Michelle McCulloch, whose son, Bryan, married in 2020. What advice would you give someone planning a rehearsal dinner? The wedding was in Decatur, and most attendees were at a hotel near the venue, so we carefully chose the rehearsal dinner location to be a short ride from the hotel. For the table decorations, I used Pinterest for inspiration. I proposed a budget to the florist initially, instead of leaving it open ended, and she described what she could do for that budget. On the night of the party, I let the event host watch the clock and prompt me at certain times to invite guests to sit, do the toast, etc. You lose track of time when you are socializing. Michelle dances with her son, Bryan, who married Cloe Drury on Dec. 19, 2020.
A tip for wedding planning.
My advice to brides would be to invite the parents of the groom when making selections, if possible. It meant the world to us to be included in the wedding planning, especially since we don’t have daughters.
What was your biggest challenge, and how did you resolve it?
Cutting the guest list in half after the Save the Dates had already gone out, because of safety requirements during the pandemic. Guests who were removed from the list received a mini bottle of champagne and a heartfelt note from the bride and groom, so they could raise a glass on the wedding night to toast the newlyweds and feel included in the celebration.
Pinterest helped inspire the table decorations for the rehearsal dinner. TOWNELAKER | June 2021
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