Who should be there?
The only people who should come to the wedding rehearsal is the people in it. Bridal Party including the flower girl and ring bearer, Parents and their escorts, readers and hopefully your officiant (but if that can’t be, no biggy.) The thing is, having other guests there that aren’t in the wedding can get distracting and sometimes supper loud. However, NOT EVERYONE HAS TO BE PRESENT. What? But you just said the people at the wedding should be there. Well technically yes, but if your BFF can’t make it because of work, it’s ok. I can fill her in on the wedding day.
Now, if your sister is running 20 minutes late, I’m so sorry, but we’re going to start without her. Here’s the reason why?
- Starting late reflects poorly on the bride and the planner, people have been so considerate to take time off of work, and it should be respected
- It costs money
- It can make you late to plans that follow. Even if the person running late has an active role, I promise we can fill them in when they get there.
Not everyone has to be there. We can be missing a couple of wedding party members, and the rest can fill them in on the wedding day. I will also be there to provide guidance. Do we prefer to have everyone there? YES, however, don’t stress if your BFF or the ring bearer can’t make it because his mommy is stuck at work. Allow them to wrap things up, so they are 100% focused on you and not distracted when they do arrive. You’ll be much happier!
Oh crap, my venue is booked!
Another helpful thing to know- we don’t have to do your rehearsal at the venue. Often, the venue is booked with another event or wedding the day before. Or perhaps the venue is an hour out of town, and you want to have a rehearsal dinner in the city. Easy peasy! Does your hotel have a conference room? Is there a park nearby? Gosh, I’ve even done one or two in our brides front yard. The whole point is to put names with faces for everyone. Often, this is the first time a lot of people are meeting, and it’s helpful for the guys and gals to know who they are walking with and what order they will enter. Apart from that, I got ya! Spacing and timing happen organically on the wedding day no matter how rehearsed or perfected such offsite rehearsals still work out great.
Timing!
Eekk. Okay, so this is the frustrating one. What time should we have a wedding rehearsal? What time works for you? Sometimes it depends on other bookings and often time can’t be confirmed until 30 days in advance. I promise it’s okay- again, not everyone has to be there, and for those that can great. I suggest to go ahead and make your dinner plans and send invitations for those. We will contact your wedding party as we get closer with rehearsal details and if they can all make it- fabulous, if one is flying in later, no big deal! For reference- our most common rehearsal time for a Saturday wedding is 3 pm on a Friday and is often done offsite. It’s so great- and mainly because it keeps you all out of traffic both coming and going.
Wedding Rehearsals can be lots of fun and should be easy! Sometimes they are overthought and take a long time. Just remember that we are there for you on the wedding day — no need to stress about the little things. We will tell you when to go, where to place your hands, to take the wallets of your pockets and cue the music. All you have to do is show up!
Let us know if you have any questions; we are always there for you.
