Who Should Escort Our Grandparents Down the Aisle?

Things Grandparents Love at Weddings

Photo: Hyer Images

One of the beauties of a wedding is the way it brings generations together, from your nieces and nephews to your grandparents (and great-grandparents!). Those little ones are great options for ring bearers and flower girls, and having your grandparents walk down the aisle as part of your ceremony processional is a sweet way to acknowledge their influence in your lives. We asked our experts for some of the best ways to get your grandparents down the aisle and to their seats in style — take note!

When you’re arranging your ceremony seating, make sure to reserve seats for your grandparents, either in the first row on either side of your parents or in the second row in the aisle seats so they can easily get to their seats and sit down.

If both your grandmother and grandfather are in attendance, have them walk down the aisle together. The groom’s grandparents should be seated first (his paternal grandparents followed by his maternal grandparents), then the bride’s grandparents should be seated in the same order. They should head down the aisle at the very beginning of the processional, before the groom’s parents are seated.

Has one of your grandparents passed away? Have an usher escort your grandparent to his or her seat. If you don’t have enough ushers, the first usher should quietly loop back around the outside of the rows of seats to escort the remaining grandparent.

If your siblings aren’t ushers or part of the wedding party, you could nominate them to escort your grandparents to their seats, instead — this is a great way to include them in the processional, as well as turn the walk down the aisle into even more of a family affair.

For older grandparents who might have a hard time getting down the aisle, consider instead seating them before the ceremony has started so they have time to get to their seats without feeling rushed, and then settle in and get comfortable.

See more: Real Brides Share Their Grandparents’ Wedding Day Photos — and They’re Amazing