Who should walk you down the aisle?

Many a bride is faced with this dilemma. For some reason or other – your father is dead, you are estranged from your father, or you can’t choose between your father or step-father and want to hurt neither, or you have mixed feelings about being ‘given away’ – you do not know who best to do the slow walk down the aisle with.

This moment is pretty important too. All eyes are on the bride as you walk down the aisle towards your future spouse. Whilst it is traditional for the father of the bride to walk you down the aisle, it is your wedding, and breaking with tradition is hardly going to raise an eyebrow these days, so the most important aspect is to please yourself.

There are a number of options, other than your father, for walking you down the aisle:

Your mother – many brides opt for their mothers, particularly in the absence of a father
Your mother and father – this is traditional in Jewish weddings, and more recently many modern weddings have adopted the custom
Your children – if this is a second marriage, it might be more fitting for your children to give you away
Your sibling(s) – your brother or sister are a great substitute, particularly if you are close
Your grandfather or uncle – perhaps your grandfather or uncle play a more important role in your life
Together – one of my favourite solutions is to do the walk together; it shows a level of deep commitment
Alone – brave to do this unaccompanied, but sometimes the best solution all round

At the end of the day, anything goes. You can walk down the aisle alone, or accompanied by any relevant member of the family, even a friend. As long as you feel supported and confident.