The bride's name traditionally goes first
The bride's name goes first. If you put a monogram on a napkin then her initial goes first, groom's last name initial and then his first name initial. You can flip the initials if it spells something you don't like.
everyone the bride and groom invite
* The groom's first initial goes first on a monogram after the wedding. If this is to send to guests it should be 'Mr. & Mrs. John Doe.
Usually it is the Groom which leads, however, I have seen many cases where the Bride leads too. It depends on community to community and the places.
If they're of equal "rank" (social, military, professional etc.), then the groom's name goes first. If the bride outranks the groom, then her name goes first.
A bride's name should be listed first in the invitation and then the groom's name. This is customary. Her parents names may or may not be used depending on what they prefer.
* The bride's name goes on the wedding invitations first because her father is giving her away to his future son-in-law and it's an old tradition dating back centuries when a dowry (gifts from the bride's father) would be given to the groom. The parents of the bride also pay for most of the wedding.
The Best Man can arrange for just cars to transfer the groom and ushers to the wedding or they can hire a limo service. When the groom leaves the church after the wedding he goes in the limo that his new bride is in.
* At the wedding reception after the meal is served and approximately one hour after, the wedding cake will be cut by the bride and groom. The bride holds the knife and the groom's hand goes over hers and they make a small slice to feed each other a piece of the wedding cake before serving to their guest. Sometimes the bride and groom will have a little fun and push the cake all over the outside of each others mouths. Then the caterers came and cut the cake and either the bride and groom can serve the wedding cake or the caterers will do it if requested before the reception.
It goes back centuries ago when the young woman's parents would have a dowry to give to the groom to be. It's simply protocol (after all the bride's parents foot nearly the whole bill!) Usually because the brides parents are the ones paying for the wedding or at least the majority of it and are considered the true hosts of the wedding and because of the ladies first rule.
Generally, after marriage, the bride should leave with her husband to her in lah's house. If it takes place in reverse then we call it as illarikam. It means that the bride groom (husband) shifts to his in lah's house forever. There is no one word equivalent in English. Illarikam literally means bridegroom goes to the bride's family and lives permanently with them.
The brides name usually goes first before the wedding, like on the invitations it would be the brides name followed by the grooms. However, after you are married, the husbands name is usually first, such as Mr. & Mrs.