More and more couples are opting to have their wedding ceremony and reception in the same venue.  This is extremely convenient for guests and many times, you may find it to be more cost effective as well (saving on transportation, alternate venue fees, etc.)  With a ceremony most often comes the need for a rehearsal – typically the evening before the wedding – in the wedding ceremony location.  And yet, just as common, is a venue’s policy of not guaranteeing the rehearsal date and time until approximately one month prior to the wedding date.

Why is that?  With so much planning that must be done with scheduling everyone’s’ attendance and arranging the rehearsal dinner, why would a venue wait until a couple weeks before the wedding day to confirm a rehearsal date and time?  Because there is a chance the venue can book your event space on the day before your event.  And rather than bumping you from the space, it usually works out best to avoid setting the rehearsal date and time until the wedding date is closer.

Let’s say you are getting married on a Saturday and the venue has indeed booked a Friday evening event, you could consider:

• Late afternoon rehearsal: Get together around 3pm and have time to dress for dinner before your family, bridal party and out-of-town guests meet you at the rehearsal dinner location.
• Early afternoon rehearsal: Get together around 11am and conclude with a casual lunch before embarking on a day at the spa!
• Thursday rehearsal: Meet an additional day before and know that not everyone will be able to attend.  The thing to note is that whomever misses the rehearsal will be brought up to speed by your coordinator and the rest of your bridal party.
• Rehearsing off site: Your neighborhood park can double as your venue’s garden, and afterward, you are in the prime location for a BBQ!
• Skip it altogether: If your bridal party isn’t huge and your ceremony procession isn’t complicated, you could very well skip the rehearsal, especially with a seasoned wedding coordinator on your team.

Most importantly, don’t let this loose end worry you — your wedding venue is accustomed to accommodating rehearsals and will likely take every step possible to make sure your experience is a good one!