Do you attend the rehearsal?

How many of you attend the wedding rehaersal the day before to check stuff out. My business partner wants to but I say it makes you look like you don't know what your doing. Am I wrong to think this??

Rehearsal attendance can be helpful however it's rare for me to attend one esp if it's a distance from where I live. I do often meet with the couple at the site of the after-ceremony photos though if it's nearby.

It also depends on how much they're paying me. For my more high end deals I don't mind going the extra mile.

Honestly it's really a good thing to scout the place before hand so you could get a quick see what kind of place and lighting you're going to deal with.

If I'm familiar with the place then I don't need to attend the rehearsal. But if it's a place that I'm not familiar with, I'll go because I don't wanna get caught by surprised or unprepared. That's just me though. I live in Hawaii where everywhere is not far of a drive compared to you guys.

Yeah, if I can I'll attend the rehearsal. You can get an idea of where to stand, speeches, etc. Its not a huge deal If I can't make it though.

Almost never. Ceremonies are all very similar, and I know most venues well. If I haven't been to a venue before i'll always visit it in advance, but not necessarily at the rehearsal.

It all depends. If it is a venue/officiant that I am already familiar with, I generally pass on the rehearsal. If it is a venue that is new to me, I try to attend the rehearsal to meet the officiant, get the rules, and scope out the venue.

tim wrote in post #11846005
If I haven't been to a venue before i'll always visit it in advance, but not necessarily at the rehearsal.

ditto.

i don't feel as though it makes you look like you don't know what you are doing either,
unless while you are there you don't look like you know what you are doing lol

i think it makes it look like you care to get it right.

depends... one, if they pay me extra or two, if it is a place that has restrictions as to where i can be

One of my packages includes me shooting a rehearsal, but people never opt for it. I try and visit the venue beforehand anyways just to get an idea of the lighting, etc...

It's a decision you have to make, but I don't think it in ANY way implies you don't know what you are doing!

absolutely - gives you a chance to meet the more important people at the wedding (parents, bridal party, etc...) w/o any of the pressure or time constraints... and the side benefit of seeing the place

Meet the wedding party, family. You can go over last minutes things with the person performing the ceremony as well as the wedding planner, but don't be surprised if they invite you to the rehearsal dinner. If I am invited I shoot candids during the dinner even if it is not in the contract.

Also, I disagree strongly with it making you look like you don't know what your doing. I've had opposite affect. The preacher is there, the wedding planner is there. If the photographer is there the family is very pleased in the efforts taken.

Never have attended a rehearsal or been asked to.
If they asked me to and it was a large package I would. Not for a small package.

If you're just starting and still learning, the key to success is preparation and the key to preparation is knowing what to expect. After you've done a few, there's really no need. That said, if I'm doing an ethinic ceremony or something with elements with which I'm unfamiliar, I may still go.