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Final Details
…Wrapping It Up
The Rehearsal
Don't think of your wedding rehearsal as a one hour annoyance you
must get through prior to getting to your rehearsal dinner. If you
want your wedding ceremony to unfold beautifully without any hiccups
(and we know you do), ensure that your rehearsal is taken seriously
by all involved in the ceremony.
At a minimum, your entire wedding party should be at the rehearsal
- particularly any children. If the children do not practice their
role at the rehearsal, the odds are slim that they will muster the
courage to walk down the aisle at the actual wedding. Generate a
one page sequence of events (see our web site for an example) and
give a copy to everyone. This sheet should also have all of your
musical selections noted. If your DJ/musicians are not at the rehearsal,
get them a copy also. If you do not have a coordinator, assign someone
to be in charge of directing the rehearsal.
Assemble the wedding party in proper position at the altar, do
a practice run of all elements of the ceremony, then walk through
your exit (or recessional). Do a practice run of your entrance (or
processional) with the proper music so that everyone knows their
cue. Then once again practice the ceremony and your recessional.
This is a good time to identify any special details. Like who will
bring the lighters for the unity candle, where the candles will
be placed, who will straighten your 6-foot train after the lighting,
etc. Identify any special announcements that you would like the
Officiant to make. For example, telling the audience that they are
welcome to refreshments while the wedding party takes photos for
thirty minutes. When your assigned rehearsal director is satisfied
that all is in order, then you can all relax and head to your rehearsal
dinner!
Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner is a great opportunity for the families of
the Bride and Groom to meet and get to know each other a little
better prior to the wedding. Event attendees generally include the
wedding party and their spouses, parents, grandparents, and other
close relatives of the Bride and Groom. You may invite the Officiant
and their spouse. It is also a nice idea to invite your wedding
guests who have come from out of town, as they likely have no other
entertainment planned.
This event is traditionally hosted by the Groom's family at a local
restaurant or banquet room. Be sure to communicate the time and
location of this event to the invitees a few weeks prior to the
wedding. It is best to invite the guests through mailed formal invitations.
However, emails or phone calls are fine too.
Wedding Day Assignments
You will not be able to attend to any of the details on the day
of your wedding. So be sure to delegate all of those small but important
tasks to your reliable friends and relatives who are not in the
wedding party. Examples of often overlooked tasks: transporting
gifts to the Bride's parent's home; packing and transporting Bride
and Groom toasting glasses, centerpieces, flowers, and any special
decorations; directing required clean up; packing and transporting
clothing etc. remaining in the Bride's dressing room; etc. Each
of these tasks are small, but all of these details must be managed
if you are to freely enjoy your wedding day without having nagging
wedding coordination concerns in the back of your mind.
Gift Opening Party
With more couples postponing the honeymoon for a week after the
wedding, the day-after gift opening party is becoming more and more
popular. This casual event, typically held at the Bride's parent's
home, generally includes a catered luncheon since everyone will
be too spent from the previous few days to do any cooking or cleaning!
It is a nice wind-down party for everyone and it is the last chance
for out of town guests to visit with family and friends prior to
heading home.
Honeymoon Planning
In recent years, many couples have found it less stressful and cumbersome
if they postpone the honeymoon until the week after the wedding.
Rather than traveling immediately, they instead spend a night or
two in a nice local hotel, relax a bit without the added stress
of packing and traveling in addition to all of the wedding planning,
and decompress after the hectic build up to the wedding. You might
want to consider this delayed honeymoon approach. Check it out with
your spouse-to-be.
While the Bride has input into the destination, it is traditionally
the Groom's responsibility to coordinate and finance the honeymoon.
There is tons of information on travel on the internet, so conduct
lots of research online. However, it is important to consult with
a professional travel agency for a trip such as this. A resort that
looks and sounds perfect online may not be quite up to par for this
special vacation. Travel professionals know some great spots and
are often privy to some great deals too. And Grooms take note: unless
your Bride truly wants an adventurous honeymoon rafting down the
Amazon, opt for the relaxing luxurious vacation at a quality hotel
or resort for this one trip!
Thank You Notes
Prior to the wedding, write thank you notes as you receive each
gift. For gifts that are delivered on the wedding day, you will
have to tend to these notes when your return from the honeymoon.
As you open each gift, make a thorough list of what was given, who
gave it, and the date you sent the thank you note. The rule of thumb
is send the note within three months of the wedding. Remember…your
friends and family love you and likely spent considerable time and
energy finding a special gift just for you. So even though you are
busy, take some time to express your appreciation and love in your
thank you note!
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