The bridal showers and bachelor(ette) parties are over, and
that fake bouquet created with all the bows from your shower gifts is ready to
be used.. It is now the day of the wedding rehearsal, which officially starts the
festivities leading up to the big day, The wedding party will be very excited,
all are happy to see each other, and the bride and groom are feeling the
anxiety of reaching the finish line.
Why the anxiety? There are many, many reasons. They might be
leaving the home, or family, they have been a comfortable part of all their
lives. More likely, the planning of the wedding activities, with their hundreds
of details which had to be finished by the rehearsal day, may have finally
caught up with them. Finally, making that unofficial walk the down the aisle,
to practice their vows with all eyes on them, would make anybody feel
butterflies.
The rehearsal ceremony is usually a one-hour window where
the Officiant and wedding coordinator, or church coordinator, guide you thru
what to expect on your wedding day. That person, who leads you through it,
expects the wedding party to be there on time, and to finish on time. It is
usually held at the location of the actual ceremony whether it is a church,
temple, hotel, or on a beach.
Often this is the first time that members of the wedding
party will first meet each other. In this instance not only the bride and groom
are feeling anxious. Imagine the Maid of Honor or Best Man is all of a sudden
being escorted down the aisle by somebody they just met, and will be expected
to partner up in a formal setting in the next few days. Not only that, you have
to be civil and pleasant, whether he or she is nice, or has a challenging
personality.
Why go thru a rehearsal? It is to relieve the exact feeling
you have felt all this time you were planning your wedding. By the end of the
rehearsal the couple usually starts to let go of anxiety as they feel a great
sense of support, seeing all their family and friends together. When the bride
walks down the aisle once or twice, the groom fumbles thru the vows, when they
figure out the ring bearer may not be too crazy about walking down the aisle, or
the couple hears the laughter of their loved ones, or even of each other; they
feel a huge relief off their shoulders. It is also when the tears start flowing
for the parents or guardians, or most often, the bride.
The rehearsal is also the time to turn over the marriage
license and church fees to the Officiant, so don’t forget them! Be sure to
leave the unity candle and whatever is needed to the church or ceremony
location, prior to the actual day. Musicians
might check the timing of their music, especially if they are family or friends
of the couple. The readers will check the volume and speed of their voice when
reading. Sometimes, it is when the ladies of the wedding party wear the actual
shoes they will be wearing for the official day to break them in. Do not be
upset if everybody cannot make it. Your groomsman from California may have a delayed flight, or the
flower girl may still be recovering from a cold. Your wedding coordinator or a
bridesmaid can show them what to do on the actual day.
Now that the couple has finished seeing a preview of their
big day, they can finally, along with their wedding party and close family and
friends, start the celebration at the well-deserved rehearsal dinner.
The rehearsal, or pre-nuptial, dinner is usually hosted by
the groom’s parents, but anybody can host it, even the bride and groom. Its
mood and setting is usually the opposite of the formal reception. It can be at
the couple’s favorite pizza place, the church hall, or someone’s backyard. The
dress code is relaxed and the food and drinks are lively. It is a perfect time
for all to hang out with the couple and there is no real schedule. Your
out-of-town guests are sometimes invited to show appreciation for their efforts
and expense to be there for our big day. The couple at this time usually
acknowledges all who were involved, and shows their gratitude by presenting
gifts. This is also a nice time for the couple to publicly thanking the
important people in their lives, and again will begin to relieve more of their
anxiety. The rehearsal dinner is essential to a wedding if you want your big
day to be less stressful and chaotic.
What type of gifts should a couple give those who were so
instrumental in planning their big day? That is another blog topic, stay tuned!
BBFN (Bridal Bliss For Now),
Olivia
No comments:
Post a Comment