There's no reason to worry out over the logistics of a rehearsal dinner, which have grown into full-fledged events for many couples. It's the perfect moment to have a party, with much less than 24 hours till the wedding and the arrival of all of your friends and relatives. However, there are some things to keep in mind while you make preparations.
Traditionally parents of the groom traditionally hosted the rehearsal dinner the evening before the wedding. The dinner was a more formal event, and everyone in the wedding party, even those from out of town, was invited. Prenuptial celebrations have been around for a long time, but recently couples have been putting their own spin on them. There is no "right" way to organise a rehearsal dinner; it can be as relaxed or formal as you choose.
How you want to kick off the celebrations with the rehearsal dinner depends on several factors, including whether you want it to be a serious pre-ceremony practise session or more of a lighthearted get-together.
We really understand how frustrating it is to have to prepare a wedding practice dinner on top of all the other preparations and costs associated with the actual wedding. Even though it is not required, a wedding rehearsal dinner can serve as a fun and meaningful way to kick off your marriage ceremony with your loved ones. Read on for the definitive rehearsal dinner checklist to aid with your preparations.
Why Do Rehearsal Dinners Cause Stress?
OK, let's start with the solution to this question. Why is everyone so worried about the rehearsal dinner? This pre-wedding gathering tends to cause tension for couples despite its typically lower scale, and here's why.
The rehearsal dinner is often put off until the final minute because guests and hosts are too busy focusing on the wedding. In the past, the groom's parents would customarily host the rehearsal dinner, but today, many engaged couples take on this additional task themselves. Considering that the reception should be treated differently from the wedding itself, it might be difficult to figure out where to start planning.
Guests from far and wide are sure to arrive, and you may feel obligated to greet them with a party or some other spectacular gesture. In most cases, the first time two families meet is at the rehearsal. You shouldn't try to cram too much into the day before the preparation and rehearsal dinner.
However small your dinner party may be, the tension may come from the fact that you have yet another event to organise. The wedding weekend itinerary must be supplemented with details such as design components, floor plans, invitations, dinner choices, transportation, and payment schedules.
It's normal to feel a little decision fatigue by the time you get around to planning a supper. Let's say you'd like to find a way to alleviate your worries. Please tell me why you really wanted to have this supper. You might have a very different kind of pre-wedding night if you're having a bonfire and beers night at a beach destination with guests who have actually travelled to attend your weekend celebration than if you're just hanging out with your wedding party and close family, practising your walk down the aisle, and then trying to relax before the big day. Communicate your goals and expectations clearly.
How Soon Is It?
The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding, following the practise ceremony. However, you are free to choose any time that works best for you.
Just who is responsible for the bill?
The rehearsal dinner is traditionally organised and paid for by the groom's family. However, in modern times, it is common for the couple to pay for the party themselves or to ask both pairs of parents to chip in.
To Whom Have Invitations Been Extended?
All participants of the bridal party , if children are participating in the ceremony (flower girls and ring bearers), the officiant and his or her spouse, and often the officiant's parents are expected to attend the rehearsal dinner. Guests from out of town should be invited, but if you'd rather keep things small, you can always hold a separate event for them. A welcome reception might be held at a restaurant or the guesthouse where they are staying, or you could host a more casual get-together with cocktails at the house of a close friend or relative.
What Level of Formality Might We Expect at The Dinner?
While the hosts have the final say on the event's level of formality, it shouldn't be less than, or more than, the wedding itself. Regardless of the formality of the rehearsal dinner, it is polite to send out invitations after receiving responses to the wedding invitation. You can get simple ones at office supply stores or make your own on the computer at home, so there's no need to go all out.
What Happened to it?
The rehearsal dinner could be held at a formal restaurant (with a nice private room), in someone's backyard (for a barbeque! ), or even at a clam shack or pizza parlour for an informal gathering. Make the best of the situation and do whatever makes you and your visitors happy.
Approximately Four to Five Months Before
Reserve The Location.
You should still provide choices and be accessible for input, although if one parents in law are taking the lead. You shouldn't feel obligated to eat at a restaurant. It's possible that a clambake on the beach or a backyard BBQ would be more enjoyable, more representative of you, and more memorable for everyone.
Discuss Prices and Menu Items During Negotiations.
It may be more cost-effective to host the event at a more casual establishment, like a pizza joint, if you have a large number of people on your guest list.
Don't be Shy About Asking For Help in Finding Toast Givers.
