If you decided to have a traditional church wedding then your order of wedding service will normally run something like this.
Firstly you will usually meet with your local church minister and discuss the different options for your order of wedding service. An order of wedding service might include just the words of the hymns, or just the major parts of the service. This helps your guests to follow the order of wedding service proceedings so they know what is happening and save them from having to refer to hymn books (particularly if they are not religious people) during the service.
On your Wedding Day the ushers should generally be the first to arrive so that they can give out orders of service to arriving guests and then show people to their seats.
The groom and his best man should also arrive early to ensure they arrive in plenty of time to allow for their photos to be taken before the service. The bridesmaids will then arrive and should wait outside for the bride.
If in a church, the bells start to ring and the bride and her father generally arrive a few minutes before the service to allow for photographs taken and for the chief bridesmaid to have a chance to arrange the dress and train and
organize the other bridesmaids for entry into the wedding service.
When the bride reaches the front the groom and best man should take their places on the bride’s right. The bride then hands her bouquet to her chief bridesmaid to her left. After the entrance of the bride, there is usually a hymn,
followed by readings and an address from the minister.
The vows are taken and then the best man passes the rings to the groom or he can give them to the minister on the face of the prayer book and he will offer them to the bride and groom.
The minister may then say a prayer and the congregation may sing a hymn, followed by a final blessing.
The bride and groom follow the minister to go and sign the register, usually followed by their parents and the bridesmaids
and best man. While the register is being signed and witnessed by two adults, a choir may sing or the organist may play some music.
When the formalities are finished, the bridal procession leaves the church as follows: bride and groom, small attendants, chief bridesmaid and best man, bride’s mother with groom’s father and then groom’s mother with bride’s father.
The order of service will run quickly and usually runs far smoother than anyone expects when they are first putting the order of service together.
