Ceremony Planning

Processional Planning

Ordering the ceremony entrance, with music and instructions for each step.

The processional is the most choreographed few minutes of the ceremony: who walks, in what order, to what music. The Processional tab holds that order as a numbered list you can rearrange and print.

It is part of CeremonySync Complete. On other plans the tab explains what it is instead of opening.

Opening it

Open a wedding and choose Processional in the left-hand list. The entrance shows as a numbered column of cards, first to last, with an arrow between each.

Steps, not people

The unit here is a step, not a person. One step is one entrance: either someone walking alone, or two people walking together.

Press Add Step and fill in the panel that slides out:

FieldWhat goes in it
Primary ParticipantWho is walking. Required.
Escorted ByThe second person in the pair, if there is one. Optional.
Processional SongThe music for this entrance. Optional.
Special InstructionsTiming, pace or choreography notes. Optional.

Press Add Step in the panel to save it. Editing an existing step shows Save Changes instead.

There is no role field. The name boxes are free text, and the app's own placeholder suggests writing the role rather than a name — Mother of the Bride, Brother of the Bride. Do whichever suits the couple, and be consistent: whatever you type is what prints.

A step holds two names at most. Four bridesmaids walking as a group need either four steps or one step named for the group.

A common order

Most ceremonies run roughly like this. It is a starting point to type in, not a list you pick from:

  1. Officiant, who often enters from the side rather than down the aisle
  2. Grandparents, usually seated before the processional starts
  3. Parents
  4. Groom or Partner 1
  5. Bridesmaids and groomsmen, alone or in pairs
  6. Maid or Matron of Honor, and the Best Man
  7. Ring bearer and flower girl
  8. Bride or Partner 2, usually escorted, always last

Rearranging

Hover a card and three controls appear at its top-right: up and down chevrons to move the step, a pencil to edit it, and a trash icon to delete it. The numbered badge on the left of each card is its position, and the order runs top to bottom.

Moving a step saves the new order immediately.

Music

Each step carries its own song, so you can give the bride's entrance its own piece and leave the bridesmaids sharing one. A step with no song simply carries none — the app does not track what is still playing from the step before, so if that matters, write it in the instructions.

Coordinate the titles with the ceremony playlist in the wedding's Music tab. The two are separate records, and neither updates the other.

Special instructions

The instructions field is free text and prints under the step. It is the right place for:

  • "Pause ten seconds between each bridesmaid"
  • "Ring bearer walks with flower girl, hand in hand"
  • "Switch to 'Canon in D' when the doors open"

Export PDF

Export PDF produces a document called Ceremony Processional on your venue's letterhead, listing each step in order with its participants, song and instructions. The button stays disabled until there is at least one step.

Print it for the coordinator, the DJ and the officiant. It is the run sheet for the entrance.

What it does not do

  • The couple cannot see it. There is no portal view; send them the PDF.
  • No recessional. The tab covers the entrance only. The exit is usually the reverse order — note it in the instructions or the Day-of Timeline.
  • No timings. Steps have no durations and do not add up to a running time, and nothing here reaches the day-of timeline on its own.

Practical use

  • Check pronunciation as you type the names, and write it out phonetically in the instructions where it is not obvious.
  • Walk it at the rehearsal against the real songs. Entrance lengths and song lengths rarely match on the first guess.
  • Build it a couple of weeks out and send the PDF to the couple. Late changes to the lineup are what cause rehearsal confusion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I record a whole group walking together? Either one step per person, or a single step named for the group, such as Bridesmaids. A step only holds two names.

Can I assign someone a role like Maid of Honor? Not as a separate field. Type it into the name box, which is what the app expects.

Can the couple review it? Not in the app. Export the PDF and send it.

What about two aisles or a non-traditional entrance? Describe it in the special instructions, and sketch the arrangement in Ceremony Layout.

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