Our Son’s Rehearsal Brunch: Preparation, Planning, and Party!

I am so thrilled to be able to share all of the behind-the-scenes details of the Rehearsal Brunch Bob and I hosted for our son’s wedding a few weeks ago! You all were so kind to cheer me on and sustain your interest throughout the months that I worked on this event! I didn’t want to reveal too much beforehand (for obvious reasons), and I’m so grateful for your patience!

Today, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing not only how I prepared and planned the Rehearsal Brunch, but also so many precious moments that happened during it! Along the way, I’ve linked vendors as well as items (or similar items) as appropriate. I’ve also used bolded text to share tips and things I learned along the way. (Most of them were ideas shared by friends, family, vendors, or some of you! Thank you!)

The Preparation

If you’ve been hanging around here for a while now, you’ve probably figured out I’m a pretty intentional person! It’s not that I don’t appreciate spontaneity and the organic way life unfolds😄, but when it comes to the big things in life, I definitely start with prayer and a lot of thought. (Bob would say a lot of talking too! 😂)

As I started thinking about hosting what I originally thought would be a traditional Rehearsal Dinner, a few things were foremost in my mind:

1. I wanted to honor the bride & groom and design an event that would be detail-oriented and truly delight their hearts.
2. I wanted to honor the intimacy of the relationships the bride and groom (and their families) had with the people who would be attending.
3. I wanted the event to be complimentary to the wedding itself.

As the wedding planning moved forward, the bride and her mom were SO wonderful to include me (Wedding dress shopping!😍) and inform me (“Call any time about anything!”). Note to all of you MOBs out there — their inclusion was huge for me, and they initiated it! DO THAT!

It became clear that because of the number of guests from remote locations (Poland! Australia! England!), as well as the location and the duration of the wedding festivities, the start time for the wedding ceremony on the following day needed to be 1:30 pm.

It became clear that a Rehearsal Dinner would not be the best idea. So I started thinking outside the box📦.

I proposed the idea of a Rehearsal Brunch, and when the couple and families all agreed, I got to work! First and foremost, I spent time thinking about my vision for the event. I think any event is easier to plan and pull off with a theme, and I arrived at mine by considering the bride and groom and what would be meaningful to them.

Connor and Abby went to different universities, but they met when they both studied abroad at St. Andrews University (like Prince William 👑 and Princess Kate!), so all things British (and Scottish) are very meaningful for them! My new daughter-in-law loves flowers, bows, and feminine details, and she has exquisite, refined taste.

It came to me with certainty: I would plan an elegant English garden party.

The Planning

Since I live in Dallas, and the wedding was in the Seattle area, I asked the bride’s family for help with recommendations for venues, florists, and caterers. They had great suggestions, and I got to work researching and interviewing prospects over Zoom.

Once I made decisions on theme, location, and vendors, it became clear that I needed to travel to the area for face-to-face meetings and to visit the location. I did this several times, and I am so glad I did! It allowed me to form personal relationships (friendships!) with all of my vendors, and I think those relationships helped them understand me and the vision I had for the event.

I think when you’re planning something (especially something that’s not nearby!), it’s really important to work with people who “get” your vision and what you’re trying to achieve. I worked diligently to find these people, and I am so grateful that I found them!

Since Connor and Abby wanted all of the toasts (except for parents, Maid-of-Honor, and Best Man) at the Rehearsal Brunch, we settled on a 10:30 am start time, hoping to wrap things up around 1 pm.

Location

I selected The Woodmark Hotel, and specifically the Olympic Terrace Tent, which sits right on the shore of Lake Washington. I immediately loved Abby Vasquez, the efficient and fun event planner at The Woodmark, and she was delightful to work with throughout the planning process.

Food

Photos: thepopes.com

Part of the reason I went with The Woodmark was their reputation for excellence in the food department. Since our event started at 10:30 am, the menu was so easy to plan! Everyone loves brunch food! Think waffles, fruit, yogurt, eggs, bacon, sausage, coffee, tea (imported from England, of course!), smoothies, and more!

Florist/Planner

Photos: thepopes.com

Since the event was out of town, I knew I was going to need a planner who could help me bring my vision to life. When I found Flora Nova Design, and specifically, gifted floral designer (and transplanted Texan🤠) Jenny Gross, I knew I’d found my person! She was able to fulfill both roles, which ensured design cohesiveness. (Also, she was the sweetest!)

Photographers

Our diligent bride had done her homework and selected Seattle-based photographers The Popes for the wedding and engagement photos📸. (You can check out one of Connor and Abby’s engagement photos in THIS post.) After a Zoom meeting with charming Airika Pope, it became clear to me that I needed to hire them for the Rehearsal Brunch as well! They told me later that shooting the Brunch was helpful as they shot the wedding itself because they’d gotten to know both families, as well as others who were near and dear to Connor & Abby.

Invitations

Staying firmly with the theme, THESE are the invitations I selected! I ordered them from Minted. They offer FREE addressing, which was so helpful since my guest list was around 75. (We ended up with 61 people & two babies at the Brunch.) On the invitation, I specified “Garden Party Chic” for the attire and then further specified: “Elegant Sundresses for Ladies” and “Slacks and Button Downs for Gentlemen.”