So doing will allow them time to craft a truly remarkable address. If the groom's father is hosting the dinner, he often gives the opening toast. After that, the best man or the bride's father can deliver a return toast, and then anyone else who wants to give a real toast can do so. A couple might want to raise a glass to each other, greet guests, and express gratitude for their presence.
The Availability of Audiovisual Equipment Should be Confirmed With The Venue.
During the toasts, you (or your parents' or friends') slideshow of photographs could be shown as a form of entertainment.
One Month Before
Inviting Guests Via The Mail.
The immediate families of the bride and groom, including biological and stepparents, grandparents, and siblings, as well as the officiant, should be included in the guest list. Visitors from far away and family and friends can be included. Invitees should be given a choice of entrees if any are to be served.
Develop a Seating Chart.
Two very different sets of parents should be seated at the head table. Aside from that, you may decide to keep friends and relatives together or to combine them into possibly friendly combinations so that everyone can get to know each other.
Get The Dinner Gifts for the Bridesmaids and Groomsmen.
It's now time to give gifts of appreciation to the people who helped make your wedding day special, including your parents and wedding party. You might also throw a bridal shower or brunch for your maids of honour to give them their gifts.
Get In Touch With The Suppliers.
If you have any unanswered questions about the wedding, don't hesitate to contact the professionals you've hired to help.
If You'd Like, You Can Get Flowers For The Tables.
Alternately, you might make numbered centrepieces for each table if you expect a large turnout.
If At All Possible, Final Payments Should Be Sent To Suppliers.
Tip your wedding planner, officiant, hairstylist, and reception workers now by putting money in envelopes and setting them aside.
Week of the Wedding
Have The Host Send The Final Headcount.
In most cases, businesses like to have their guest lists finalised no later than 72 hours in advance.
Create Table Place Cards.
The use of place cards at a dinner party may seem unnecessary, but it's important to make sure that everyone is seated at the right table, especially if they don't all know each other.
Find a Host and a Date
The parents of the bride often foot the bill for the wedding, while those of the groom typically host the rehearsal dinner. Anything goes nowadays. You nor your fiancé may wish to foot the bill for the rehearsal dinner if your parents are chipping in for the wedding. Discuss the matter with your spouse and your parents and come up with a plan together.
You Might Want To Think About Keeping Things Lighthearted
More and more engaged couples are choosing to have a low-key, yet nonetheless memorable, rehearsal dinner. If you have a family member or friend who is ready to let you organize at their house, or if you have access to a beautiful garden patio, consider holding your event outside. Not only will a more relaxed rehearsal dinner not steal the spotlight from the more traditional wedding, but it will also ease the tension between first-time meeting attendees. Additionally, you'll be able to relax the clothing requirement if that's what you like. Open seating, rather than allocated tables, and buffets or family dinner service, instead of a formal, seated choice, can also help people strike up conversations with one another.
Select an Entertaining Topic
Having a themed rehearsal dinner is a great way to get the wedding weekend off to a memorable start. Either you and your spouse-to-heritage be's or the wedding's location might serve as inspiration for the event's design.
Fire Pit And Grilling Outside
A softball game and a barbeque are a great way to bring people together for a low-stress, low-cost, and easy-to-organize get-together.
Party By The Sea
A casual and wonderful meal is lobster and clams on the beach as the sun goes down. Having a campfire and making s'mores is the perfect way to round off the evening.
Fête De La Première Date
Infuse your meal with the same sense of romance that inspired you to choose this restaurant. Host the party where you two first met, and give the tables names of other memorable locations.
A Night of Tacos
This lighthearted choice is perfect for keeping things relaxed. These days, it's not uncommon to arrange a food truck for a rehearsal dinner. Throw a party in the backyard and serve all your favourite dishes.
Choose a Rare and Interesting Spot
Another way to change the vibe of a party is to have it in a new setting. You may have a casual BBQ in a bowling alley, a beer garden, a winery, or even at a nearby park. It's no surprise that restaurants are frequently selected as the venue for special occasions; after all, the restaurant staff can take care of everything from the cocktails to the food to the music.
Keep in mind that this is not the wedding ceremony, therefore table linens and centrepieces are not required. Hosting on the beach or in a beautiful lawn will reduce the need for expensive decorations. Use bright accents and understated accessories when necessary, then kick back and enjoy the party.
The microbrewery, Italian restaurant, or picturesque park where you went on your first date should all be considered for the party's location.
