Should the father of the bride still walk her down the aisle – or should we scrap tradition to ‘break gender stereotypes’? 

There have been calls in Sweden to ban fathers walking brides down the aisle. 

The bride and groom previously walked down the aisle together but there has been a growing trend in the father of the bride playing a role in Swedish weddings. 

Journalist Andrea Smith said in Ireland, the father walking the bride down the aisle is a “hang-up” from the “olden days”. 

“Back in the day when you were 16, 17, you might have gotten married at that point and your father might have gotten a dowry or a cow or a sheep or something for you,” she told Lunchtime Live. 

“These days, the modern bride probably is CEO of her own company. 

“She probably has her own house and has probably been living with her partner. 

“For your father to be walking you down the aisle at this point, I just think it's so silly.” 

She said understands the “sentimental” desire to keep certain wedding traditions – but she “can’t stop rolling her eyes”. 

“In the age of equality, we're breaking down gender stereotypes,” she said. 

“Why can't you just walk up the aisle yourself?” 

Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy in Father of the Bride, 1950. Image: Allstar Picture Library Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

OneFabDay writer Rebecca Dore said walking the bride down the aisle is “still a massively popular tradition”. 

“It's still so adored and it's showing absolutely no signs of slowing down,” she said. 

“While the tradition itself carries a complex legacy, the sentiment has evolved. 

“It's very much, you know, a gesture of love, support, connection – it's a milestone family moment.” 

Father of the Bride

Ms Dore said there have been changes to the traditional walk, such as the father walking halfway up the aisle or allowing the bride to enter by herself before meeting her father on the aisle. 

She also said any family member can walk a bride up the aisle – because the tradition is about solidarity and support. 

“It can be reflective of different values, identities and personal beliefs,” she said. 

She argued that in today’s age, any bride being walked down the aisle is doing that because it’s her choice – not her father’s. 

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