Breakfast, lunch, dinner and restaurants
The Guest List. Only those who will actually take part in the rehearsal—the bride and groom, their parents, the officiant , the wedding party (including any child attendants), and readers—plus their spouses or dates, need to be invited to the rehearsal itself and the festivities that follow.
The purpose of the rehearsal dinner is for the relatives and friends of the bride and groom to meet and have a good time. The couple generally takes this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped with the wedding preparations.
Your dinner must include: all members of the wedding party (and their spouses or dates); parents of flower girls or ring bearers in the wedding, if the little ones are invited; all parents, stepparents and grandparents of the bride and groom , plus siblings who are not in the wedding party (and their spouses or
Practice makes perfect, which is why a rehearsal dinner is a must-do on your wedding list of “To-Do’s.” The rehearsal dinner is an intimate opportunity for the bride, groom , wedding party and family members to meet and mingle, before the wedding day blur begins.
Traditionally , the groom and the groom’s family pay for the honeymoon , but in this day and age the traditional rules don’t apply. I often see the parents of both the bride and the groom paying for the wedding and allowing the couple the freedom to organize and pay for their honeymoon together.
Parents of the groom who want to give a special wedding gift to their son and his bride should give the gift to the couple together either at the rehearsal dinner, the morning of the ceremony, or in the few days leading up the ceremony.
The groom might opt to escort his mother down the aisle and to her seat in the front row, followed closely behind by the groom’s father. This gives the groom an opportunity to give his parents a hug before taking his place at the altar.
The average cost of a rehearsal dinner is $1,330 —about one-thirtieth of the price of the wedding. While some in-laws foot the bill, more couples are paying for it themselves.
Here’s who you might want to invite . You may also want to invite both of your extended families, including grandparents, aunts and uncles , and close cousins, since the rehearsal dinner is a good opportunity for your families to get to know each other.
Out-of-Town Guests For guests that are traveling for your big day, it’s a nice token to extend a rehearsal dinner invitation. They’re taking on the expense of time and money to celebrate you, so including them in your pre-wedding celebrations is often customary.
A rehearsal dinner is rather an intimate event when you have the most important people in your life around for a pre-wedding celebration. Just to appreciate their presence, involvement and show them how much they mean to your couple you should think over giving some favors .
These are the guests who are typically asked to give a rehearsal dinner speech. Fathers of the bride and/or groom. Mothers of the bride and/or groom. Aunts, uncles, and other family members. Friends. Out-of-town guests. Wedding officiant. Open mic.
Rehearsal Dinner Alternatives That Will Save You Money A Welcome Cocktail Party . Invite a larger group of friends and family to your favorite bar for 2-3 hours after a small dinner of just your immediate family and wedding party , and include two drink tickets per person. Wine Tasting (with cheese or other tasty apps included) Bowling. Taco Truck Party .
about 30 to 45 minutes
For a formal affair, go for a long dress or cut a wedding dress into a short white dress. If it’s taking place at a restaurant, a fun cocktail dress is perfect. And if you’re doing something a bit more relaxed and casual like a BBQ, pair your dress with a cool denim jacket.