38 Fun Wedding Reception Entrance Ideas For Bridal Party
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It’s officially time to get the party started! You might be wondering, what are the best wedding party entrance ideas? How do we make a plan for the start of the reception?
Here are some of the things that we will cover in this article:
- Getting the best results from your wedding party entrance
- Wedding entrance ideas for the bridal party
- The recommended order for the wedding party entrance
- Perfect songs to use for the bridal party entrance
- Frequently asked questions about the grand entrance of the wedding reception.
How to get the best results from your wedding party reception entrance photos
To get the party started, your wedding party will be announced into the reception room (sometimes called the grand entrance). Here are a few tips to make this fun, stress-free, and picture-perfect:
Get organized
Coordinating your grand entrance with the DJ or MC is very important.
Many times the DJ will get the names of the grandparents, parents, wedding party members, ring bearer, and flower girl just before the start of the reception.
In our opinion, this should be done a day or 2 before the wedding.
This way you can simply line up in order and there is no confusion.
If you get organized before the wedding day, you get to spend more time at cocktail hour (Bonus!)
Give your DJ a printed list of the names and roles of the people being announced into the reception a day or 2 before the wedding.
You can also include your song choice for each announcement as well (some couples choose a different song for each announcement, and some couples pick 1 single song for the entire wedding party, and then a 2nd song for the bride and groom (or grooms/brides).
This will cut out a lot of delays that we typically see on the wedding day just before the reception starts.
If you need song choice ideas or the most common order for the wedding party entrance, check out the FAQ section below. We cover all of that information for you.
Coordinate with your photographer and videographer
You will want to coordinate the wedding party entrance with your photo and video team.
Typically your photographer and videographer will have lights and/or flashes set up for the entrances and first dance.
To get the best results from your photos, your photographer is going to want each person announced to hit a specific spot on the dance floor before doing whatever it is that they are doing (striking a pose, giving each other a high-five, spinning each other, dipping each other, etc.).
Ask your photographer to give instructions to the wedding party just before they are announced. This way they will know exactly what to do, and when to do it.
One common mistake we see (when there is no communication), is the photographer will set up a flash pointed at the middle of the dance floor.
If the photographer does not tell the wedding party this, the couple being announced will typically do their thing as soon as they step into the reception room (it’s natural to want to do this as soon as you hear your name announced).
By the time the couple being announced makes their way to the center of the dance floor (where the best light is), they have already done their fun entrance, and are simply walking to their seats.
Ask your wedding photographer to coordinate this with the bridal party just before announcements and you will get amazing photos.
Wedding Entrance Ideas For The Bridal Party
If you simply want to get everyone announced into the reception, you can have your DJ announce the first and last name of each couple as they walk into the reception to a single song.
But if you are looking for some fun bridesmaid and groomsmen entrance ideas, we’ve got you covered.
Here are some of our favorites:
Big Head Funny Masks
These big head masks are such an awesome prop to use for the wedding party entrance (we recommend getting the bigger 18-inch versions)
These also make great props/gifts for a bridal shower, bachelor party, bachelorette party, birthday party, or any other event where you want to make people laugh.
This is our favorite place to get these props (most companies only sell the 12-inch head):
We recommend these 18-inch heads from truecolorworksshop on Etsy
Ride-on vehicles (Power Wheels)
If you have access to a ride-on vehicle, these power wheels make amazing reception entrance props.
This entrance works great for kids (ring bearers or flower girls):
And they are just as awesome when used by the best man and maid of honor!
If you do not have access to one, you can buy them for the wedding and then resell them. People are always looking for these cars and trucks so they sell fast.
We love this purple jeep, this pink Mercedes, and this gator.
Piggyback Rides
This is a fun entrance that doesn’t cost you anything (except maybe a sore back the next morning).
Show some school spirit
This couple hired their college mascot (Penn State Nittany Lion) to help them with their wedding reception entrance.
They handed out pom poms with their school colors and played “We Are Penn State”
You can use ribbons like these or cheer poms like these.
The Office inspired wedding reception entrance
This is the perfect wedding reception entrance idea for any fan of the hit show The Office.
Check out the video below. If you are viewing this on a phone, you might have to use this YouTube link instead: The Office Wedding Party Entrance
And you can see the original below (If viewing on a phone and the video below does not show up, here is the direct YouTube link: The Office Wedding Entrance
Let it snow
This couple worked with their DJ to set up snow machines for their grand entrance. It was such a fun idea for their winter wedding. And as you can see, it results in amazing photos!
You will definitely want to get permission from your wedding venue before booking these snow machines.
Some venues are very particular about what they will and won’t allow on their dance floor. It’s always best to ask ahead of time to save yourself stress later on in the planning process.
Make it rain money
We love this idea! Use this to make it rain fake $100 bills during your grand entrance (you can also use this for the dollar dance, the last dance, or pretty much any other time during the wedding reception).
Get 2 of them and have members of the wedding party make it rain money during your big entrance!
