Practice Makes Perfect So You Better Rehearse!

Hey Guys,

I haven't posted in a while because I've been extremely busy with wedding stuff lately! I finally got the invitations out this week so everyone should have them by week's end, whew! The ceremony and reception are coming underway thanks to all the help provided by my wonderful bridesmaids! I know I've said this a lot, but I honestly could not have done this without them!

We've been planning up a storm including the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner believe it or not. For those of you who don't know I have Indian and Arabic roots so we wanted to incorporate this during the rehearsal portion. Reason being it is not being included in the wedding ceremony or reception. I tried to get the guys involved in this, but they refused, so it's the ladies will be all decked out! Check out how pretty the sarees below are!

As part of their bridesmaid present I gave each girl a sari, which will be worn to the rehearsal and dinner following. One of my best friends, Ren (freelance makeup artist) is going to do the makeup super dramatic and it's going to be fabu! I can't wait! We're also going to straighten our hair to go along with the look. I know that we're definitely going to make a scene at the restaurant, yikes! The below looks are the kind of dramatic makeup we're going to emulate...talk about hot!

Speaking of the restaurant, my fiance and his mom have been on the hunt for months, trying to narrow down the perfect spot. They've gone to the restaurants, tasting and getting a feel for the place before booking. I highly recommend this because you'll often notice things you may or may not like. This is also a nice way to keep everyone involved and allow some bonding time between mother and son.

Some factors to consider when finding a rehearsal dinner spot: What's the space like? We have a rather large wedding party, so we'll need a space to fit around 30 people. This is why it's important to go to the location because they can sometimes be too small/crowded. What's the noise level? You don't want to have a dinner where you're yelling while giving speeches, talk about a strain! This should be a sentimental/reflective time for all to enjoy. What's the food like? Umm, why go to a restaurant if the food sucks? So please try out the food, it really does make for a better time! What's the budget? I don't care who you are, you need to consider the money that you're going to shell out for this. The mother of the groom is the one who takes care of the rehearsal dinner, so she makes the final say on this aspect, as she should.

Another important tip is if you have a wedding coordinator make sure you communicate everything with them post the rehearsal if you notice anything that needs to be focused on. They are a great help and alleviate a lot of stress! Thanks to one of my best friends Brooke for helping me find one of the best out there! More info on this to be posted in the next session!