How to Prepare for your Wedding Ceremony Rehearsal

Written By Cat Carter

Let’s set the scene. It’s the day before your wedding day. You are getting ready with your best friends and you are anxiously awaiting for your wedding day to begin in a few short hours. You’re hoping everything goes smoothly and thankfully, you’ve hired Verve Weddings and Events to plan and coordinate your wedding weekend. Here is exactly how your ceremony rehearsal will be run with our team.

Step 1:

Before we officially begin your ceremony rehearsal, you will want to send us your “ceremony processional” which is the order that your wedding party will walk down the aisle.

Ceremony Processional Example:

Officiant

Groom escorting his mother to her seat

Bride's Grandma and Grandpa

Groom's Grandma and Grandpa

Bride's Mother (escorted by usher, bride's brother, uncle, etc.)

Groom's Father and escort

Groomsmen (beginning with the groomsmen who is going to be the furthest away from the groom)

Best Man

Bridesmaids (beginning with the bridesmaid who is going to be the furthest away from the bride)

Maid of Honor

Ring Bearers

Flower Girls

Bride and Father of the Bride

Step 2:

Now that you have done your homework, we can officially begin.

Ceremony Rehearsal:

How we run our ceremony rehearsals at Verve is the tried and true way to run a rehearsal. If you have been in weddings that do it any other way, they are wrong and you should reach out to them to let them know we have a better way.

In advance make sure your coordinator has:

  • The processional order (see above)

  • Specific seating assignments for the first two rows of the ceremony

  • Ceremony script

  • Special ceremony elements: unity candle, personal vows, etc.

1. Tell your family and wedding party to be at the ceremony rehearsal 30 minutes before it is supposed to begin.

2. The coordinator will ask everyone to take a seat so they can review a few house rules and reminders before beginning. These will include:

  • Your coordinator's name and phone number. Your coordinator will ask the best man and maid of honor to text the coordinator immediately so they have their number. They will also ask the best man and maid of honor to text you with updates on the bride and groom throughout the wedding day.

  • What time the bridesmaids, groomsmen, and family should be dressed and ready at the venue.

  • Where everyone will be meeting when they arrive at the venue on wedding day. Your coordinator will give everyone a "landing zone".

  • Your coordinator will remind the best man to get the wedding rings from the photographer on the wedding day 45 minutes before the ceremony. Your coordinator will look them deep into their soul and say, "Now this is important because I will not remember, you MUST remember". The best man will keep the wedding rings in his SECURE pocket (no holes) until the officiant asks for them.

3. Then, your coordinator will ask the people that have special assigned seats in the first two aisles to sit in the order. Typically, your coordinator will call these individuals out auctioneer-style.

4. Next your coordinator will ask for the family members to remain seated as the coordinator puts together the line up for everyone who will be standing up during the ceremony. First the bridesmaids starting from left to right and then the groomsmen.

  • Example: The bride's processional order is Stacy, Margaret, and Clair then Stacy will be standing the furthest from the bride, then Margaret in the middle, and Clair will be standing where the maid of honor traditionally stands. The person that walks first in the processional will be standing furthest from the couple.

5. After the wedding party is lined up and the bride and groom are in the correct positions, here is what your coordinator will remind everyone:

  • Bridesmaids + Groomsmen:

    • Stand straight but relaxed. Pictures will not turn out well if they are too rigid. They will also suck if they are yawning, picking their wedgie, or on their phone.

    • Reminder to bend the knees. You can't pass out with your knees bent. It's science.

    • The wedding party should not be totally facing the couple. They should have their shoulders angled 90 degrees and just watch with their eyes, not their whole bodies.

    • In the picture below, the bridesmaids are doing great. Alternatively, the groomsmen just absolutely suck. They are not listening to what the coordinator is saying.

Bridesmaids: Should hold their bouquets a little bit lower than their belly buttons so the top of the bouquet is just above the navel.

Groomsmen: Hands should be held LEFT over RIGHT. Not at their sides, not clenched, not in their pockets. When in doubt, tell the groomsmen that their wedding ring should be on top of the other hand.

  • Groomsmen should not have anything in their MOUTHS or POCKETS during the ceremony. Cell phones, wallets, pagers, dip, gum, will make it look like they have an unusual growth in their pocket.

6. The Father: When the bride walks up with her father (or guardian), the officiant will ask "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?" and the father will say, "Her mother and I". At that point in time, the father will give the bride a kiss on the cheek and take a handshake from the groom. The father will then place the bride's hand in the groom's hand. The maid of honor at that point will take the bride's bouquet and hand both the Maid of Honor's bouquet and the bride's bouquet to the bridesmaid standing behind the Maid of Honor. The Maid of Honor will then adjust the bride's train to create a swooping motion in a letter "C" with the tail of the dress facing the stage left side of the crowd.

7. Before the coordinator starts dismissing people down the aisle, the coordinator will remind the wedding party not to leave. Do not call an uber, do not get a pizza, just calmly and quietly stay at the back of the ceremony venue and wait for further instructions from the coordinator.

8. The Dip: When the bride and groom are announced by the officiant, the Maid of Honor will hand the bride's bouquet back to the bride. The bride and groom will take 5-10 seconds to enjoy the moment and look into their families' eyes. They will then continue walking down the aisle.

  • Halfway down the aisle, the bride and groom will dip and kiss. This is important to remember to practice!

9. After the bride and groom dip and kiss, the maid of honor and best man will link up and begin walking down the aisle. Depending on how long the aisle is, your coordinator will instruct the next couple to begin walking either halfway down the aisle or at the 6th row of chairs.

10. Then, your coordinator will get everyone in the processional order including the family members. The wedding party will then practice walking into the ceremony, seating, standing, and then recessing like practiced.

Cat Carter
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