Rehearsal Questions

*aisle*

Your dj or musicians are almost never at the rehearsal. Your venue person or coordinator should send them down at the appropriate time.

Most of my couple have a song for the BP and a song for the bride.

BP is walking down to  Israel Kamakawiwo'ole "Somewhere Over the Rainbow"

Whoever is running your rehearsal (coordinator or officiant) can probably best answer this for you. Most couples have different songs for the BP and bride, but there's no "rule" that says you have to. Ours walked to "Highland Cathedral," and then I used John Stanley's "Trumpet Voluntary" for my processional.

We had our musicians at our rehearsal, but that was mostly because we had a full church wedding with huge amounts of music, and I would have completely flipped out if any of the music had been wrong (it was just about the most important part of the ceremony for me). So our organist, trumpeted, and bagpiper all came to the rehearsal. Note that if you do have them come, you need to pay them appropriately.

I'm walking down the isle to the same song as my bridal party. The song is long and I love it so I figured why not

I am walking down to Hallelujah by Pentatonix and so is my bridal party. Our grandparents and moms are walking down to Somebody To Love by Valerie June

My bridal party will know to walk down when the couple in front of them is half way down the aisle. Timing it to songs never works out right (the FW of a DJ)

We're using cowboys and angels

We used Welcome to Jurassic Park from the movie soundtrack for our wedding party.

devotchka- the winner is. We will have the song playing during rehearsal and then my song once I am ready to walk. Just to give people an idea of timing.

@FutureMrsB - Love Trumpet Voluntary! Still deciding on my processional song, and that one is one of the 3 I'm considering (Ode to Joy and Canon in D being the other 2)

Your Day of Coordinator or Officiant will launch your first couple for the processional. You don't even need to play the song during the rehearsal. Best wishes!

I was wondering about this too. My BP is walking to "Neville's Waltz" from the Harry Potter soundtrack. The timing is a bit unusual, at least to my ears, so I'm just going to send them the YouTube link on Facebook so they can hear it ahead of time if they want to. I'm not sure we'll actually practice, but who knows.

I'm glad to know the DOC helps send the pairs down, I had no idea how that would work!

Our ceremony is so unique. My bridal party isn't walking. They will already be standing up at the front. The song we are using has a groom singing about how he asked the bride's father for her hand and how he's been waiting for this moment since then. My FH will shake my dad's hand , say something personal to my dad, and my dad will walk up the aisle to come walk me down to my FH during the part of the song where the bride starts to sing to her groom about how she's been waiting for this moment her whole life to walk down the aisle to her groom. sorry if that's confusing but it's going to be beautiful.

I am a wedding pianist, and I always ask to come to the rehearsal. Timing is everything with the music. I strongly suggest doing the music. Also, if you're doing a unity candle or something similar, play that song at the rehearsal too.

I always play any song anyone will have to walk to. You don't want to realize on your wedding day that the song is too short, or is dreadfully too long.

Again... timing is EVERYTHING.

congrats btw!

My bridal party is walking down to Canon in D-piano version.

We're using the church pianist so we'll have the actual songs played. We're doing this for the processional

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sT66wRuuw-g

My BP is walking down the aisle to "Forever" by Jaheim

I guess I am the odd one out. But, from experience, I was just in a wedding 2 months ago, and we did not practice using the song at the Rehearsal.. and guess what? The song was already over by the time it got to me (MOH), ring bearers, and flower girl when they walked down the aisle... so we walked in silence. It was awkward for us, but the Bride never knew about it or noticed. SO because of that, I will most definitely and absolutely be doing the rehearsal with music, 100%.

Our songs are "Turning Page" - Sleeping at Last (with words) for the bridal party, and the instrumental version of "A Thousand Years" - Piano Guys for me.. original I know.. dont care, I havent found a single set of songs I like better.

ETA- The wedding I was in that the music ended too soon, had just 4 bridesmaids in it.. so not a large wedding party. Just bad timing. I will be playing the music on my phone at our rehearsal.

Yes, I think its helpful to play the song if you can. I just played it on my phone.

We had a large bridal party so we did:

Seating of Groom’s Family: Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring, Bach

Processional: Canon in D, Pachelbel

Bridal processional: Bridal Chorus, Wagner

I think it's pretty common for a church based musician to be at the rehearsal in a church, but I have never seen one at a venue rehearsal.

Tara, that is a beginner move. Any good pro would know how to loop a song so there is no dead air. That is ridiculous.

But if you want a musician or DJ at the rehearsal, know that it will cost if it is even possible.

Thank you all for your suggestions!