I’m going skip right to the punch line and say no, a wedding rehearsal isn’t necessary, in most cases. There are some circumstances when a rehearsal might be necessary. So I am going to take you through the reasons not to have one and the reasons you should have one. So is a wedding rehearsal necessary for you? Let’s find out.
Reasons Not to Have a Wedding Rehearsal
- You’re having an outdoor or very simple ceremony. Most outdoor wedding ceremonies aren’t complicated and are shorter than traditional church weddings. You’ll need to know the order you are walking down the aisle, where to stand during the ceremony and when to walk back out. Your officiant, wedding planner or the on site coordinator will be able to easily guide you on your wedding day. You can instruct the guys where you want their hands (by their sides, in pockets, crossed in front) and tell the girls not to hide behind their bouquets. Just like that, everyone is prepared and no wedding rehearsal necessary.
- Your venue is booked the day you want to hold a rehearsal. This is is going to be the case at almost any wedding venue unless you’re having a Friday wedding. You can always work around this by doing the rehearsal a few days before or the morning of your wedding. Again your wedding planner or on site coordinator will be able to run through the necessary details with you. You can even get them to run through them separately if you don’t want to see each other before the ceremony.
- You would rather spend time with your out of town guests. Just because you don’t have a rehearsal doesn’t mean you can’t still have the dinner ?. Plus, you’ll be running around getting everything ready for the next day! Dropping off welcome gifts, getting to your mani/pedi appointment and checking into your hotel. If you don’t need a rehearsal, take it off of your to do list!
Reasons to Have a Wedding Rehearsal
- You venue requires a rehearsal. This will most likely be the case if you are having a church wedding. Some ceremonies have a lot of “moving parts”, and in this case, you’ll want to know what to expect and when. Plus, you’ll want all of your readers, special music and bridal party to know what is expected of them.
- You have a lot of kids involved. If you’ve chosen to have kids be a part of your ceremony, having a rehearsal could be helpful for them. They may not have been to a wedding before, and even if they have, they probably haven’t been in one. A practice run can help them know what’s expected and get them familiar with your officiant and bridal party.
- You want to have one! If you love tradition and having a rehearsal is important to you, have one. If it gives you peace of mind, do it. It is, after all, your wedding day.
Rehearsals can be a fun addition or they can be another thing on your to do list. Since no one answer fits all when it comes to weddings, I hope that these suggestions will help you in making the decision best suited for you.
Cheers to Love,
Nat