The rehearsal dinner is arguably often the largest financial responsibility for the groom and his family in the wedding process. This event, which immediately follows the wedding rehearsal, is an opportunity to honor the bride and groom one final time before they take their wedding vows. It also gives the couple a chance to thank their families and the wedding party for their support and for being a part of the wedding. While the wedding reception will be the biggest party of the weekend, there’s no reason the rehearsal dinner can’t hold its own. We know that most men don’t have extensive event or party planning experience (it would be scary if you did). Rest assured, though, throwing a memorable rehearsal dinner shouldn’t be difficult for you and your family. Chances are you’ve been to at least one rehearsal dinner in the past and can draw from that experience. Your parents may even want to incorporate some aspects of their rehearsal dinner (location, menu, photos) into yours. Traditionally, the groom and/or his family pay for the rehearsal dinner. But if they’re unable to do so, it’s perfectly acceptable for another family member or friend of the groom’s family to take charge of it. This event doesn’t need to be a ritzy, black tie affair. While some couples like to stage a more formal affair, others prefer to just invite the wedding party to their home for a backyard barbeque. Whatever the case may be, there are some basic pieces of information that any groom-to-be should know when it comes to the rehearsal dinner. The guest list and invitations Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner guest list is comprised of the wedding party, immediate family, and anyone else who took part in the rehearsal. However, it’s not un-common to invite any out-of-town guests who have traveled in for the wedding. This is another way to thank them for making the trip to be a part of the big day. Unlike the wedding, you have a chance to be a little more casual and creative with the invitation style. If you’re on a tight budget, e-vites are a free alternative to the traditional invitation. Remember to wait to send out the invites until the wedding invitations have already gone out from the bride’s family. The venue When choosing a venue, the most important thing to remember is head count. You’ll need to know if you have enough room for everyone. It’s a safe bet that most, if not all, of your wedding party will be attending the rehearsal. Therefore, it should be easy to get a solid idea of the rehearsal dinner size. Ideally, the location of the venue will be relatively close to the church so there won’t be a long delay in getting there after the rehearsal. Common venues include banquet halls, country clubs, restaurants, church halls, golf courses, hotel event space, and homes. Realistically, anywhere with a suite or private room should be suitable. TMR Recommendation: Get creative. If you and your bride-to-be enjoy watching your favorite team together, see if their stadium has any private suites that are available for rent. The menu & catering Unless you’re holding the rehearsal dinner at a restaurant with menu options, you’ll need to decide on a caterer and a menu. The main thing to remember is to make sure that you don’t duplicate the wedding reception menu. Another big decision to make is whether you’ll have an open bar at the rehearsal dinner. Budget-wise, open bars can take a toll. One way to prevent breaking the bank is to only serve beer or wine. These drinks can be bought for a relatively cheap price compared to buying a large supply of liquor. Make it memorable You can make the rehearsal dinner memorable by making it more than just a dinner. · Many couples utilize the rehearsal dinner as a time to present their attendant gifts to the wedding party and parents. It’s always nice to personally thank each attendant again for being part of your wedding weekend. · The rehearsal dinner is also a great time for toasts (including the groom’s toast). Often, couples will decide to get the toasts out of the way at the rehearsal dinner so they won’t distract from dancing time at the reception. · If there are plans to put together a photo montage of the couple, the rehearsal dinner can be the perfect time to show it. Leslie Harris-Senac of Visions Unlimited Video Productions can help you with this. She specializes in Photo Montages. Call her today for a free consultation at: 941/315-3456 ~ Excerpt from www.themanregistry.com
Including your baby in the wedding ceremony
Many couples already have children when they say “I do.” It’s a be a big event in their children’s lives and it’s wise to acknowledge them. Of course, the wedding is all about the bride and groom. But, consider making a portion of the wedding ceremony about the children. Here are some great ideas for including children in your wedding ceremony.
~Include children in a sand ceremony. If they are old enough, give each child a shell and at the appropriate time, all family members can each scoop a bit of sand and all together poor their sand into a communal shell. Usually a large conch shell will work well for this. Give the children smaller clam or scallop shells.
~Wheeling a baby in a decorated wagon should be done with care and by an older child that will watch the baby carefully. Put lots of lacy soft pillows to make it cozy. Assigning another older child or junior bridesmaid the job of following the wagon to make sure baby stays put and is safe. For a short distance, I’ve seen this done at the end of a processional. Careful though, baby might steal the show!
~A Dove Release during your wedding ceremony adds special symbolic meaning. Generally, two birds are released representing the bride and groom an entering the journey of their new life together. Add an extra dove to represent the unity of family. Watch as they are released and soar to the sky. The doves will circle, join together and fly home.
~Another way to include your children in your wedding ceremony, is to presenting your child with a bracelet or necklace during the ceremony. Give some promises of continued support and love. This is a wonderful way to reassure children that they are an important part of the family. It’s a big day for them too, and they need to be honored in some special unique way. When captured on video, these moments will be treasured forever. Make sure to tell your videographer when you are planning on something unusual like this. We may need to place extra microphones to capture the words, or bring an extra video camera to get a unique angle to feature small children in your beautiful wedding video.
~by Leslie Harris Senac of Visions Unlimited Video Productions, Inc., of Sarasota
You Deserve to Hire a Professional Videographer for Your Special Day
Your wedding day may be the most important day of your life. Why trust it to a part time photographer who “does video” on the side? Allowing Uncle Charlie to capture your most cherished memories is a worse idea.
Leave it to the professional who has the proper equipment, creative talent and skill to do the job well. It takes someone with many years of on-the-job training to get great shots while being unobtrusive and graceful. Professional microphones, lighting kits and filters are a big investment that most people don’t carry in their camera bag. Your full time professional videographer has all this and more to insure that your wedding day memories are preserved with class and style. Let us take away the worry, and let a professional handle your videography.
You have more important things to think about on your wedding day, than being concerned if Uncle Charlie is having one drink too many, or if he’s decided to dance to his favorite songs. It was a very nice offer: to shoot your wedding video, but he just doesn’t have the experience to do your wedding justice. Let him dance the night away and have that extra drink; your professional videographer will get some amazing shots of him enjoying himself… and you’ll look a lot more relaxed too!
Contact Visions Unlimited at 941.315-3456 or les@beautifulvideos.com to discuss your Wedding Video with Film maker & Owner, Leslie Harris-Senac of Sarasota, Florida.