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How to Plan your Wedding Rehearsal Dinner



My suggestion when it comes to planning your Rehearsal Dinner is to have fun.  By the time the rehearsal dinner comes around, all the planning and to-do lists are done.  All you have to do, is get a good night's sleep and show up the next day.  The night before should be fun and relaxing and time to really visit some of your family and out of town guests. Let's get started.


Where to have it.

Wedding Rehearsals dinners can be held almost anywhere.  The bar you where you meant.  The hotel you are the guests are staying at.  The bowling alley down the street from the hotel you are staying at.  There are really no 'rules' expect for it needs to fit all the people you want to invited and there is a way for you to feed them, and get them a drink.

Budget Friendly?  Think about hosting (or asking your parents) to host the dinner at their house.  Maybe a cook out or a pizza party.

Worried about guests getting lost?  Talk to the hotel you holding your events at, or where you guests are staying at, and see if they would be willing to help you secure a room and a light dinner menu.

Who is going to pay for it.

Traditionally the Grooms parents pay for the dinner.  The trend is moving to couples paying for this themselves.  If you are planning on paying for it, remember to make sure it is part of your budget.

Who gets invited.

Again, there are very few rules.  The must invites are all of those participating in the Wedding and their families, this includes the officiant.  You will want to invited your immediate family that is not in the Wedding, but in town for the Wedding.

You can also think about inviting out of town guests, but if you invite one, you invite all of them. If that isn't in the budget, think about holding alittle after party at the hotel to visit with the out of town guests.

Do We send Invitations to the Wedding Rehearsal?

You can.  It's a cute idea, especially for those you are inviting who are not participating in the Wedding.  I would suggest sending 2 sets, one for those that need to be at the Rehearsal and those who are only invited to the dinner.  Check with the stationer that you are purchasing your invitations from, they should be able to create some postcard invitations for you, these are perfectly acceptable.

Do not post the Wedding Rehearsal or the Dinner information on your Wedding website or Facebook site.  That is unless you are prepared for extra guests.

What do I wear to my Rehearsal Dinner?

I would prefer that you do not wear jeans to a church.  I would say the dress code, depending on where you are having the dinner, should be driven by the venue the ceremony is in.  If you are headed to a fancy restaurant you may want to dress more formal.  Most rehearsals are pretty causal, so I would say business causal for men, and causal dresses for the ladies.

What do you do at the Wedding Rehearsal Dinner.

Eat.  Enjoy.  Talk.  Visit.  Pass out Bridal Party gifts.  This is a great time for funny toasts and stories.  Relax.

My one last piece of advice is this.  Have a designated start and end time.  The next day is going to be busy.

Happy Planning!
~Cyn

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