What is the origin and purpose of the strange start-stop walk by the bride up the aisle?

ceetee

Just speculating that if the anthem to which the bride enters is the Bridal Chorus from Wagner's Lohengrin, then such a gait is almost natural. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridal_Chorus Oct 13 10, 7:42 PM

satguru

I suspected it was in the rhythm to the music, but never known officially. That was my only theory as well though. Oct 13 10, 7:58 PM

Arpeggionist

It's not just the rhythm of the music. Brides (and wedding coordinators) have for the most part striven to make sure that the length of whatever is playing as they're walking down the aisle is timed properly, to start as they are about to enter the room and to end promptly upon their arrival at the altar. For that, a bride would have to take into account the number of bars in the wedding march, as well as the length of the aisle (and thus the number of steps she would have to take to make the distance). Coordinating one's walk to a readily composed piece of music is generally easier than writing a piece of music to fit a particular bride's walk down a particular aisle (especially when the composer is not the groom), and hence the development of the slow bride's march. (Besides, the more steps a bride takes, the slower she's moving, and the more time will be allowed for every eye in the room to be concentrated on her, which is something most brides like, or so I'm told...) Oct 13 10, 8:48 PM