Is the officiant really necessary at the rehersal?

blondii428

Most of the officiants that we have looked at charge additional (and quite a bit I might add) to be present at the rehersal.  Is it really necessary to have him there or is this an area we could save on?  Any past experiences with this? Thanks for the advice!

itzMS

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_is-the-officiant-really-necessary-at-the-rehersal?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:d87ab37b-abcd-4ce8-93cf-388841830f3bPost:7fbcbc97-9e89-4f0e-b943-39098d490c97">Is the officiant really necessary at the rehersal?</a>:
[QUOTE]Most of the officiants that we have looked at charge additional (and quite a bit I might add) to be present at the rehersal.  Is it really necessary to have him there or is this an area we could save on?  Any past experiences with this? Thanks for the advice!
Posted by blondii428[/QUOTE]

Well, you don't have to have a rehearsal at all. Honestly, people can figure out how to walk down an aisle.

If you are dead-set on having a rehearsal, it would make sense to have the officiant there. Mainly because walking through the ceremony is the only point of a rehearsal.

kks4471

When I asked our pastor about rehearsal, he said if we really needed him there, he would charge us $400. We decided to not have him at rehearsal, and still had a beautiful wedding ceremony the next day.

Jen4948

If you really need to do a rehearsal, I think it's a good idea to have the officiant there, so he knows what's what, but it's not absolutely necessary either to have a rehearsal or for him to be there.  As the PP mentions, he may charge extra for his presence at the rehearsal.

Simply Fated

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_is-the-officiant-really-necessary-at-the-rehersal?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:10Discussion:d87ab37b-abcd-4ce8-93cf-388841830f3bPost:7fbcbc97-9e89-4f0e-b943-39098d490c97">Is the officiant really necessary at the rehersal?</a>:
[QUOTE]Most of the officiants that we have looked at charge additional (and quite a bit I might add) to be present at the rehersal.  Is it really necessary to have him there or is this an area we could save on?  <strong>Any past experiences with this?</strong> Thanks for the advice!
Posted by blondii428[/QUOTE]
My friends had their rehearsals at the church where the ceremony would be, so the priest sorta came with the rehearsal. Like, we couldn't rehearse in the space unless he was there. I don't know if he charged.

I've only been a guest at religious wedding ceremonies where there was more to it than just walking to the front and them saying "I do." I had to switch chairs, carry holy water, and there were candles and all sorts of stuff I had no experience with at all. The rehearsal definitely helped me AND the priest was super helpful. That's just my experience, though. Plenty of ladies on here will tell you that a rehearsal isn't wasn't necessary. Everyone's experiences are different, of course. It really all depends on you, your wedding party, and your ceremony.

If there isn't more than just walking to the front and saying I do, then you need to decide if at least having a walk-through would be helpful. Otherwise, skip the rehearsal and wing it.

Tandksmommy

Our officiant doesn't do rehearsals. If you feel more comfortable having one, it's mainly just to iron out the details on who is standing where, who will hold what, and what the cues are to start walking in/out.

cwaggoner07

Ours was there, and I really liked that. He was experienced, and between him and my coordinator, they pretty much had the entire thing handled, and had lots of good tips.

MoxieMickie

If you're officiant is experienced and your ceremony is fairly traditional ie, they are familiar with the components having them present shouldn't be necessary.

MoxieMickie

If your officiant is experienced and your ceremony is fairly traditional ie, they are familiar with the components having them present shouldn't be necessary.

blondii428

Our wedding is at a venue and when I spoke to them, she said that it is totally optional and that since there will be a coordinater there that works at the venue we should be okay without having him there.  Thanks for all the feedback!

yellowdaisies84

We are skipping the rehearsal. Our officiant said most couples do. I've been to two rehearsals before as a bridesmaid/friend and when I look back, they could definitely have been skipped if the couples had wanted to skip it.