My Outfit

Photos: Bob Mighell 💗

Rose Lace Short-Sleeve Midi-Dress | Naturalizer Block-Heeled Sandals | Silver CZ Stud Earrings | Apple Watch band

Even though I used an English Garden Party theme, I didn’t want to wear a floral dress because I didn’t want to clash with all of the actual flowers🌸! Also, I felt like, as the hostess, I needed to be the best-dressed person there (except for the bride, of course)!

THIS is the elegant dress I chose. I paired it with THESE block-heeled sandals. (They’re by Naturalizer, so they’re shockingly comfortable — which was important to me since I knew I would be on my feet so much during the event.) I kept my jewelry simple with silver CZ stud earrings. and this Apple Watch band.

For more on my dress, my MOG dress for the wedding, and what I wore to ALL of the wedding showers and events, check out THIS post.

Party Favors

Photos: thepopes.com

Jute Bags | Satin Ribbons

Since the wedding 🔔 itself was at a (spectacular) outdoor venue, and it was going to be a lovely, lengthy celebration, I wanted to provide a “Wedding Essentials” bag of goodies for guests. I selected THESE jute bags for the party favors, tied them with these beautiful satin ribbons, and filled them with all kinds of goodies.

• Sunscreen
• Hand Sanitizer
• Handheld Heart-Shaped Fans
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen Lip Balm (all-natural!)
• Tissues (in the prettiest packaging!)
• Mints

Another function of the party favors was that the totes could serve as a convenient way for guests to bring a change of shoes for the wedding. The MOB and I both ordered Allbirds that coordinated with our dresses, which we changed into for dancing! (They’re on sale right now!)

The Party

Photos: thepopes.com

Place Cards | Table Names (printed on blank invitations)

We had the most beautiful weather 🌞 on the day of the Rehearsal Brunch! Bob and I arrived early to put out place cards and table names on the tables. (These matched the invitations, and again, Minted printed the names on them FREE, which was so helpful.)

As I said, one of my goals was attention to detail — and one detail was to name the tables (in lieu of table numbers) after locations that were special to the couple. I ordered a few extra invitations and had the table names printed on them.

It was really important to us to demonstrate the Southern hospitality that Texans are known for, so Bob and I positioned ourselves at the door so that we could greet every guest personally when they arrived. Our daughter stood beside us with a list and directed everyone to their respective tables.

After taking some family photos (the one above is my absolute favorite!), Bob and I prayed and asked people to begin going through the buffet. Since no one ever likes to go first in a buffet line (!), we’d asked our families in advance to help us out by getting things started.

The Tables

Photos: thepopes.com

Chiavari Chairs | Place Cards | Organza Ribbon (similar) | Rattan Chargers (similar)

I wanted the look for the Rehearsal Brunch to be bright, clean, cheerful, and overflowing with joyful color! The pretty tablecloths I selected were a nod to the blue and white wedding colors. They were set off perfectly by the crisp white of the Chiavari chairs, which I repeated with white linen napkins. In addition to the flowers and place cards, I wanted an additional pop of color, so we decided to bow 🎀 the napkins with organza ribbons in shades of pink (similar). To further carry through the garden party feel, as well as add some texture, my planner sourced pretty rattan chargers (similar).

Photos: thepopes.com

We used a “King’s Table” set at the front for the immediate families. Rather than the traditional head table across the front, we placed it perpendicular in the tent — so that the bride and groom sat at the very end, with beautiful Lake Washington behind them (that view!!!).

That way, everyone could see them, and they could see everyone. This was helpful — and so sweet — during the toasts! I used a garland of greenery and flowers on the tent directly behind them to further draw people’s eyes to them and to the stunning view.

The guests were seated at six round tables of 8-10 people each, which were arranged in a horseshoe shape around the far end of the head table. I think round tables always encourage more conversation!

The Toasts

The bride and groom wanted all of the toasts 🥂 to be shared at the Rehearsal Brunch (with the exception of the parents, the Maid of Honor, and the Best Man, who toasted at the reception). So after brunch, we had waiters pass out champagne.

Bob and I spoke briefly, and then we took turns carrying the microphone to friends and family who wanted to toast the couple. I was glad we’d asked for a microphone and a sound system! So often, it can be challenging to get the toasts started, so we’d asked Bob’s sister, Laura, in advance if she would start the toasts off. (She owns her own PR firm and is used to speaking in public! #bossbabe 👍)

Photo: thepopes.com

Once the toasts were finished, we told everyone that they were welcome to stay around, have another glass of champagne, take photos, or grab another hug from the bride and groom. So many people stuck around, which felt like a wonderful indication that everyone enjoyed themselves! 🎉

It was such a joy to plan this Rehearsal Brunch to honor Connor & Abby. Many thanks to them for giving me permission to share photos from this very personal moment in the life of our family.

Also, I want to thank you all for rejoicing with us! (It truly doubled our joy!) I’m so grateful for every prayer and every word of encouragement and blessing from you all. Thank you, thank you, from the bottom of my heart! xoxo