Receiving Line Order – Wedding Etiquette

There may be variations to receiving lines depending on who the official hosts of the wedding are, if the parents of the bride or groom are divorced, or if the wedding couple is older and/or this is not their first wedding.  All variances should be discussed in advance of the wedding day.

The receiving line order for a traditional ceremony is:

Mother of the bride

Father of the groom

Mother of the groom

Father of the bride

Bride

Groom

Maid or matron of honor

Best man (optional)

Bridesmaids

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3 Responses to Receiving Line Order – Wedding Etiquette

  1. Cynthia says:

    I am not an expert but for some odd reason, I was thinking that the bride comes in last…is this wrong?…In every wedding I have ever attended, the bride comes down the isle during the playing of the wedding march and her bridesmaids were attended by her groomsmen while already up front…therefore, making her last:(all eyes on her)?

  2. Sandy Hyde says:

    Cynthia – If you are speaking of the processional, yes, the bride does enter last. 

    The post you commented addresses the receiving line after the wedding ceremony.

  3. Dazed and Confused says:

    Ok being the brides parents we are still married, however the grooms parents are divorced and remarried. How would you line up a receiving line for that. Would it be best to leave out the groom’s parents-maybe have MOB, FOB, married couple and then MOH and then Best Man?

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