Do you actually need a wedding rehearsal?
I don’t think so! But that certainly doesn't mean we're just going to wing it on your wedding day. No siree.
As a Melbourne marriage celebrant, one of the things I love most about the lead-up to a wedding is our final run-through. It's an online meeting I have with all my couples in the week leading up to their big day, and while it might not involve physically walking down the aisle, I promise you, we cover plenty.
In fact, of all the meetings we'll have together, this is the one where I often see couples jumping and clapping with excitement by the time we finish our call!
All those little questions you've been carrying around get answered, the final details fall into place, and you leave feeling relaxed and ready.
Exactly how I want you to feel as you walk into your wedding day.
First, let's check in.
We'll jump online, have a chat and see how you're both feeling.
How's that to-do list looking? Anything you're worried about? Any last-minute questions or changes I need to know about?
By this point, your wedding is only days away, so there's usually a fair bit going on! This is a chance to check in, talk through anything that's on your mind and make sure we're all on the same page.
We'll also take another look over your legal paperwork. When it comes to names, dates and all those important details, having another set of eyes to run over these docs is always a good thing.
Then I'll pull out my trusty checklist, and we'll get into it.
Let's walk through your wedding ceremony.
Now, just because we're not physically standing at your wedding venue doesn't mean we can't walk through exactly how your ceremony will unfold.
We'll start with what happens before the ceremony even begins.
I'll remind you that I'll be there an hour beforehand to check in with you both, have you sign the Declaration of No Legal Impediment to Marriage and make sure everything is ready to go.
We'll talk about where you'll stand, which side you'll be on and where you'd like your guests seated. I'll also explain how I'll help organise your wedding party and guide your guests into their seats. And yes, I'll encourage everyone to fill the rows because nobody wants a sea of empty chairs in their wedding photos!
We'll double-check who's holding the rings, who your witnesses are and any other important people involved in your ceremony.
Then we'll work our way through the ceremony itself.
I'll explain where I'll be standing, when I'll step between you and when I'll move out of the way. We'll go through your speaking parts, who's going first with their vows and whether you're still happy with that order.
And of course, we'll check how to pronounce everyone's names. I'll often get you to say them aloud so I can practice, and I'll write them phonetically into my script. The last thing I want is to stumble over the name of someone who's important to you!
As we work through everything, questions naturally come up. And that's a good thing.
I want you to ask them. Even the ones you think might be silly, because chances are I've heard them before.
Now for the fun part!
We're going to practice exchanging your rings! But first, I'll ask what you're planning to do with your engagement ring. Will you leave it on or move it to your other hand? That way, your other half knows exactly what to expect.
Alright, turn to face each other.
This part almost always gets a few giggles, especially when I ask you to look lovingly into each other's eyes over a video call.
We'll go through how the ring exchange works, when to put the rings on and how you'll repeat those all-important words after me.
It might feel a little funny practicing in your lounge room, but it's such a lovely little preview of what's to come. And don't worry, you don't need to memorise anything. I'll be right there guiding you through it all on the day.
I'll also share a few of my little tips, particularly how to make the most of that wonderful moment when you're officially married and heading back down the aisle.
So, do you actually need a wedding rehearsal?
In my experience, an online final run-through is more than enough to feel prepared for your wedding ceremony.
It'll give you both that all-important understanding of what's going to happen, along with the reassurance that someone will be there to guide you through it.
And that's exactly what I'm there for.
Relaxed. Ready. Excited.
By the time we finish our call, you'll know where to stand, what to say and how everything will unfold. You'll know what I'll be doing behind the scenes and that I'll be there to guide you through the whole thing.
My couples often tell me they leave our final run-through feeling relaxed, ready and excited.
And that's exactly the point.
You don't need to rehearse every step of your wedding ceremony to feel completely prepared for it.
All that's left to do now is count down the days until we see each other again.
And this time, you're getting married!
If you're planning your wedding and love the idea of feeling this prepared, my Signature Ceremony Package includes all of this and so much more. You can explore what's included here.
