Go onto TikTok and find the most epic way to walk down the aisle!

I had one Bride recently who planned out her walk perfectly. She played an instrumental version of a song while her family & bridal party walked in. Then the song switched to the normal version with words. She timed it so when she got to the end of the aisle, the song gave mention to her parents; she subtly gave them attention at this point (a sign of appreciation for getting her to this point in life) as her father then handed her off to the Groom. The song then played just long enough for her and her fiancé to take center stage as a bridesmaid fixed her dress (which was practiced more than once).

She knew exactly what she wanted, and I thought every detail was beautiful.

As I write this, it’s seven degrees outside. But only a few months ago I was sweating during a ceremony.

This ceremony was undercover and protected from the sun, but the air was stagnant and hot. The bride and groom anticipated the heat, but the solution was handing out paper fans which don’t get rid of the hot air guests are sitting in.

If you stand under a tree on a hot day, it will actually feel okay if there is a slight breeze. If heat will be a problem, I recommend renting a large fan for your ceremony. Try to position the fan so that in helps cycle new air into the room. Some guests, especially the older ones, may arrive 30 minutes before the ceremony even starts. Seat them in front of the fans so they’re a little more comfortable. If you’re worried about noise, turn off the fans right when the ceremony starts.

I rarely see aisle runners work well at a weddings.

You don’t want it out while seating guests incase they kick it out of place or get it dirty. You could have some uncles roll it out right before you walk down the aisle, but are you giving them a time to practice? Some aisle runners are hard to unroll; you don’t want all the attention on them as they struggle to lay it out.

Aisle runners use to protect the bride’s dress from floors muddied by guests. Since this is no longer a real issue, one solution is to not use an aisle runner at all.

An alternative is to rely only on flower pedals, but will the flower girl just throw clumps and not spread the flowers out evenly? Can you give her good instruction and time to practice? Nice lanterns or flowers at the end of the pews often look nice.

If really wanting to use an aisle runner, I’ve seen brides block off the main aisle so guests must walk up the side aisles instead. To block of the aisle, they used a nice sign welcoming guests, surrounded by flowers.

You’re walking down the aisle and the song cuts off. What do you do?

Many DJ’s use one device to play ceremony music on (I’m not sure how many in the Cleveland area do this). Since the ceremony goes quick, relative to the whole night, DJ’s want equipment that is quick to setup and tear-down. Some even rely on bluetooth, not wanting wires between their iPad and speakers.

I think ceremony needs a more sophisticated setup. If a computer freezes, I can instantly switch to a backup device. There would only be silence for a quarter of a second. A DJ using only one device would have to wait for the device to restart if it crashed (that’s not a situation you’d want to find yourself in). Also, using bluetooth can be great, but they can still have cut-outs. I don’t want to risk anything during the ceremony, so for me, everything needs to be wired. You’ve been planning on walking down the aisle for so long, it needs to be perfect.

A good DJ spends time putting their equipment together so it can be set up quick while also looking nice.

Brides, don’t rush back down the aisle right after the officiant says, “It is my honor to introduce to you for the first time as Husband and Wife, Mr and Mrs ___!” If you do, you’re out of site before the recessional song even starts.

One simple solution is to remain standing on the alter for 5-10 seconds before walking back down the aisle. Hold your husband’s hand, look around at the guests and take in the moment, and maybe even go for another kiss (guests will hoot and holler again even louder).

But what’s better? Start the music (softly) about 10 seconds before the officiant announces you, “Mr and Mrs ___!” Allow the song to build up before the cheering starts.

Another tip, consider having the officiant finish this way, ““It is my honor to introduce to you for the first time as Husband and Wife, Mr and Mrs ___, you may now kiss the bride!” Typically the kissing happens before you’re announced as Husband and Wife. I think it feels more natural to save the kissing till the end.

Everyone cheers as the song crescendos and you kiss, you wait and take in the moment, and only then do you make your way down the aisle.