Planning Tips :: Planning Your Wedding Rehearsal

The best thing to do prior to your wedding is to have a rehearsal. You should invite everyone who will be involved in the ceremony so that everyone can run through when to be there, where to go when they arrive, when to enter, where to stand, etc.... There are a lot of details to go over in order to make sure your ceremony is as smooth as possible, so if you don't do a "practice run" it can cost you valuable time and stress on wedding day.

Here are a few tips to remember when planning the rehearsal:

If the church/venue coordinator wants to take charge, let them.
They've done this many times and will be able to give you the most information on what and what not to do. If you had a different idea about something, or you find something personally unacceptable to you, bring it up during the rehearsal with the coordinator. While the crew in charge has done this so many times that they could do it in their sleep, it's your day...and it should be done the way you want it as long as the venue and time permits.

If you have ceremony musicians, see if they can attend.
Some musicians include the rehearsal cost in their overall price, and for others it may be an additional fee. It is so much better to have the musician(s) as a part of the rehearsal! They are the cue as to when everything starts and when everything ends, so having them on the practice run is really important!

Invite those involved in the ceremony rehearsal to a rehearsal dinner.
Traditionally the groom's parents are in charge of planning and paying for the rehearsal dinner. In today's times, that may be different in your case...either way, it is polite to invite everyone who's participating to a dinner after the ceremony rehearsal. Depending on the size of the group, you may need to make reservations in advance. Some of my past brides and grooms have held the rehearsal dinner at a parent's house and had it catered.

Provide thank-you gifts for those involved in your ceremony.
Your bridesmaids and groomsmen are doing a lot to be a part of your big day, so be sure to thank them for participating. The rehearsal dinner is a great time to give thank-you gifts for the bridal party and parents while everyone is together. Wedding day will whiz by for you and there will be a ton of guests to greet, so the rehearsal dinner is a much more intimate setting to thank them for being involved in your big day.