Practice Makes Perfect? (Part Two)

In my last post, I described the way our church’s coordinator assured me that even though the priest skipped out on the rehearsal, he knew what to do, and would closely follow the outline she created. Well, guess what? He didn’t. At the end of our ceremony, the priest skipped entirely over the Irish wedding blessing my sister was supposed to read, prompting the musician to instead start the recessional song.

And since Kellie had been poised to head to the podium, she was unable to hand me my bouquet as I made my exit. Plus, instead of introducing us by our names, as we’d requested, he introduced us as just “the newest couple in the world.” The hurried rehearsal also left the wedding party a bit confused, and they forgot to stand beside us as we said our vows.

After the ceremony, our guests kept raving about what a beautiful ceremony we’d just had. And I agreed with them wholeheartedly. The mishaps went over the heads of everyone but us, and definitely weren’t serious. The church’s director? She even came up to me and said, “Everything went perfectly!” In the moment, I was way too happy and excited to correct her.

But looking back, I can’t help but feel disappointed that the wedding blessing I’d been so enthusiastic about, which honored our shared heritage, wasn’t part of the ceremony, and that my sister didn’t get to participate as a reader.

Practice makes perfect? I guess, but only if the practice is done perfectly, or at least done well.

LESSON LEARNED: If at all possible, insist that everyone with a part in your ceremony, however large or small their roles may be, comes to the rehearsal. This includes the officiant and musicians, who were absent at ours. If you can, also ask the coordinator to lead you through a practice run of the entire ceremony itself, rather than just the processional or just the readings. This will help prevent a lot of confusion at the worst possible moments. And what if things still go wrong? Just smile and roll with it. At that point, there’s nothing that can be done, and trust me, you will be far too happy to care, at least at the time!

What special readings or personalized elements will you add to the ceremony?

(Photo Credits: Alex Neumann Photography)

Practice Makes Perfect? (Part One)

They say practice makes perfect, but of course that’s only true when you fully do practice! Never was this clearer than at our rehearsal.

The night before the wedding, Stephen and I arrived at the church early to meet with Cari, our day-of coordinator, and transfer all of our treasures into her SUV for setup the following day. After many fun greetings and hugs from our wedding party and family members, the church’s own coordinator took control, leading us through a prayer and the processional.

After that, our readers had a chance to rehearse, and she gave everyone a brief description as to the order of the ceremony, including what the priest would be doing, plus when to sit and stand.

Why was she merely describing what the priest would do rather than his actually doing it? Because he wasn’t there. Though I’d been worried about this aspect all along, the church coordinator had assured me time and time again that the priest – who was still fairly new to performing marriages – knew exactly what to do, and would closely follow the outline she provided him.

Being the calm, cool, chill bride that I was, I took her at her word. But did these famous last words hold true, or did things go horribly awry? Stay tuned…

When and how do you plan to rehearse before the wedding?

(Photo Credits: Personal Library)

Rehearsal Dinner Dishing

As disappointed as I was about all the confusion during our rehearsal, which I’ll share details about soon, the rehearsal dinner is another story entirely!

Stephen’s parents were generous enough to host our pre-wedding celebration at Buca di Beppo, an Italian family-style restaurant known for its good food and fun atmosphere. Hungry and pumped up with excitement about the wedding, we headed over straight from the church for a relaxed meal with our wedding party, close family members and friends, plus out-of-town relatives.

Here, a few fun recaps from the dinner that got the party started!

Stephen and I smiled the night away as we drank, talked and toasted with our loved ones, many of whom we hadn’t seen in years.

Our guests had a blast using glass-safe markers to sign the two bottles of champagne I’d brought along, and also got a good laugh out of the cheesy “bride and groom” slipcovers I placed on top of each one. These bottles are now safely stored away for us to enjoy on our first anniversary!

Uncle Stephen, who my husband is named after, had everyone cracking up with funny and embarrassing family stories during his toast. I’d share a couple, but the groom would probably kill me!

The wedding party happily filled up on ravioli, pasta, tiramisu, and all the other yummy indulgences that left us beyond stuffed.

Where will you hold your rehearsal dinner, and who do you plan to include on the guest list? Will you host a separate party for out-of-towners?

(Photo Credits: Personal Library)

Live From Our Rehearsal Dinner!

Less than 24 hours until I am a Mrs.! :)

Wedding Week Countdown: It’s Showtime!

Well, I’ve been saying it and thinking it throughout the week, but this is the real deal! I’m about to trade “bicoastal bride” for “bicoastal newlywed” in just one short day. Wow!

The tuxes are ready to go, my gown is pressed and hanging, and in just a few hours, we’ll be heading out to our rehearsal at the church, followed by dinner at Buca di Beppo. We’ll be loading up all the trinkets and DIY projects we’ve put so much time and effort into, and we’ll soon be making our practice walk down the aisle.

I feel excited yet relaxed, eager to get my nails done and greet all of our guests who are arriving into town today. The weather is beautiful, everything is done and ready to go, and from this point on, I plan to just take it all in, enjoy the moment, and roll with the punches should anything go wrong. This day is ours, and nothing that happens will change that or bring us down.

For wedding day updates tomorrow, feel free to check out the Bicoastal Bride page on Facebook, and follow @Bicoastal_Bride on Twitter. Maybe I’ll even manage to sneak in a little blogging here and there with the help of my trusty iPhone!

Until then...

(Photo Credit: Kellie Warren)

Rehearsal Dress for a Steal?

Back in December, I told you I was considering a big $300 splurge on this lovely gown from Alfred Angelo’s “Little White Dress” collection.

While I’m still considering snapping up this beauty to wear to our rehearsal and dinner, I also recently bought a fun, sassy dress on clearance at Macy’s for just $15!

Though I initially thought the playful print might look horrible on me, I surprised myself by absolutely loving it. What do you think? Is it rehearsal-worthy or over-the-top crazy?

(Photo Credits: Alfred Angelo & Heather Warren)

Rehearsal Dinner: An Italian-Style Dose of Family Fun!

After Stephen’s parents generously offered to host our rehearsal dinner, we sent them a list of a few restaurants in the area we thought might be fun yet still classy enough to reflect the significance of the occasion. Of course, the first options that popped into my head were all my favorite Mexican places! But, since we’re going with south-of-the-border entrees at the wedding, none of those hot spots will work.

What to do? Go Italian, of course!

Conveniently located right down the street from the church where we’ll be holding the rehearsal beforehand, Buca di Beppo is one of my all-time favorite quirky, family-style restaurants. From the infamous “pope room” to the hearty portions, my Italian roots have me feeling right at home in this place. Though our final menu for about 35 guests is still in the works, you can bet it will be complete with classics like bruschetta, chicken limone, and tiramisu for dessert. Yum!

If you’re holding a rehearsal dinner, where will it take place, and how formal will it be? Do you expect a large number of guests?

(Graphic Credit: Buca di Beppo)

I’m Dreaming of a…Cute Rehearsal Dress!

Though I admit it would be fun to change into a short, sassy reception dress, I’m so psyched about my gown that I plan to spend every possible minute of my wedding day wearing it.

As for the rehearsal and dinner, I had that all planned out, too, thinking I’d stick with a black and gold dress I already own and love. But, of course, that would just be too easy! No, I had to go and discover Alfred Angelo’s “Little White Dress” collection, including this gorgeously elegant pick, which is 100 percent my style.

The price code on the website says the dress is under $300. What do you think, ladies? Is it worth it? Would you or did you spend that much on a rehearsal dress? Will you be changing into a separate dress for the reception?

Oh, decisions, decisions…

(Photo Credit: Alfred Angelo)