The Rehearsal & Wedding Day Timeline
Your wedding rehearsal is an essential part of the preparation for your wedding. Sanctuary and Chapel wedding rehearsals require about one hour, so alert your party to allow for this. Plan to have everyone gather thirty minutes ahead of the rehearsal time. The ministers of PCPC require that no member of the wedding party consume any alcoholic beverages or drugs of any kind for 12 hours prior to the rehearsal or the wedding. Also, please remind your wedding party and rehearsal guests to dress with appropriate modesty.
The rehearsal time will be confirmed with your minister and the PCPC Wedding Coordinator.
The Rehearsal
Who needs to be present:
Minister
Bride & Groom
Maid/Matron of Honor/Best Man
Bridesmaids/Groomsmen
Ushers/House Party
Additional attendants (Flower girl, Ring bearer, etc.)
Parents of the Bride
Parents of the Groom
Grandparents (optional)
Scripture Reader
Candlelighters
- Outside wedding consultants are welcome to attend the rehearsal; however, the PCPC Wedding Coordinator has the final responsibility for the rehearsal and wedding.
- Plan for everyone to arrive 30 minutes before the rehearsal time.
- Entry available for rehearsal only at door nearest security desk.
- The rehearsal will last approximately one hour.
- Please give your marriage license to the minister at the rehearsal if you have not already given it to him.
- The PCPC Wedding Coordinator will go over the entire wedding day timeline at the rehearsal.
- Photography and videography (personal or professional) is allowed during the rehearsal. Rehearsal guests may want to bring their own camera.
Wedding Day Timeline
Sample timeline for an 8:00 p.m. wedding:
The church building will be opened three hours before the ceremony at which time the bride, the mother of the bride and the bridesmaids may plan to arrive. The bride's dress may be delivered at this time or on the Friday before, between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (church hours) pursuant to discussion with the PCPC Wedding Coordinator. The florist may also arrive three hours before the ceremony to prepare the Sanctuary/Chapel for the wedding. The groom and his party may plan on arriving two hours before the ceremony. The photographer should be ready to take pre-wedding photos approximately one hour and forty-five minutes before the ceremony.
Timeline
| 5:00 | First…
|
| 5:00 | Bride and Mother of the Bride arrive |
| 5:30 | Bridesmaids arrive |
| 6:00 | Groom, Groomsmen/Ushers, Parents of the Groom arrive, House Party arrives |
| 6:00 | PCPC Wedding Coordinator will arrive to direct the rest of the preparations. House Party meet PCPC Wedding Coordinator at back of Sanctuary/Chapel for instruction |
| 6:15-6:45 | Pre-photos of Groom, Groomsmen/Ushers, and fathers |
| 6:45 | Ushers meet with PCPC Wedding Coordinator at back of Sanctuary/Chapel for instruction |
| 6:45-7:15 | Pre-photos of Bride, Bridesmaids, House Party, Parents of the Bride |
| 7:30 | Guest book and attendant in place Prelude music Formal seating of guests begins Everyone in specific location until wedding begins at 8:00 |
| 7:45 | Groom’s party escorted to starting places |
| 7:50 | Guestbook closed |
| 7:59 | House Party and Ushers are seated via center aisle |
| 8:00 | Wedding Begins Chiming of the hour Seating of the Family Processional Ceremony Recessional |
| - | After the wedding: 15 minutes of wedding photography at altar for entire wedding party including parents. |
| 9:00 | Wedding party leaves for reception |
Wedding Day General Information
Bride’s Room:
A Bride’s room is provided for the Bride and her attendants. This room will be available three hours before the wedding. It will have mirrors for make-up, a full-length mirror, a clothes steamer, clothes racks, electrical outlets, seating and ice water with glasses. There will also be a necessity basket filled with “in case of emergency” items such as bobby pins, pain reliever (Advil), needle and thread, clear nail polish, super glue, safety pins, extra hose, hairspray, comb and brush, breath mints, etc. You may want to provide additional things such as snacks. Shopping bags, labeled with each attendant’s name, are suggested for your attendants’ personal items. This helps in quickly vacating the Bride’s room for the reception. It is a necessity for a church reception due to the fact that everything is moved to another location for safekeeping.
Grooms’ Room:
A room is provided for the Groom and his attendants. This room will have a mirror, electrical outlets, seating, a clothes rack, a skirted table, ice water with glasses, and a necessity basket. You may want to provide additional things such as snacks.
Ushers’ instructions:
- Ushers should arrive at the church one hour before the service unless they have been asked to arrive earlier for photographs.
- Ushers are expected to expedite the seating of guests to minimize both congestion and noise in the narthex of the Sanctuary or Chapel entrance.
- Ushers should remind wedding guests whom they observe with cameras that no photographs or videos will be allowed during the wedding ceremony.
- After the seating of the Mother of the Bride, no one is to be escorted to a seat. Latecomers may use the side aisles to enter quietly and find a place near the back of the church.
- If guest books are used before the wedding, they will be closed 10 minutes before the wedding so that last minute guests may be seated before the Processional begins.