The walk down the aisle is one of the most iconic moments of any wedding. Your partner sees you for the first time in your chosen dress, your guests are smiling (and perhaps even crying) and your bridesmaids are leading you towards your future. As a result, you want everything to be perfect – all eyes are on you. 

Unless you’re used to black tie events, this is likely one of the first times you’ve needed to walk down a narrow walkway in a formal dress and heels. As a result, it’s natural to feel nervous or worry that you’ll trip. But with a few top tips, you can be sure to have the perfect walk down the aisle that you’ve been dreaming of. Let’s explore how.

Before the wedding

Practise makes perfect

Practising sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many brides leave it until the last minute. Whilst you probably won’t be able to practise going down the aisle you’ll use on the big day, you can take measurements and create a space for you to rehearse at home until you’re comfortable. Especially if you’re having someone walk down with you, this can be the perfect way to work out how you want to place yourselves before you have to do the real thing.

If you’re having music, you can also practise the timing of your walking so that you arrive at the front just when you want to. It can be surprisingly tricky to walk at a normal pace in a wedding dress, but you don’t want to walk too slowly either. If you’re not sure, ask a friend to watch or film yourself. 

It can be a good idea to practise with your bridesmaids as well so that you can get the spacing right and give everyone enough time to get to the front and into their allotted positions. No one should be rushing! 

Wear in your shoes

Many brides will choose to wear heels on their wedding day, or at least new shoes. It’s tempting to leave them in the box, as you’ll want to keep them clean and scuff-free, but wearing them in is essential if you don’t want blisters, or to twist your ankle. Especially if you’ve chosen a style you wouldn’t usually wear, you’ll need to get confident walking in them to look your best. You should aim to have your shoes six months before the big day, leaving ample time to make them comfortable.

If you can, practise with your dress on too, or at least a long skirt if you have one. You’ll need to accommodate the movement of the fabric with your shoes to ensure a floating glide, rather than a stumble down the aisle.

On the day

Hold your bouquet lower

Hand someone a bouquet of flowers and tell them to walk with it, and most people will hold it up to their chest like you see in films. But actually, the best way to hold your bouquet is with your arms relaxed and down, with your wrists around your hip bone level. This way, the bouquet should sit around your belly button.

Not only does this help you relax and avoid scrunched-up shoulders, but it looks way better in photographs too. Plus, your photographer will be able to capture all the details of your bodice and the flowers in your bouquet.

Make sure you check with your florist which way round they intended the arrangement to be held, and which part of the flowers should be showing, especially if you’ve opted for a cascading bouquet. You can also check with your photographer what looks best from their perspective too. 

Smile and look up

As tempting as it is to watch the floor to see where you’re going, try and look up and ahead. There shouldn’t be anything in your way as you walk down the aisle, so you don’t need to worry about falling over. You want to look at your partner at this important moment, letting them see your love shining through. Allow your body to relax and take your time, smile at your guests and enjoy – you’ll never be here again. 

Enjoy your moment

It can be easy to stress about getting this moment perfect, but ultimately, the thing that matters most is that you get safely down the aisle and marry the love of your life. However, a bit of preparation can help soothe your nerves and help you feel your best on this special day.