Well, today’s the day. Liz and Colin, winners of the Martha Stewart Weddings Sandals Destination Wedding giveaway , are getting married and Merci New York is covering it all from beautifulat beautiful Sandals Emerald Bay .
The beachside wedding decor looks absolutely beautiful… and I cannot wait to reveal all the gorgeous details this fall, when Martha Stewart Weddings destination issue hits newsstands. 
Yesterday was Liz and Colin’s wedding rehearsal, led by Darcy Miller, editorial director of Martha Stewart Weddings. Since most of us aren’t lucky enough to have Darcy map out our ceremony details, I sat down with her after the rehearsal to learn how to organize an expertly planned practice session… Here are a few of Darcy’s tips, along with some fun images from Liz and Colin’s rehearsal.
1. Don’t wait until the day before your wedding to think about your rehearsal. The ceremony is the most important part of a wedding – it’s when you truly become a married couple. Try to tackle any outstanding issues in advance, so your rehearsal is just as enjoyable as your actual ceremony.
2. Be sure to arrange a meeting with your officiant at least a month before your wedding. Talk about how he/she can help you personalize your greetings, and let the officiant know what parts of the ceremony are important or special to you.
3. If you’re planning a destination wedding, chances are you will organize at least one scouting trip to talk about food, decor and other elements. Make sure you meet your officiant at this time; maybe take them for a cup of coffee. Unlike your hometown priest, rabbi or minister, a destination officiant needs to get to know you in order to personalize your wedding. So don’t be shy, share your stories!
4. From the placement of guests in the pews or seats, to the entrance of the bride and groom, the wedding ceremony requires quite a bit of choreography in order to run smoothly. The Martha Stewart Weddings Web site has a great “ceremony basics” page, showing traditional guidelines for seating arrangements, procession, ceremony formation, and recession depending on your faith. Be sure to check it out here !
5. Include your wedding party in the rehearsal planning {and for that matter, the wedding day}. Arrange for ushers to escort guests to their seats. Hand your ceremony and wedding day timeline to your maid of honor and ask her to keep an eye on the timing. No matter how organized and detailed you are, you won’t want to worry about logistics on your wedding day. {In fact, even Darcy hired a planner for her wedding, and I count her to be the most notable expert out there}.
6. Do not feel like you need to arrange your ceremony a certain way, just because it is wedding etiquette. Ultimately, this is your wedding day. The most important thing is to do what is right for you.
Many thanks to Darcy Miller for sharing her tips and advice with Merci New York readers!
All photos by Merci New York .