Give each other a jumping chest bump
This is a fun and easy idea for any two members of the wedding party.
Dirt Bikes
This was one of the most awesome wedding entrances we have ever seen.
The bride and groom rode into the reception on matching Honda dirt bikes.
It doesn’t get much cooler than that!
Switch clothes
A really fun idea is to have one of the bridesmaids and one of the groomsmen switch outfits for the entrance.
Giving birth to a beer
This funny idea for a pregnant bridesmaid cracked us up!
Riding in style in an old antique car
The bride and groom entered their outdoor reception in an antique car.
Have a dance-off
These two brides entered their reception dancing and showing the guests who had the best moves.
Everybody won!
Charlie’s Angels
Another fun and simple way to enter the reception is the do the Charlie’s Angles pose. This can work with any amount of people but the original pose was 3.
Shots (Everybody)
These two brides had their bridesmaids enter first to get the party started.
The brides entered the reception room and poured shots for all of the bridesmaids.
It is a really fun entrance that you should check out.
If you are on a phone and are having trouble viewing the video below, you can see it directly on YouTube here: Bridal party introductions
Photo Booth Props
If you have a photo booth, ask the attendant if you can borrow a few props for your entrances.
Epic Dance Moves
There are so many fun dance moves that the wedding party can walk into the reception to.
The running man, the cabbage patch, the sprinkler, hammer dance, house party kick, The Roger Rabbit, The heel-toe, Thriller, and the list goes on and on.
If you want some more ideas (and a good laugh), check out this amazing video of 50 epic dance moves. This guy will make you smile.
If you are trying to watch this on a phone and the video below is not loading, you can view it here on YouTube: 50 Epic Dance Moves
F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions About The Bridal Party Entrance At The Wedding Reception)
We get asked lots of questions when it comes to doing the grand entrance at the wedding reception. Here are answers to some of the questions most commonly asked:
What is the order of the bridal party entrance?
Here is the most common wedding party reception entrance order (we listed these using the terms bride/groom but you can simply swap out the word bride or groom if this is a same-sex wedding):
- Grandparents of the bride – If any grandparents or parents are unable or not comfortable walking into the reception, you can have the DJ acknowledge them at their seats.
- Grandparents of the groom
- Parents of the groom
- Parents of the bride
- Flower girl and ring bearer – If the kids are a really young age or uncomfortable, you can have them walk in with one of the wedding party members (or someone that they know and trust).
- The wedding party – typically you announce these in the reverse order of how they left the wedding ceremony. So the couple who walked out of the ceremony last gets announced into the reception first.
- The best man and the maid/matron of honor
- The bride and groom
How do you do the bridal party entrance? How do you introduce a wedding party at a reception?
Typically the bridal party is announced by name as they enter the reception room to a song played by the DJ.
One fun addition to make for the announcements is adding a fun fact about each member of the bridal party.
Here is a fun example:
As the DJ announces the best man and maid of honor or matron of honor, he/she says, “She was voted most talkative by her senior class, and he once ate an entire large cheese pizza by himself. Please give it up for the maid of honor and best man, Miss Jennifer Lawrence & Mr. Kevin McCallister!
You can include things like hobbies, the relationship to the couple, a funny fact, an inside joke, etc.
What is the grand entrance at a wedding?
The grand entrance of the wedding reception is the official start of the party.
Typically the DJ or MC will ask guests to leave cocktail hour and make their way to the reception room to find their table.
Once the guests are seated, the DJ will line the wedding party up outside.
The DJ will play some fun music as he/she announces the grandparents, parents, wedding party, and the couple into the reception.
Many times the couple will go right into their first dance after being announced.
What are good songs to use for the wedding party and bridal party entrances?
We have put together a list of about 150 songs that are perfect for the bridal party/wedding party reception entrance.
Here are a few of our favorite songs:
- “Bring ‘Em Out” by T.I featuring Jay-Z
- “Eye Of The Tiger” by Survivor
- “Who Let The Dogs Out” by Baha Men
- “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” by The Darkness
- “Where Them Girls At” by David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj & Flo Rida (Perfect song choice for the bridesmaids)
Check out the list above for 150 more songs to choose from (you can hear each song from the blog post)
We also have this list of the best songs to use for the parent entrance into the wedding reception.
50 more wedding reception entrance ideas for the bridal party
If you are still looking for more ideas, we found this awesome video of 50 different wedding reception ideas for the bridal party to enter to. If you are on a phone and having trouble viewing this video, here is the direct YouTube link: 50 wedding reception entrance ideas
More Wedding Planning Resources
Here are a few more articles that you might find helpful when planning your wedding day:
- Our favorite send-off ideas for the couple at the end of the reception (or after the ceremony).
- A guide to your wedding reception order of events.
- Right after your grand entrance, it will be time for your first dance. We put together an awesome list of the best first dance songs.
- Over 100 songs to use for the bridal processional
- Wedding ceremony ideas that are fun and unique
- Bridal shower games like He Said She Said
- Funny bridesmaid captions to use on your Instagram posts
