Fort Lauderdale Beach Wedding
In my last post I spoke about the need for a rehearsal for a beach wedding. The conclusion was that MOST of the time they are not advised for the typical beach wedding.
Today let’s talk about the country club wedding.
Just a week ago I had a wedding at a local country club. The couple obviously were working with a limited budget but were able to put together enough resources for their Big Day at a nice country club.
They choose not to have me present for a rehearsal and many times this is not a problem although it sometimes leads to an event which could have been more polished.
In this particular case I arrived at the club an hour before the scheduled ceremony as I always do to see if there are any last minute concerns or questions.
I noticed that the chairs for the guests were set back about 50 feet from the ceremony site. Now, my voice carries and I usually have no problem with the guests hearing the service I deliver. In this outdoor setting, however, I would need to speak at a level which would have made the couple feel that I was upset with them and my main concern is to make sure the Bride and Groom are comfortable.
When the DJ arrived about thirty minutes before the ceremony, I asked if he would be playing music for the BRIDE’S GRAND ENTRY. He indicated that he would. I asked him if he had a microphone that we could use for the ceremony. He indicated that there was no provision for a microphone.
I asked someone who worked for the club if the seats could be moved closer to the ceremony site. They said they didn’t have enough man power to move the 50 seats.
The wedding ceremony reflected the deep love between the Bride and Groom. Unfortunately it was only heard by the Couple and the Wedding Party.
The wedding was scheduled for 7:15PM because the bride wanted the sun setting behind them as they said their vows. The country club provided a coordinator of sorts but she could not be found. She didn’t bring the bride out until 7:15 and then took 15 minutes to get the Wedding Party lined up and ready to TAKE PICTURES. At 8:00PM in total darkness and with my emergency portable lamps the Wedding Ceremony started after I was told to rush because they only had 30 minutes left for their cocktail hour.
This wedding could have and should have come off much more smoothly if they had invested the small additional fee to have the Officiant at the rehearsal.
I’m sure every wedding Wedding Officiant sincerely wants every ceremony to be picture perfect and meet the Bride’s every dream.
If your wedding location does not have weddings on a regular and frequent basis you may want to consider having you Wedding Officiant at your rehearsal. It may save your Wedding day.
Good Luck and God Bless
Charles Gilbride, Your Wedding Officiant
There are different schools of thought on this topic. As a Wedding Officiant in South Florida, I have officiated at literally hundreds of Wedding Ceremonies and have found that this is not a simple question. There are sometimes budget considerations, time considerations, location considerations,and people considerations.
