The wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner are integral parts of the wedding festivities, providing an opportunity for the bridal party and close family members to come together, practice the ceremony, and share a meal. To ensure these events go smoothly and contribute to the overall joy of the wedding weekend, it's essential to keep in mind some dos and don'ts.
1.Budget enough time for your ceremony rehearsal: An hour is usually the perfect amount of time to set aside for your run through. Running through your ceremony once or twice might only take 30 minutes, but it's important to set aside extra time for your bridal party to meet each other and wait for those late comers. Be sure to leave enough time for transportation in-between your rehearsal run through and dinner
2. Wear your Wedding shoes: This isn't an absolute must, but it does give you a chance to break in your wedding shoes and learn how to walk in them especially if its a high heel!
3. Hold a bouquet placeholder: Holding a bouquet while also wearing a heavy dress and holding your father or mothers arm can feel odd. Practice walking down the aisle with a placeholder like an actual bouquet form the store or your bridal shower ribbon . Make sure to hold the stems closest to you at your waist with the flowers facing out.
4. Practice with music: It's important to practice walking down the aisle with your actual music so you know when the best time to go is or if you have a certain time in the song that you want to start at. Your bridal party should also practice walking down to their songs so they know their time to start walking is. Hearing the music gives you a good idea of how fast to walk too. It will also give your officiate an idea of when things should be happening.
5. Consider your guest list: The only guests who need to attend your rehearsal is your entire bridal party, parents, grandparents, officiate, and anyone else who is apart of the processional or doing any readings during the ceremony. You don't want too many people attending your rehearsal. The less people, the less distractions there will be and the less time it will talk. For your rehearsal dinner, you can invite anyone you think is appropriate. A lot of couples invite aunts and uncle and any close family or friends who are traveling a long way to be there for you.
Relax and Enjoy: This is the night before your wedding! You are surrounded by your loved ones and you're about to enter into an amazing day that can also be a stressful and times. Your rehearsal dinner is an event that you should be relaxing at and taking it all in! Be sure to eat and stay hydrated because you have a big day coming your way.
Take Pictures: A common regret for many couples is not capturing those crucial moments during the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Surrounded by your closest family and friends, this time is often even more intimate than your wedding day. Ensure you have photographs with all your loved ones by considering hiring a photographer for an hour or two during your rehearsal dinner. If that's not feasible, designate a friend to capture moments using their phone or a Polaroid camera.