The last thing you want on our wedding day is to have to the people involved fumbling around trying to figure out where to go. Having a wedding rehearsal is your way to make sure everyone knows when to start walking and where to stand. You should definitely have one, unless you are having only the most minimal ceremony with few or no attendants. That said, what should you actually do at your wedding rehearsal? Don’t worry! We’ve got you covered with tips for making your wedding rehearsal useful and fun!

1. Let someone else be in charge of your wedding rehearsal

You won’t be directing everything on your wedding day, so ideally whoever will be doing it then can also lead the rehearsal. You can of course give your input, prepare for your wedding by letting someone else run the show.

2. Run through the important stuff

Your wedding rehearsal shouldn’t be a complete run through of every part of your ceremony. You mainly want to go through the order of events, where everyone will stand, and what order they will enter and leave. You want the rehearsal to go quickly so you can get to the celebration afterwards!

3. Line up your attendants as you want them to be during the ceremony

To practice for the wedding, the first thing you should do is have everyone stand in the right spot. Whatever order you want your attendants to stand in, have them stand as if they were in the middle of the ceremony. While they get comfortable with their places, you can give them the important info and run through the order of the ceremony.

4. Practice the recessional first, then the processional

Once everyone is comfortable with where they will stand, they should practice the recessional, leaving in the order you want for your wedding day. Then after that’s been done to your satisfaction, everyone should practice entering the wedding in the processional. It’s kind of like doing everything in reverse, but this way your attendants will know exactly where they are going before they practice walking in.

5. Let your wedding party know where to go after the recessional

The wedding rehearsal is also a time to make announcements, if you have any. Most importantly, your wedding party should know exactly what to do once the ceremony is done. You should also remind them of anything else important, like whether the ceremony will be device-free or what time they need to show up for hair and makeup.

6. Make the rehearsal dinner about spending time with loved ones

Traditionally, after the wedding rehearsal comes a dinner hosted by the parents of the couple. It’s a nice way to spend some time with your loved ones before the big day.

7. Get creative with the post-rehearsal party

It’s a good idea to celebrate together with your close friends and family, but you don’t have to have a dinner after your rehearsal. You can have your rehearsal in the morning and have rehearsal lunch. You can have a short, informal dinner and trip to the bar, if that’s more your style. Do what makes sense for you and your loved ones!