether you need one piece of music or two.
Do you need a ceremony rehearsal?
A ceremony rehearsal is not required, but walking the order once helps everyone taking part know where to stand and when to move. Ask the venue when the space is free for one, and ask the officiant to run it or name who will. Keep it short and bring the written order.