Wedding Blog

Happy Thursday. I apologize for not posting yesterday as promised. You would be surprised how flooded streets really back up traffic. There is a bit of sun today, but I don’t think it is going to last.

Anyway, rehearsals can be very confusing, even for professionals. It isn’t easy organizing a chatty group of bridesmaids and groomsmen. Below are my top ten tips to making your rehearsal run quickly and smoothly.

1. Greet the rehearsal attendees and explain to them how the rehearsal is going to proceed. (details below)
2. Line everyone up in the positions where they will be standing at the altar.
3. Ask the officiant to run through the ceremony. He probably won’t do the entire ceremony, but if you will be moving or if you have readers he will practice walking through those things.
4. After the officiant introduces you as almost husband and wife, practice the recessional and proceed to the back of the room.
5. Line up the wedding party starting with the grandmothers and/or mothers with their escorts. Practice having them walk down the aisle to their seats (or up to the unity candle if you will be lighting one).
6. The guys get into position next. If they are walking down the aisle, start with the officiant followed by the groom, best man and groomsmen. I have them walk down the aisle, single file with a bit of space in between each of them (They usually don’t like walking down the aisle one at a time like the bridesmaids). If you are in a location where there is a side entrance, they can proceed in the same order from the side and get into position.
7. The bridesmaids go next. Have them line up in reverse order (the bridesmaid furthest away from you goes first). Each one should walk down the aisle individually. If you have a very long aisle, you may send each bridesmaid down when the one in front of her is halfway down the aisle. If the aisle is short, let each woman process all the way down the aisle to her spot at the altar.
8. Ring bearers and flower girls are next. If they are very young, you may want to send them down the aisle together. If they want to walk on their own, send the ring bearer first followed by the flower girl.
9. Finally, you and your escort will process down the aisle. Don’t forget to take your time and smile, even at the rehearsal. This is your moment!
10. If the officiant prefers, do another ceremony run through then practice recessing again. If necessary, practice the processional one more time.

A few additional notes

I don’t usually review ushering with the groomsmen and ushers at the rehearsal. I find that they forget what I tell them by the time the wedding day rolls around. Not everyone agrees with me on that point. I gather them together fifteen minutes prior to the scheduled guest arrival time and give them directions.

If you have a flower girl and ring bearer who are young, keep a sense of humor about them making it down the aisle. I have had some who perform beautifully and others who get very shy and run away. If you expect perfection, do not have children in the wedding party.

If you have any questions or comments about the above post or any other wedding-related questions, please leave a post for me here or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

Rehearsals can be really chaotic. It is typically the first time family and friends are seeing each other, so everyone is anxious to catch up and to start having fun. It seems the last thing anyone wants to do is take instructions on where to stand and how to walk. I have seen some very unruly bridesmaids and groomsmen in my time. If your wedding party is a bit rambunctious, send them these five simple rules on behaving well at your rehearsal.

1. Don’t show up intoxicated. I don’t think this requires explanation. Save the drinking for the rehearsal dinner.
2. Show up on time. Keep in mind that the bride and groom are probably nervous. Don’t make your timely arrival become one of the things they have to worry about. Also, many ceremony locations have time restrictions for the rehearsal. Showing up late might mean no rehearsal at all.
3. Pay attention and limit talking. The rehearsal will get done much faster if the person in charge doesn’t have to keep redirecting your attention. The faster the rehearsal is finished, the sooner you will be able to enjoy the post-rehearsal celebration.
4. If you are a reader, bring your reading with you to practice.
5. Be helpful. If the couple has items to transport to the ceremony site, offer to assist with carrying and storing. If guests need directions to the rehearsal dinner, hand out direction cards. There are countless opportunities for you to alleviate stress from the bride and groom the day before the wedding.

If you have any questions or comments on this topic or any other wedding related topic, please leave me a message here or email me at susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan

Happy Monday everyone. It’s another gloomy day here in Orlando. I am getting tired of the rain.

Wedding season is in full swing and I have been doing many, many rehearsals. This past weekend inspired me to do a week-long series on all things “rehearsal.” Here is the schedule for the week…

Monday — What you need to prepare for the rehearsal
Tuesday — Rehearsal etiquette for wedding party
Wednesday — How to run through the ceremony
Thursday — Rehearsal dinner ideas
Friday — Toasts and gift giving at rehearsal dinner

Here is my list of items you need for a smooth rehearsal:

1. Your marriage license. Your officiant will most likely want to take it from you at the rehearsal so you won’t have to worry about it on the wedding day.
2. If you haven’t paid your site fees in advance, be sure to bring what you owe so you can be paid in full prior to the wedding.
3. A list of the bridesmaids and groomsmen and their order at the altar. This will make it easier for the person conducting the rehearsal to organize everyone.
4. A list of the grandparents, mothers, bridesmaids and groomsmen in the order they will process down the aisle. If the grandparents and mothers are being ushered, make sure to include the ushers’ names next to the people they are ushering.
5. A list of song selections for the wedding party noting when the music is to change.
6. A copy of the ceremony readings. Readers are notorious for not having them at the rehearsal. The readers should take a moment to get comfortable with the mic and where they are standing. The audio person might want to do a sound check as well.
7. If your ceremony site has a secure place to store things, bring everything you need for the ceremony like guest book, pen, ring barer pillow, flower girl basket and unity candle, so you don’t have to think about it on the wedding day.
8. Written directions to the rehearsal dinner. You don’t want to waste time giving instructions to everyone, be prepared to hand them the information.

As always, relax and enjoy the rehearsal. Keep in mind, your wedding party is likely to be a bit more casual at the rehearsal than during the wedding ceremony. If they don’t stand in a perfect line or if they have their hands in their pockets, don’t sweat it. They will likely come to attention on the wedding day.

If you have any questions or if you would like to post some thoughts regarding any wedding subject, please leave me a message here, or send me an email to susan.southerland@pwg.com.

Your partner in perfect planning,

Susan