Catholic tradition states that the father walks his daughter down the aisle during the wedding ceremony and hands her off to her new husband. However, with so many religions mixing and family circumstances differing for every bride, there are all sorts of new traditions to think about when you take those steps towards your future husband.

Not every family has a father and mother. Some families have a father and stepfather and some brides no longer feel it's appropriate for their father to 'give' them away. So in accord with changing values and ideas, here's a few thoughts as to how the bride should make her big walk. There is no right or wrong choice for this moment as long as it reflects the bride's wishes.

If the father has passed away or hasn't been part of the bride's life for a long time, she may wish to invite her stepfather, family friend, brother or uncle to give her away. Or, if the bride has always been particularly close to her mother, then the bride might want her mother to walk her down the aisle.

Some traditions have both parents walk down the aisle with their daughter, which shows an equal union and respects both parents for raising her. No matter what your religious beliefs, this is a very respectable way to involve both parents in the wedding and show that your union will be an equal partnership as well.

When two fathers have played a big role in the bride's life such as a father and a step father, then consider having your father escort you half way down and your step-father take you the rest of the way. You can decide which half works best for each of them. Likewise if the bride has been raised by a gay couple, you may want one parent to walk halfway and have the other meet you half way or have both of them walk you down the aisle.

The tradition of giving away a daughter came about as a symbol of the daughter becoming a woman and joining in her own union with a man. Today, women are getting married later in life and some are re-marrying. In these cases, having a father take her down the aisle to 'give' her away may feel out of place. Some brides are choosing instead to walk down the aisle by themselves. If they have children, then including the son or daughter is a nice way to show you are bringing them into the new family.

When the bride and groom have been living together for a while and have already established a life together, they may wish to walk down the aisle together, showing their union and equality. Another option is to have the groom meet the bride halfway up the aisle, showing compromise.

No matter what the bride decides, whether to go with tradition during her wedding ceremony and have her father walk her down the aisle, or do something a little less traditional, the walk down the aisle is a monumental moment for the bride indicating her life is about to change. The bride should choose what suits her personality best.