We've talked about it before so you all know that we HIGHLY recommend a rehearsal dinner to do an actual walk-through of the ceremony but also to thank your wedding party for committing time, money, and support to be part of your celebration.
BUT.... what are the wedding rehearsal dinner details that need to be communicated to your wedding party and how do you actually go about "planning" the wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner for your destination wedding?
Let me tell you.....
The basics.
Date
Time
Location (for both the ceremony and the dinner if its in two places!)
Attire - Are you doing a theme? Is it casual or should they be in "cocktail" attire?
Their Role - Make sure that each guest knows their role in the wedding party and whether or not they should be attending the rehearsal.
Money - let people know if this is a hosted dinner or if they will have any financial responsibility for the rehearsal dinner. This should be communicated well in advance and we highly recommend hosting your guests. Work with the restaurant, caterer, or venue to make a decision about the budget for the bar. Open bar? Cash Bar? Hosted bar until a certain dollar amount? Work this out in advance so that you can communicate with your wedding party!
Officiant:
Their verbiage - If your officiant will be attending the ceremony rehearsal, make sure they have their script ready to go and cover the key details. They should know the following information:
Who will be the witness on the marriage license?
Will you be doing your own vows?
Who will be holding the rings?
Will you be "presented" by your escort ("who presents this bride")
How would you like to be announced for the first time? (Mr and Mrs. Smith... Jacqueline and Ed....etc."
When will you be signing the marriage license?
Your appreciation - you'll want to make sure that your guests feel loved and appreciated every step of the way and this rehearsal dinner is part of how you express that gratitude.
Those are the basics that should be covered in your communication to your wedding party regarding your wedding rehearsal dinner. I'll take it one step further and give you a sample script..... You're welcome!!
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Dear Wedding Party!
We get married in ONE MONTH and (insert your partners name) and I are beyond excited to get married with you by our sides. You have been absolutely amazing through this process and we cannot wait to celebrate with you in (Insert wedding destination) in 30 short days.
Here is the information you should have regarding the wedding rehearsal dinner:
Date:
Time:
Location (include the address):
Attire:
Please join (insert your partners name) and I at the ceremony rehearsal for a quick walk-through of the ceremony processional/recessional led by our wedding coordinator, (insert their name). The walk-through will be followed by a hosted dinner at (insert restaurant/venue) as a THANK YOU for your love and support! There is no one that we would rather have by our side to celebrate our marriage. <3
Please let us know if you have any questions or see our wedding website (link website) for details! See you soon!!
** Don't forget to add other details about their roles and additional information for the officiant as needed!
Thanks,
(insert your name and your partners name!)
________________________________________________________________________________
Your rehearsal and rehearsal dinner are an EVENT so there are decisions, budgets, and logistics required to coordinate these. Feeling overwhelmed and want our team to take this off your plate? WE'VE GOT YOU COVERED. SunRae Planning offers full wedding rehearsal planning in addition to any of our wedding planning packages and cannot wait to help you plan your entire dream wedding weekend!
Lets start chatting about all the fun we're going to have in this process!
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