Start a Guest List
Family members, wedding party members (including the officiant), and their wives or dates are the usual invitees to the rehearsal dinner. It's thoughtful to include out-of-town guests in the celebrations. It is possible to keep costs down by providing only cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and desserts instead of a full meal if you end up with a large guest list.
It's important to think about while you're doing things
The rehearsal dinner is typically held the night before the wedding, and it is customarily the Friday before the ceremony. On average, the rehearsal for the ceremony starts around 5:30 p.m. (allowing the wedding party members plenty of time to leave work and travel to the location) and lasts for about 45 minutes. Typically, the meal follows the dress rehearsal at around 7 o'clock in the evening. The flexibility of a Weekend or holiday wedding date allows some couples to schedule the rehearsals dinner two days before the big day, giving guests ample time to unwind and get ready for the ceremony. A wedding brunch is a wonderful idea if most guests won't be able to make it until the night before the ceremony.
Plan Your Meals
The quickest way to decide what to eat? The rehearsal dinner should be held at a restaurant of your choosing. From the very first bite, you realise the meal is of the highest quality. Serve regional specialities if you've opted for an alternative setting. It's a good idea to introduce your out-of-town guests to the local cuisine, so think about serving pizza from Chicago, Cajun food from New Orleans, Tex-Mex from Texas, or Maine lobster from Maine. Since you won't be serving as many people as you would on the actual wedding day, there will be less opinions and preferences to take into account while planning the menu.
Those in Charge Of The Microphone Should Plan To Pass It.
At the start of a party, the host traditionally offers a warm greeting to all of the visitors. However, since the mood at a wedding reception is typically light and casual, you should consider inviting guests to deliver brief toasts if they like to do so. If you go to a party, you should expect to be roasted as well as toasted, and you should do your best to keep your sense of humour. As a couple, you should also prepare to provide brief introductions and closing remarks
Send Wedding Party Gifts
Wedding party members and the parents (to thank them for their love, guidance, and support) are traditionally given gifts at the rehearsal dinner.
Tend to Any Outstanding Reminders
Attempt to sneak in any last-minute wedding day announcements before the meal is through and everyone is ready to call it a night. Verify that all members of the wedding party have received clear instructions on what they should bring and when they should show there to get ready. When inviting a large group of people, it's important to remind them of the events and transportation arrangements for the next day.
Always Keep a Sense of Humor
You and your fiance have put in a lot of time and effort into preparing for your wedding, so take some time to relax and celebrate with your loved ones tonight. Your rehearsal dinner won't have to be a nervous wreck if you give some thought to making it enjoyable.
Your wedding rehearsal dinner should not steal the spotlight from the big event itself. But it doesn't mean there can't be good cuisine and entertaining details! It should instead serve to enhance or complete your wedding. Just think of the party as a warm-up that will leave your guests eager for the main event the following day.
There is no need for the rehearsal dinner itself, or your preparations for it, to cause tension between you and your future spouse, immediate family, or other guests. Don't hold yourself to a higher level than the others who will be in attendance, as most realise that this is a low-key event in and of itself. This is just the beginning of a joyous and celebratory weekend.
FAQs About Wedding Rehearsals
Usually, the hosts of the event will kick things off, followed by the groom toasting his bride and her family. You could also stand up together and offer a more personal toast to your families and wedding party at this time.
In a heterosexual relationship, the first speaker at the rehearsal dinner is the father of the groom. That person will be followed by the rest of the wedding party who won't be making any speeches (typically anyone other than the maid of honour and the best man).
Only members of the wedding party should bring presents to the rehearsal dinner. Give presents to the maid of honour and bridesmaids of the bride's side and the best man and groomsmen of the groom's. The ring bearer and flower girl should also get gifts. Parents' and in-laws' gifts are not required.
Conclusion
Many engaged couples now host elaborate rehearsal dinners. The rehearsal dinner can be as informal or elegant as the couple desires. Despite its smaller scale, this pre-wedding event can nevertheless cause stress for the engaged couple. It is customary to hold the rehearsal dinner the night before the wedding, immediately following the rehearsal. Share your plans and aspirations with the team.
Out-of-towners should be invited, but if you'd prefer keep things intimate, you can always host a separate celebration just for them. After getting RSVPs, it is polite to send out additional invitations. Anyplace from a formal restaurant to a casual clam shack or pizza joint might work for the rehearsal dinner. If dinner is to be served, guests should be offered a few different options. It is customary to thank those who played important roles in the success of the wedding with tokens of appreciation.
