Potok's World Photography

Mother Walking Bride Down the Aisle Photo

Can the mother of the bride walk her daughter down the aisle during the wedding ceremony? Of course! In our experience, the best weddings to photograph are the ones that are a genuine expression of who the couple are. That are personal and therefore unique. That are anything but cookiecutter. So if having your father walk you down the aisle isn’t possible or doesn’t feel right to you, then don’t be afraid to do your own thing. Have your mother accompany you to the altar if that would mean the most to you. Because pictures of a mother walking a bride down the aisle are just as sweet, meaningful and impactful as a father doing the job. Like this image of a bride and her mother walking together to the latter’s wedding ceremony at the DC War Memorial.

Other Non-Traditional Ways to Walk Down the Aisle

Of course, having your mother give you away on your wedding day isn’t your only option. You can enter your ceremony however you’d like. With that in mind, here is a quick list of some other non-traditional to walk down the aisle:

With both parents. Can’t decide between the people who raised you? Have both – or all – of them accompany you to the altar!
With a brother or sister. Maybe you have an exceptionally close bond with one or more of your siblings. If so, then having them walk you down the aisle can be a great idea.
With an aunt or uncle or cousin. Did a slightly more distant relative play an important role in your childhood? Then perhaps it would mean more to have one or more of them walk you in.
With a good friend. For the truly nontraditional non-conformists out there, maybe family isn’t the way to go. Having a close friend walk you down the aisle is a great way to make your ceremony stand out from the rest.
With your spouse-to-be. One of the good things about doing a first look is that it frees you up to incorporate all kinds of non-traditional alternatives into your wedding celebrations. Not only can you get all your family pictures out of the way early, you and your future spouse can walk arm-in-arm to the altar.
With no one. Do none of the options above work for you? Why not walk in by yourself? After all, you’re the star of the show. So why share the stage?

Mother of the Bride Walking Daughter Down the Aisle Photo

Sadly, there are times when having someone other than a father walk you to the altar isn’t a just matter of personal taste. For some brides, the traditional option is simply not possible. There are sadly many whose dads have passed away before they get married. Or whose fathers are not a part of their lives.

Fortunately for the bride in this photo, that was not the case for her. Her father was alive and an integral part of her wedding celebrations. He was, though, elderly and had difficulty walking. The bride’s father really did want to walk his daughter down the aisle. But he was not able to make it from the National Mall to the DC War Memorial and up the stairs to the site of his daughter’s wedding ceremony.

As much as the bride would have loved to have her dad accompany her to the “altar,” she was just as happy to have her mom do the honors. So once everyone was seated under the DC War Memorial’s famous dome, the two of them linked arms on the path near the National Mall. Then they walked together towards her husband-to-be.

Creative, Colorful Picture of Mother Walking Bride Down the Aisle

Though we’re always sure to get lots of shots of a bride walking towards the altar, we also like to get some pictures of those moments from behind. Usually, this is about highlighting the bride’s dress, veil and train. And of course, capturing the reaction of her spouse-to-be! But in this particular case, we also wanted to preserve something different.

First, the shape of the DC War Memorial is so lovely and distinctive that we thought a shot of them walking toward it would add some nice context. Secondly, their shadows add a fun extra mirroring element from that angle. Thirdly – and perhaps more importantly – we love the way the combination of colors looked from that perspective. The white of the bride’s dress and the magenta of her mother’s contrasted beautifully with the green of the grass. As we’ve mentioned elsewhere, we’re huge fans of colorful wedding photography. So we just couldn’t resist the chance to capture this beautiful moment with a little vibrancy and flair!

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Location: DC War Memorial, Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024, United States.