Is a Rehearsal Necessary?

This is one of those questions which has two completely different answers depending on who you’re talking to. As a wedding photographer, sitting here alongside my wedding planner friend, it may come as no surprise that we are firmly in the ‘Yes, please’ camp on this one. But hear me out before you walk away! Rehearsals are a great opportunity for your party, family, officiant, and photographer(s) to see the processional timing and layout. Everyone can run through the plan once or twice to see where they enter the ceremony, where they will stand, how fast - or slow - they will move, and the timeline of events. This is especially important if you have little ones involved. For this reason I recommend having the rehearsal in the ceremony location if you’re able to gain access the afternoon or evening before. You don’t have to be there long; even twenty minutes is enough for a quick run through with questions. Attending a rehearsal also gives me a chance to speak with the officiant. I want to know if there are areas that I am restricted from entering, if there are certain points in the proceedings that they would like us to cease shooting out of respect for their beliefs, and if there are any surprises and special moments that we should be watching for. I love unique weddings and am always happy to see a little twist on a traditional ceremony with family rings for the kids, or songs sung by loved ones - there are a million little ways to make every part of the day your own, including the ceremony. Whatever you decide to do, keep in mind the purpose of your rehearsal; to take some of the guesswork out of the ceremony for you and the people involved. I request a few cell phone photos and a quick rundown of the plan if the rehearsal is too far away for me to be in attendance so I have an idea of what the lighting and layout will look like before arriving. If there are a few minutes before the ceremony the next day, I make sure to introduce myself and my second shooter to the officiant and ask the questions we were unable to pose the day before so they are confident that we intend to respect the boundaries and importance of their role in the ceremony.

We asked our resident wedding planner Kirstin with Three Strands Wedding Design for her tips for a quick and painless rehearsal: - Include someone experienced to take charge (usually the planner or officiant) - Start where you will end up (at the ‘altar’) and mark where everyone needs to stand - Move to where you will be before the ceremony and practice getting back to the altar - Practice leaving the ceremony - Run the whole thing a second time so you will remember even when you’re nervous!