Changing Traditions With Walking the Bride Down the Aisle

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The father walking with his daughter down the aisle and handing her over to the arms of her future husband has been a customary act for a long time. This tradition represents a father giving his priceless daughter to a man who will respect, honor, and love her for the many years to come. Nevertheless, this culture isn't usually followed nowadays as many women are getting married at a later age. Furthermore, there are situations where a woman already has a father and a stepfather at the same time.

Today, there are customs that are being designed which are very different from before. These practices take into account the fact that families nowadays have been revised, and that the bride and groom would want to illustrate their character. The bottom line is, it doesn't really matter who goes with the bride down the aisle. What is more vita is that the bride is happy and contented. Below are a few of the refined practices that are related to wedding walks.

Certain replacements of walking with the bride down the aisle can be made if the father is already deceased or is not present in the bride's life. Persons who can replace her father could be a stepfather, an uncle or a brother. If the bride feels really close to her mom, the mother could even walk with her.

In the Jewish tradition, the father and mother walk with the bride down the aisle - a tradition that demonstrates the love that they had endowed their child with and the effort they gave into their daughter's childhood and adolescent days. Several brides from any religions are taking a hint from this practice and prefer to have both parents be with them as this tradition provides their appreciation and the love, care and effort they've given her throughout her life.

If for any reason both the father and the stepfather were very important in her life, she may select to have both walk with her down the aisle. Preferably, the biological father may walk the bride halfway down the aisle and the stepfather will the walk with the bride the rest of the way. Through this, the bride is able to show her love and her appreciation for both fathers.

If the bride is at a later age, it is somehow uncomfortable to her having her father walk with her down the aisle. During these times, a bride walking down the aisle by herself is a common practice. This demonstrates that she is independent enough to make her own decision to get married with the man she loves. If the bride was previously married and had children, she may select to have her son or daughter walk with her down the aisle.

Some brides prefer to go down the aisle with their groom. This has also been a common practice, especially if the couple feels that they have already created a strong commitment from one another whilst being independent from their loved ones. The bride and the groom may go down the aisle together to illustrate their unbreakable love to one another. Sometimes, the groom may also meet the bride halfway down the aisle, to denote their union on middle ground.

The bottom line is what really matters to the bride's decision. Her choice is either following the traditional type of wedding walk or something that is newly improvised. The wedding walk alone is an intense moment for the bride; an indication of the alterations that her life will experience being a wife. The bride should select well with the wedding walk that is suitable to her and to her individuality the most.

Destination wedding ceremonies are a big trend these days for those who want to get away for something exotic, and maybe some of the stresses of planning a local wedding. It could also be a money saver - so much so that you can consider the more expensive engagement rings.

Wedding Ceremony Escort - Walking Down The Aisle

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There are no set rules on who has the honor of escorting a bride down the aisle. Traditionally the father walks the bride down the aisle, but with modern non-traditional families this is not always an option.

Here are some ideas for non-traditional family situations.

Deceased Father or Absentee Father

You can walk down the aisle by yourself. Or you can ask your mother, stepfather, brother or a close relative/friend to escort you.

Whoever escorts you down the aisle will sit in the front pew after the precession. When the clergymember asks, "Who gives this woman in marriage?", your escort may respond. Even if your mother did not walk you down the aisle; she may still respond "I Do" from her place in the first pew.

Deceased Mother

You can ask a favorite aunt or grandmother to take your mother's place during the wedding. She should sit in the front pew with your father. It is even acceptable to have her join your father in escorting you down the aisle.

Divorced Parents - Mother Remarried

This can cause a sticky situation. Every family dynamic is different so there is no single solution. Here are some general guidelines you may want to consider.

Close to your natural father - If he has been a part of your life you may want to take the traditional route and have him walk you down the aisle.

There is no need to cut your stepfather out of your wedding - He can do a special reading during the ceremony, or dance the first dance with you.

Father and Stepfather on friendly terms - If you are torn between your father and stepfather you may ask them both to escort you (one on each arm). When the clergymember asks, "Who supports this woman in marriage", they both respond "We do".

Another idea is to have your stepfather walk you half way down the aisle and sit in the front pew as you take your father's arm to the altar.

Be sure to speak to your father and stepfather privately to make sure they are okay with your plans. If one or both father's seem kind of apprehensive with your plans, do not push the issue.

Absentee Father vs. Stepfather If your natural father has been distant and your stepfather has been there to support you, ask your stepfather to escort you down the aisle. The father who has supported you the most throughout your lifetime deserves the honor of escorting you.

Your natural dad may try to guilt you into choosing him but do not give in. He let you down many times before and probably will again. On the other hand, consider your stepfather's feelings. He helped raise you and loved you and would feel betrayed if you chose your absentee father over him. So be sure to choose wisely.

Cannot Decide

If you are very fond of both of your fathers and cannot decide who to choose; ask neither. Walk down the aisle by yourself or have your groom escort you.

Jasmine Macdonald is an editor of several wedding theme sites...[http://merrybrides.wordpress.com] [http://funweddings.blog.com] http://funweddings.blogspot.com

Walking Down the Wedding Aisle: Who Walks Who, Anyway?

Another dilemma that often comes up when planning a wedding is who will walk the bride down the aisle. Although traditionally it's the father that does this, the plethora of step-families has made it a more difficult decision. This is especially true when the step parents have been in the children's lives for a long time.

Breaking tradition

A bride that has both a step father and a biological father may opt still to have her biological father walk her down the aisle. This can be a way to show her family bond as well as stick with tradition. In the case of a bride that hasn't been close to her father, she may opt to have her step father walk her down the aisle. This is a newly emerging sight at weddings, and quite touching.

Of course, if the bride loves both of the men and wants to include them, there's nothing wrong with having both walk her down the aisle. It honors her relationship with both men and lets them have the chance to hold her arm.

This also holds true for the groom. He can choose to escort both a step mother and his biological mother down the aisle at the beginning is she should choose to. Or the best man can do so, as is tradition.

If the father has passed on, the bride may opt to have an older brother or an uncle walk her down the aisle. Likewise, if the mother of the groom has passed, then a sister or an aunt may want to walk with him.

Dealing with difficulties

While this all seems like a loving and simple solution to include everyone in the wedding, some parents may still have issues with their ex-spouses. And this can lead to bitter feelings about your choice in who walks who down the aisle.

Should you fight for what you want? That's entirely up to you. If walking with both fathers makes you happy, then you should do that--even if the opposite wives are not pleased for whatever reason.

If you feel that it may cause more trouble than it is worth, then you may opt to stick with tradition. Just be sure to include your step father in some other part of the wedding so he doesn't feel left out because of biological status.

In the end, remember that it's your day and your decision.

Amy Spade is an expert on planning weddings, and she has written an amazing totally free minicourse on how to make sure that you have the day of your dreams, and avoid wedding day disaster!

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