Rehearsal Dinner Basics
The rehearsal dinner is a special part of the wedding festivities. It provides the bride and the groom with one last time to sit down with the wedding party before the big day. In addition, it is a time to express gratitude to everyone that has been involved with the planning of the wedding. It can be casual or formal, depending on the taste and desire of the bride and the groom. Either way, there are a few things to keep in mind when planning and hosting the rehearsal dinner.
The wedding rehearsal dinner is an important part of any wedding. It can help reduce pre-wedding jitters and allow all members of the wedding party to reduce a little stress the night before. It is not just the bride and groom who are feeling the exhausting effects of stress. All members of the wedding party can get to know each other and enjoy a night out.
When to Have the Rehearsal Dinner
A rehearsal dinner is traditionally held a day or two before a wedding. Most commonly, it occurs the night before the wedding. The rehearsal dinner should follow immediately after the rehearsal with the bridal party.
Who to Invite to the Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner is a dress rehearsal of the wedding. Any wedding rehearsal dinner will only include the bride and groom’s parents and those in the wedding. This includes the bridesmaids, matron of honor, best man, ushers, reverend/priest/justice of peace, flower girl and ring bearer. No one else should be invited to the wedding rehearsal dinner.
Who Pays for the Rehearsal Dinner
Traditionally, the groom’s parents pay for the wedding rehearsal dinner and cocktails. Invitations are not necessary, usually word of mouth will suffice. While wedding rehearsal dinner invitations are an extra expense, they can add a touch of class to formal weddings.
Creating the Wedding Rehearsal Invitation
Wording for the rehearsal dinner is relatively informal and make it clear that the host is the groom’s parents. A clear example of a wedding rehearsal dinner invitation can be found below:
Please join us
in honor of
Susan Johnson and John Doe
on the night before their wedding,
Friday, June 18th, 2005 at 7:00 P.M.
immediately following the wedding rehearsal.
Maxwell’s Fine Dining
1212 Young Avenue.
Burlington, New Mexico.
Sandra and William Doe
What to Offer at the Wedding Rehearsal
The wedding rehearsal dinner usually consists of a round of drinks before dinner while the restaurant does the last minute check of the requested banquet room. The dinner is then served with a round of toasts to the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be. The evening ends with dessert, coffee, and conversation. If expense is an issue, the groom’s parents can opt to hold a buffet dinner or ask the restaurant for a group rate menu. Many restaurants offer special menus for large parties that can help with the expense.
What to Do at the Rehearsal Dinner
If the wedding is to take place on the day after the rehearsal dinner, it is an excellent idea to keep the rehearsal dinner low key. The last thing anyone wants is to have the bride, groom, and/or wedding party late for the big day because they had too much to drink the night before. While some of the wedding party may push to take the rehearsal dinner party to another location for dancing, it is best to avoid extra activity.
Because a bride-to-be has last minute preparations to complete, a wedding rehearsal dinner should end as early as possible without any extensive partying following dinner. This allows a bride-to-be to go home, relax, do her nails if necessary, pack her bags for the honeymoon, and get plenty of sleep.
Wedding rehearsal dinner invitations are not an integral part to a wedding. However, if the bride is seeking a formal wedding celebration from start to finish, you shouldn’t miss this time-honored tradition of formal announcements for the wedding rehearsal dinner.