Ask The Celebration Advisor: When you have two sets of grandparents for both the bride and groom, do you alternate seating the grandparents during the processional? or do you seat all the groom’s grandparents first, and then all the bride’s grandparents? ~ Erika M.
The Celebration Advisor: Great question, Erika! How lucky you both are to have both sets of grandparents at your wedding! According to traditional wedding etiquette, you have several good options depending on how quickly and politely you are trying to seat your guests.
Traditional Wedding Etiquette Seating Option: The general wedding etiquette rule of thumb with grandparents is to seat them as they arrive. This prevents them from having to stand longer than would be comfortable. This also prevents the hassle of figuring out who walks with whom, when and where they sit when they get there.
Modern Wedding Etiquette Seating Option: Seat your mother’s parents first, then your groom’s mother’s parents, then your father’s parents, then the groom’s fathers parents. Wedding processionals and seating always favor the bride and then the maternal side of both families.
Polite and Modern Wedding Etiquette Seating Option: If you really want to have your grandparents walk before the wedding processional, a polite seating option would be to seat the your grandparents first (both sets) then seat both sets of the groom’s grandparents. This is a spin off of the modern wedding etiquette option for seating that is very popular. However, this option is more in line with the traditional order of the processional and seating arrangements.
Thanks for the info! Question for you: When seating the grandparents, does the grandfather walk behind the grandmother while the usher escorts her? I’ve seen it done this way and wasn’t sure if that was right.
It can be done this way and is not wrong. However, one can avoid any confusion as to “right” or “wrong” by having the grandfather escort the grandmother. It’s kind of cute to see them together like that anyway!
In my case, my father’s father is alive and my mother’s mother is alive. This also presents a weird situation because you’d be less inclined to ask them to walk with each other. In a situation like that, it is fine to have the grandfather behind the grandmother.
I am a widower grandfather and will have a guest lady whom I have been dating for several years. Do we go down the aisle together? My deceased wife was idolized by all, including myself. What else can you help me with? I plan to wear a tuxedo.
Oliver, the most appropriate way to handle the situation would be to ask the couple if it could sit in the with you. If they are accepting of this seating arrangement, your friend would need to be seated prior to the family and your entrance. This will allow her to be with you yet still respect the memory of your late wife.