Most people think (and a lot of officiants want you to think) that it's necessary for your officiant to be present at the wedding rehearsal. Paying the officiant to come manage your rehearsal is sometimes an expense that you don't need to incur, for it's pretty easy to facilitate a rehearsal without having your officiant in attendance.
When you work with us, you are going to end up having a written script of your wedding ceremony in hand. Some couples can take this script and adequately walk through a rehearsal on their own. See our article Running Your Own Wedding Rehearsal for tips on how to do this.
The primary focus of a rehearsal should be on the processional, the placement of your bridal party as they stand at the front, and the recessional (the walking-in, the where to stand and the walking-out). It's not necessary to practice the words of the entire ceremony; leave some of the fun for the actual wedding day.
Here are some things to consider in deciding if you need the officiant at your rehearsal:
Your venue: does your site offer an on-site coordinator as part of your package? If so, they are used to running the rehearsal and will often do it for you for no extra charge.
The size of your wedding party, and their experience at being attendants: if you only have two attendants each and they've been in weddings before, save yourself the expense of paying for someone to run your rehearsal. If, however, you have 5 bridesmaids and groomsmen each, two ring bearers and a flower girl, you might want a professional to oversee your walk-through.
Your own personality: Everyone in the world may tell you that you don't need a rehearsal, but if that's going to stress you on your wedding day, then spend the money. It'll be well worth it.
Your budget: Adding a rehearsal to a Classic Custom Ceremony is an additional $125. If money is no object, then go for it. But if you're looking to conserve funds, there are less expensive ways to have a rehearsal than having a Lyssabeth's officiant come out and do it for you.
