Key Takeaways
Invite the wedding party, parents, and officiant to ensure they know their roles in the ceremony rehearsal.
Include younger wedding party members so they feel comfortable and know where to go during the ceremony.
Readers and performers should attend to understand their cues and practice without an audience for smooth execution.
It might sound like a formality before the rehearsal dinner and welcome party, but a ceremony rehearsal is pretty important. After all, practice makes perfect, and a run-through with your wedding party and officiant will ensure everyone knows when to walk, where to stand, and what to say throughout the big day. But as you slowly plan out your schedule in the days leading up to your nuptials, you might be wondering who actually goes to a wedding rehearsal.
According to wedding planner Tracy Evans-Bowles, "The main people who are required to attend the ceremony rehearsal are the couple, the wedding party, parents, the officiant, and in a perfect world, the DJ or any performance that takes place at the ceremony." After that, anyone else you choose to invite is a personal choice.
Ahead, following the continued advice of Evans-Bowles, here's a quick guide of everyone you will need to invite to your ceremony rehearsal prior to saying "I do."
The Wedding Party, Parents, and Officiant
In general, the most important people to have at your ceremony rehearsal are those who will be participating in some way, whether it's walking down the aisle or doing a reading. This means that the wedding party, parents, and officiant absolutely need to attend this pre-nuptial event, as it helps ensure that "everyone knows their role in this production, how to proceed down the aisle, who’s their partner, where to stand, and most importantly, to relieve everyone's nerves," shares Evans-Bowles.
Thus, have as much of your wedding party there as possible. If one or two members are on later flights or don't get in until the morning of your wedding, that's fine, but you want the majority of your crew there to practice the processional and recessional. "The officiant's role is to do an informal run-through of the program," Evans-Bowles adds.
Younger Wedding Party Members
Do you have little ones participating, as well? The rehearsal is a perfect time to familiarize them with what they'll be doing, as well as to help them get more comfortable in a new space. Show them exactly where their parents will be sitting, and where they should go when they're done walking down the aisle, so that it won't be too scary or new the big day.
Ceremony Readers and Performers
Make sure that all of your readers and performers are present, too. They don't need to read every line of what they'll be sharing on your wedding day, but knowing what happens before they're supposed to speak will give them a good cue once the real deal is underway. Additionally, Evans-Bowles notes that if you have a DJ or a live performer, this is the perfect time for sound check and to ensure all musical cues are solidified.
One final piece of advice: Try not to have too many extra people around so that the rehearsal can run smoothly and quickly, without distractions. They'll get to see your ceremony in real life soon enough!