Your maids of honour would likely enjoy a bridal shower or brunch as well. If you're having a gathering where some of the guests won't know each other, it's extremely important to get everyone seated at the correct table. A growing trend in wedding preparations is for the rehearsal dinner to be a low-key affair that yet leaves a lasting impression on guests. People are more likely to start up talks when they aren't seated at assigned tables and are offered a buffet or family-style meal instead of a formal, plated option. As a rule, the rehearsal dinner takes place the evening before the big day.
You should provide local dishes to your guests from out of town. There won't be as many guests to please as on the big day, so you won't have to worry as much about accommodating everyone's individual tastes. Invite visitors to share brief toasts and maintain a lighthearted atmosphere by doing so yourself. Be sure the wedding party knows exactly what to bring and when to be ready.
Content Summary
- It's the perfect moment to have a party, with much less than 24 hours till the wedding and the arrival of all of your friends and relatives.
- Traditionally parents of the groom traditionally hosted the rehearsal dinner the evening before the wedding.
- How you want to kick off the celebrations with the rehearsal dinner depends on several factors, including whether you want it to be a serious pre-ceremony practise session or more of a lighthearted get-together.
- Even though it is not required, a wedding rehearsal dinner can serve as a fun and meaningful way to kick off your marriage ceremony with your loved ones.
- The rehearsal dinner is often put off until the final minute because guests and hosts are too busy focusing on the wedding.
- However small your dinner party may be, the tension may come from the fact that you have yet another event to organise.
- The wedding weekend itinerary must be supplemented with details such as design components, floor plans, invitations, dinner choices, transportation, and payment schedules.
- It's normal to feel a little decision fatigue by the time you get around to planning a supper.
- If you're having a bonfire and beer night at a beach resort with guests who have travelled, your pre-wedding night will be totally different than if you're just hanging out with your wedding party and close family, practising your walk down the aisle, and trying to relax before the big day.
- The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding, following the practise ceremony.
- However, you are free to choose any time that works best for you.
- The rehearsal dinner is traditionally organised and paid for by the groom's family.
- Regardless of the formality of the rehearsal dinner, it is polite to send out invitations after receiving responses to the wedding invitation.
- It may be more cost-effective to host the event at a more casual establishment, like a pizza joint, if you have a large number of people on your guest list.
- If the groom's father is hosting the dinner, he often gives the opening toast.
- Two very different sets of parents should be seated at the head table.
- It's now time to give gifts of appreciation to the people who helped make your wedding day special, including your parents and wedding party.
- You might also throw a bridal shower or brunch for your maids of honour to give them their gifts.
- The use of place cards at a dinner party may seem unnecessary, but it's important to make sure that everyone is seated at the right table, especially if they don't all know each other.
- The parents of the bride often foot the bill for the wedding, while those of the groom typically host the rehearsal dinner.
- You nor your fiancé may wish to foot the bill for the rehearsal dinner if your parents are chipping in for the wedding.
- Discuss the matter with your spouse and your parents and come up with a plan together.
- Having a themed rehearsal dinner is a great way to get the wedding weekend off to a memorable start.
- Either you and your spouse-to-heritage be's or the wedding's location might serve as inspiration for the event's design.
- These days, it's not uncommon to arrange a food truck for a rehearsal dinner.
- Throw a party in the backyard and serve all your favourite dishes.
- Another way to change the vibe of a party is to have it in a new setting.
- Family members, wedding party members (including the officiant), and their wives or dates are the usual invitees to the rehearsal dinner.
- It's thoughtful to include out-of-town guests in the celebrations.
- A wedding brunch is a wonderful idea if most guests won't be able to make it until the night before the ceremony.
- The rehearsal dinner should be held at a restaurant of your choosing.
- At the start of a party, the host traditionally offers a warm greeting to all of the visitors.
- The mood at a wedding reception is typically light and casual, you should consider inviting guests to deliver brief toasts if they like to do so.
- If you go to a party, you should expect to be roasted as well as toasted, and you should do your best to keep your sense of humour.
- As a couple, you should also prepare to provide brief introductions and closing remarks
- Wedding party members and the parents are traditionally given gifts at the rehearsal dinner.
- Your wedding rehearsal dinner should not steal the spotlight from the big event itself.
- Just think of the party as a warm-up that will leave your guests eager for the main event the following day.
- There is no need for the rehearsal dinner itself, or your preparations for it, to cause tension between you and your future spouse, immediate family, or other guests.