Rehearsal with Officiant?

Ours is an additional charge as well. We are skipping having the officiant there but will have a rehearsal with our DOC. Like you, I was surprised as well. I think for the officiant to come to the rehearsal it would be $100 which isn’t horrible.

The officiant generally runs the rehearsal. Ours charged an additional fee as well, but it was well worth it to us to run through everything the night before.

Every wedding rehearsal I have attended as a bridesmaid or guest of someone in the ceremony has has had the officiant in charge of rehearsal. I find it really strange that they don’t do that anymore because it seems like it would be chaotic otherwise.

It definitely depends. I think its a good idea to have your officiant at your rehearsal, but I've also found it pretty common for that not to be included in the standard fee and be an additional charge.

What is in your original contract? It's always a good idea to ask vendors what their fee includes, and it doesn't surprise me that the rehearsal would be an additional fee (or included originally for a higher total fee) because it's an extra day's work. If you are having a rehearsal, it definitely makes sense to pay that extra charge to benefit from their guidance.

View Quoted Comment Hi Maggie,


It wasn’t in the contract but I thought we had discussed it when we initially talked and agreed to go with her. The fee is pretty minimal, but was mainly surprised by the additional charge since I sadly assumed this was included. I do think it makes sense to have them there just to make sure things go smoothly on the day.

View Quoted Comment Hi Kari,


I think having her there and mailing sure we are comfortable for the big day is worth the additional fee of not being stressed out.

Hi Stella,

for my wedding my officiant was at our rehearsal (he is a good friend of ours, so that made it easy). Also, it was his first time officiating, so he wanted to be there to ensure that we all agreed on the way that things would progress the next day (and when he would walk in for example).

For other weddings where one of us has been a member of the bridal party, every time the officiant was part of the rehearsal (although I'm unsure if they charged extra or not) with one exception where the couple was married in Vegas. I know on other wedding websites it's mentioned that it's pretty common for the officiant to attend the rehearsal as well. I'd say definitely pay extra for her to be there because as you mentioned too - less stress for you and more peace of mind.

View Quoted Comment

Thank you everyone for your help! My officiant replied and is available so I am now breathing a bit easier. You all are right, having her there will settle any fears of things not going as they should and well worth the additional fee.

You all are life savers and help keep my overthinking self calm .