The rehearsal is incredibly important, not only for obvious reasons, but also because it reduces the risk of ceremony surprises, tends to relax the wedding party, and gives his side a chance to mingle with her side. It also makes the reception even more fun and personal.

The wedding rehearsal is a practice of the ceremony from beginning to end, allowing everybody involved to feel more confident about what will happen the next day. Anyone who plays a role in the ceremony should attend. This includes the officiant, the wedding party, readers, and parents. Walk through the ceremony, establishing the pace and timing, in the order each element will occur, and make sure all of the participants know their responsibilities.

The Rehearsal Checklist provides a cheat sheet of everything you both need to remember about the rehearsal, including what you both should take along that you will need on your actual wedding day.

The Rehearsal Party

The rehearsal party immediately follows the official rehearsal. While the party is traditionally hosted by the groom's family, there's nothing wrong with other relatives, the parents of the bride or even the happy couple themselves doing the honors. This is one of those rules that are allowed to be broken.

The rehearsal party is a chance for the bride and groom to mingle with loved ones and introduce wedding attendants from his family to wedding attendants from her family. It's also traditionally the time for the couple to give gifts to each wedding party attendant.

Only those who will actually take part in the rehearsal -- the bride and groom, their parents, the officiant, the wedding party (including any child attendants), and readers -- plus their spouses or dates, need to be invited to the rehearsal itself and the festivities that follow. However, the guest list may be longer. You might want to include other family members (such as grandparents) and close friends, for example. Many couples invite their out-of-town guests as well, making the dinner into a welcoming party. Written invitations are not required, but still it's a good idea to send them if more than just family will be attending; and the host should mail them right after the wedding invitations go out.

Rehearsal parties can run the gamut. They can be quite formal or extremely casual. They can be in a restaurant or a private home, and can be anything from a banquet to an outdoor picnic. They can include dinner or simply be drinks and appetizers. In other words, anything goes and anything is acceptable.

Because it's typically the first time the bride and groom see most of their close friends and family together, the rehearsal dinner can feel like a reunion. For a more formal dinner, or one with a larger guest list, it helps to have a seating chart so people aren't at a loss about where to go when it's time for the meal to be served. Furthermore, some members of the two families may be meeting for the first time, and relatives may not be acquainted with everyone in the wedding party. Encourage conversation by seating these people together (if you're sure they'll be comfortable), or simply make a point of introducing them personally sometime during the evening.

Toasts are often a big part of the evening, and unlike those at the wedding reception, where the order may be well planned, rehearsal dinner toasts tend to be spontaneous. In this intimate and casual setting, guests will often feel comfortable sharing their memories of the couple and wishing them well. If the groom's parents are hosting, his father might begin by welcoming all the guests and offering a toast to the bride and groom. The father of the bride can stand next, followed by the attendants and any other guests who want to speak.

During the toasts, the bride and groom have a chance to say a few words of thanks to all of the people taking part in the wedding. This is also the traditional time for them to present gifts to the members of the wedding party (and perhaps the parents) to thank them for their support. Traditionally speaking, the groom will handle gifts for his Best Man and groomsmen and the bride will pick out gifts for her Maid/Matron of Honor and bridesmaids. Gifts to the parents should be presented by the bride and groom, together.

Wedding Party Gifts

You should know enough about the people in your wedding party to know their likes and dislikes, but that doesn't make it any easier. There's really no rule stating how much to spend or the type of wedding party gift to buy, just use your best judgment. Don't pick out something in haste though; you want the gift to be as personal as possible. If your Best Man and Maid of Honor went on and beyond the call of duty, you'll want to get them something extra special.

Many couples choose to give some sort of keepsake commemorating their special day. For instance, women might get a jewelry or picture frame engraved with the couples name and the wedding date. A gift for the men could be an engraved pen and pencil or a travel. Sometimes the couple will personalize the gift with the recipient's name and even add a thank you for being a part of their day.

Purchasing gifts for flower girls and ring bearers are trickier as you'd like to purchase something appropriate for younger attendants. An engraved locket or jewelry box for a young girl and perhaps a tie clip or dresser top money bank for a young boy are nice ideas. There have also been instances where the bride and groom have given savings bonds.