Rehearsal Tips
Now that many venues have coordinators, and couples are hiring
wedding planners or day-of coordinators,
rehearsals are becoming less frequent and less necessary.
All of my bookings include a “talk-through” rehearsal done via Zoom. In order to ensure your wedding ceremony goes off without a hitch, you may want to also schedule an in-person rehearsal. Your wedding rehearsal is an opportunity to walk through the logistics of your big day. What’s the order of the ceremony? When does everyone process down the aisle? Who stands where? What’s everyone’s role? Talk to your venue early about available dates for your rehearsal and book me early.
If you wish to conduct your own rehearsal, the following tips may be helpful:
Check with the venue as to availability. Your venue may already be booked the evening prior to your wedding day with another event. Having a rehearsal on Thursday, may allow you to wake on your wedding day fresh and better rested than if you were out the night prior!
Invite only the necessary people: bride, groom, groomsmen, bridesmaids, reader, flower girl, ring-bearer and parents. Trust me, this will save a lot of time and confusion. Meet with everyone else later at a rehearsal party.
Have everyone introduce themselves and identify their role in the ceremony.
Verify the time that everyone will arrive and where they will be prior to the ceremony starting.
Clarify the path for the processional and the time that everyone should be there.
Practice the processional! Remind everyone to keep their heads up, smile and walk in the centre of the aisle. If walking in pairs, make sure to lead off on the same foot, so you are not bumping into each other as you walk.
Follow the processional format that you have confirmed with your officiant. i.e. will the men be at the front with the groom, or walk up prior to the bridesmaids or as couples with the bridesmaids? Will the flower girl/ring-bearer walk up before the bridesmaids or in front of the bride? Will the standing order for the groomsmen/bridesmaids be by height or other factors?
Practice the bride’s walk with her escort. Practice the bride’s hug/kiss with her escort and the hug/handshake between the groom and the escort. Practice the groom escorting the bride to the ceremony site.
Remind the groomsmen to stand with hands positioned left over right hand. No hands in pockets!
Remind the bridesmaids to carry their bouquets low and tilted forward (wrist bones to the hip bones:).
Remind everyone to stand in a straight or arching line with about 2 feet of space between them.
Remind everyone: no gum, no hats, no sunglasses, nothing in their pockets (no phones, no ring boxes, etc.)
Remember to reserve front row seats for parents, immediate family and children in the wedding party. For best views, parents should sit kitty-corner to their child but if following tradition, the groom’s family is on the right-hand side and the bride’s family is on the left.
Clarify who will be holding the rings and how and when they will be handed over to the bride and groom.
Practice putting rings on each other.
Practice the kiss. To get hte best photos, it should last for 5 seconds.
If anyone other than the officiant is doing a reading, or if anyone is singing, decide where they will stand. Will there be a microphone? Where will they pick it up and set it down?
If the ceremony is happening at a large hall, or especially if it is an outdoor wedding, I strongly advise having a microphone for the officiant and anyone with a speaking or singing part. Ask the venue management, or the DJ, if they are able to provide this service.
After signing the Marriage Licence, announcements and the presentation as husband and wife, the recessional music will start and the bride and groom walk out, followed by the ushers and bridesmaids, paired up and walking out one couple at a time. Practice the recessional! If you are doing a kiss and dip as part of the recessional, practice that!
Remind all persons signing the Marriage Licence and Registry, to sign with their current legal last name (including the bride who must use her maiden/current name).
Clarify who will receive the legal documents for safe keeping at the end of the ceremony.
Thank everyone for coming!