Picking out your wedding favors can be the most enjoyable part of planning your wedding.  You can literally spend hours browsing through all the adorable favors that are available today. 

Once you’ve chosen those perfect favors for your dream wedding, consider finding a favor to give out at your rehearsal dinner as well.  No matter how elegant your wedding will be, the favors you choose for the rehearsal dinner can be just plain fun.  You can coordinate them with any theme, or they can be totally unrelated.  After months of hard work and planning, this is the time for a well-deserved evening of relaxation.  Let yourself be a little silly with your favors.  Then share that silliness with your friends and family!

Writing your own wedding vows is a very special time of reflection, but here’s a fun way to bring a little levity into the wedding rehearsal.  Take a break from the serious heartfelt emotions that will be given at the actual ceremony and write separate vows for the rehearsal.  Include some of the sillier times you’ve spent together, or the quirky little habits that you love about each other.  

The rehearsal is meant to be fun and these mock wedding vows can help to lighten the mood and set the tone for the remainder of the evening.  With your fiance’s permission, you can even write about the more embarrassing moments of your dating experience.  However, don’t go overboard and start insulting or making fun of your fiance.  After all, this is a wedding rehearsal, not a ‘roast’.  Even when writing these ‘practice vows’ you’ll want to keep ‘love, honor, and cherish’ in mind.

After the wedding rehearsal, it is customary for all participating parties to go out for a rehearsal dinner.  This is normally paid for by the groom’s parents.  Those who should attend include the bride and groom, both sets of parents, immediate families, attendants and their spouses, child attendants and their parents, the officiant and his spouse.  You may also invite grandparents and other close relatives.  Formal invitations are not necessary, but if you prefer them, they should be sent by the groom’s parents since they are the hosts.  In most cases, however, a phone call is sufficient. 

It may be a good idea to make up simple maps with directions from the church to the rehearsal dinner location.  These can be handed out after the wedding rehearsal and will be quite helpful if anyone gets lost on the way to the dinner.  Be sure reservations are made well in advance of the dinner.  For larger parties, you may want to rent out an entire room of a restaurant. 

If cost is an issue for the groom’s parents, you may consider asking if the church does any catering for rehearsal dinners and their prices.  The church in which my daughter was married, not only cooked a wonderful meal for everyone, but they also had the teenagers in the church serve the meal.  The price was much less expensive than a restaurant and the atmosphere was warm and casual. 

The rehearsal dinner is also the time many couples present their attendants with their bridesmaid and groomsmen gifts. 

Normally the evening before the wedding, it is customary to have a ‘run-through’ of the actual wedding ceremony so everyone will know what their jobs are.   This will go a long way to cut down on wedding day jitters, and if small children are involved, it is an absolute must.  

The rehearsal should be held at the site where the wedding will take place if at all possible and typically should last around 30 - 45 minutes.  The officiant will normally go over the order of events for the ceremony, including music and solos, videos (if applicable), unity candle, the marriage charge, and vows.  The attendants will be told any special instructions such as where to stand.  The Maid of Honor and the Best Man will also be informed of their special duties during the ceremony, such as handling the wedding rings, the bride’s bouquet and the bridal train.  

The rehearsal is also a good time to judge whether a young flower girl or ring bearer will be able to stand with the wedding party the entire time or if they should  sit with an adult during the ceremony.  Chances are if they become too fidgety during the rehearsal, the actual ceremony will be a real challenge.