Weddings & Aisle Runners: When and How to Use One!

Back in the Middle Ages, the bride was considered a mystical and sacred figure and the concept of "evil" played daily into the lives of the people. Evil spirits, who lived underground, were assumed to want to attack and harm the blessed bride on her wedding day and so to combat the evil that lurked beneath, the wedding guests put down a cloth for her to walk upon. The cloth, they thought, would protect her. 

The tradition of the aisle runner has come to us, passed down from generation to generation, with a few changes, of course. 

* Aisle runners are normally used at semi-formal and formal weddings.

* They are most times provided by the florist and come in varying sizes, depending on the length of the aisle. Most are paper and are disposable; others are carpet, are rented from the florist, and are expensive. 

* They may be pulled down the aisle by an usher or a groomsmen before the bride's walk down the aisle, or before the processional begins. That's a matter of choice and preference.  

* Or they may be extended down the aisle and secured. The aisle is then roped off, and guests are seated from the sides of the room. The rope is removed before the processional begins. 

So many times, brides would say, "The carpet at my ceremony site is awful! The pictures of the processional and recessional will be ruined; that carpet will stick out like a sore thumb!" My response: "Get an aisle runner and forget about it."

To $AVE money: If you'd like to have an aisle runner but find them expensive, you can purchase one from a floral supply store. Check the Yellow Pages.

1. Have an usher or a groomsmen secure the runner before the beginning of the ceremony. It will have to be taped to the floor or the carpet, with white masking tape. It is then pulled down the aisle before the processional begins.

2. Check the Internet for beautiful aisle runners that you can purchase; there's so many to choose from.