Regardless of the size of your wedding day, you will need to plan and practice. The rehearsal is traditionally scheduled the day before the ceremony for any out-of-town guests to be available and in attendance. All those with an active role in your wedding ceremony should be present and participate in the rehearsal, including special readers and the officiant. You will need to plan for your wedding day and the day after.
Announcements and Inventory for Your Wedding Day
The rehearsal dinner is the last chance to deliver important announcements, go over the inventory and make sure you are prepared for the big day. Depending on the type of wedding ceremony and rituals, you might need to review a checklist for a unity candle, sand ceremony, handfasting ceremony or a broom jumping ceremony. You should create a list of roles and a chart to review with your entire wedding party. Explain to the bridesmaids, groomsmen and ushers their responsibilities and roles. Let the rehearsal be a rehearsal and tell them where to stand, what to do and when to do it. It is important that they recognize the importance of their position, and that you show your appreciation for them taking a role in your wedding day.
Mock Ceremony
Get all the nerves out of the way and practice your wedding day. Use props, such as a mock train and ribbon bouquet. This will give you the opportunity to practice turning with the train and handing off the bouquet to the maid of honor. You might want to practice certain ceremonial elements, like lighting the unity candle or pouring sand for a sand ceremony. This is a good opportunity for the officiant to practice directing your unique rituals and allow you to get comfortable working through a couple of practice runs. Practicing the ceremony can avoid embarrassing mistakes on your wedding day.
The Processional and Recessional
The rehearsal is a time to prepare for the processional and recessional. The wedding party should understand their order, position and pace. Think about the cadence of the walk and the spacing between those in the wedding party. The processional usually forms at the rear of the ceremony site. The order begins with the parents of the groom taking their seat in the front, followed by the entrance of the groom, best man and officiant. The groom and best man usually stand on the right side of the aisle, facing the guests. The best man stands to the groom’s left, slightly behind him. The wedding party should be organized according to height, with the shorter individuals in front. The processional forms with the groomsmen, junior groomsmen, junior bridesmaids, bridesmaids, maid of honor, flower girl, ring bearer, bride and her father, train bearers, and pages. Properly space the wedding party four to six paces between each individual or pair in the line. The recessional is formed in the reverse order as the processional.
After Your Wedding Day
You got married! Now what? Hopefully, you will enjoy a romantic getaway after your wedding day. You should not worry about small details while enjoying your honeymoon. When you return back to a normal life and routine, you will have a little work to do. There are few things that should be done after your wedding day.
Preserve the Bouquet
Most brides choose live flowers for their wedding bouquet. Sentimental brides want to save it. You can choose freeze-drying, silica gel, air-drying or pressing. If you are planning on having a service preserve your bouquet, you should make arrangements to have the bouquet delivered for this special service in a timely manner.
Wedding Day Money
Money is a popular wedding gift. If you had a wishing well or box to collect cards, you probably collected some checks and loose cash. Choose a responsible friend or family member that can handle the fiduciary duty, and give them instructions to hold the money or make deposits to your account. You should instruct them to make a list of the names of the gift givers to send thank you notes.
Make Returns
If you rented a tux, wedding party attire or décor, they are usually due to be returned the following day. If you are like most couples, this is not a task you want to be bothered with after your wedding day. This is usually a job for friends and family. Delegate the return of items to different members of the wedding party. Make sure you have a team leader, such as the maid of honor or best man confirm the return of all items.
Crystal Ballroom Ocala
Plan and practice your wedding day at Crystal Ballroom Ocala. Create your magical moments in a wedding venue designed just for you. Meet with designers and planners to share your vision and bring it to life in a luxurious ballroom. Plan your fairy tale with the finest at Crystal Ballroom.
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