Your wedding day is fast approaching and you may find yourself asking “do I need a rehearsal”, or “walking down the aisle seems like such a simple task, does it really need to be rehearsed?”
As a planner, I am a big proponent of having a rehearsal. While it may seem like a simple task to you; your wedding party may feel differently. Every wedding I have done has always been met with questions regarding the processional: “when do I walk?”, “where do I stand?”, “how fast should I go?” are just some of the questions that wedding party members have asked me regarding their seemingly simple walk down the aisle. By having a rehearsal, you can give yourself and your wedding party the extra boost of confidence it needs to have an easy-going wedding ceremony.
The rehearsal is the time to work out any kinks in the processional and recessional. It gives everyone a chance to practice before the big day. Getting everyone together to literally walk it out before the wedding makes everything regarding the ceremony run smoother. Having a rehearsal means that on wedding day everyone already knows where to go, who they are walking with, and what order they are walking in.
At this point you may be saying “my venue does not allow a rehearsal” or “they don’t have availability before my wedding for us to come in to rehearse”. That is ok! Consider having the rehearsal off site or possibly the morning of the wedding. A rehearsal of any sort is better than none at all.
You may also be asking “who needs to attend rehearsal”? I always tell my clients to get as many people who are taking part in the pre-processional and processional as possible to attend. Yes, some may be not in town yet, or had to work and that is ok; the others can fill them in on wedding day. But you want to make sure anyone who is walking down the aisle knows what they need to do on wedding day. Your wedding day should be a day of celebration not confusion. Set aside the time to do a rehearsal and work out some of those pre-wedding jitters.
By Danielle Fortner of Grace Events