The Rehearsal
You and your wedding party may need a little practice to make
your wedding day perfect. The rehearsal gives you a chance
to work out any kinks in your ceremony plans and make sure
all the important players know their roles.
Your wedding party, officant, readers, and musicians will
meet at the ceremony site to go over all the details for the
next day, from the processional straight through to the recessional.
This is where you can field last-minute questions, such as
who should walk with whom in the processional and when the
readers should come to the podium, so everyone is comfortable
the next day. If your wedding includes flower girls and/or
a ring bearer, practice is especially important for these
younger children.
Rehearsal Dinner
After your wedding rehearsal, it's time to celebrate! Invite
your wedding party, officiant, parents, and out-of-town guests
for your rehearsal dinner. (Don't forget to add the spouses
and significant others of your rehearsal dinner guests to
the list!)
The party can be held wherever you like: Holiday Inn Hurstbourne/I-64 East,
country club, restaurant, or even someone's home. This is
your chance to unwind a little and give your parents and attendants
their gifts of appreciation for all their hard work.
Arrive at the party a few minutes early so you can greet guests
and set-up the place cards on the table, if it hasn't been
done already. If you're hosting the dinner at a hotel or restaurant,
be sure the bill includes gratuities for all the service staff,
including the coat check and restroom attendants, so your
guests won't be required to pay for anything.
Before the night is over, wrap up those last-minute details:
make sure the best man has the signed wedding license, officiant's
fee and, of course, the wedding rings for the next day's festivities.
Vows
If you want to write your own vows, check with your wedding
officiant first. Some religious affiliations don't allow too
much variation from the traditional wordings.
Writing your own vows takes a lot of work. Find some inspirational
reading material:
poetry and famous quotations may give you some ideas. Next,
reflect on your own feelings and thoughts on marriage. This
will help you make your vows truly personal for your and your
fiance.
If your own vows seem unsatisfactory, you can always revert
to traditional vows and readings. Within the traditional vows
and readings there are some variations, so ask your wedding
officiant, family and friends for their suggestions.
