How to Organize the Rehearsal Dinner

Video Transcript

"Now I'm going to talk a little bit about how to organize the rehearsal dinner. Rehearsal dinner kind of self explanatory, it's the dinner that happens after the rehearsal, usually on the eve of the wedding, sometimes the night before. Whatever night the rehearsal falls on, that's going to be the night the rehearsal dinner falls on. First thing, this event is a little more casual usually, not necessarily but often. Because the wedding is a dressy upscale event so really you don't want to do back to back dressy. Often this is kept a little more casual a little more comfortable so people can really let their hair down, have a good time, mix and mingle and have a lot of fun. Who is invited? Well anybody who is at the rehearsal first of all. If they are walking down the aisle with the bride and groom, then they would be invited to this. Immediate and close family, this is definitely a place for grandma and grandpa if they are close by. They would be invited. Out of town wedding guests a little bit of a question mark. It depends on your budget, it depends on your situation. Often with destination weddings, out of town wedding guests are as a courtesy included in the rehearsal dinner. Or if you have a small handful of guests coming in town for a local wedding you could include them as well. You do not have to, this really depends on your budget. You are going to want to go out to eat, this is not a meal that you cook. Again, big event happening the next day so this should be relaxing and go out to this dinner. Find a restaurant ideally that's very, very close to the rehearsal site. Or an alternative a favorite or special restaurant maybe where the bride and groom first met. Or went on their first date. Something like that. Either way you want to include information in your invitations to the rehearsal dinner as to what type of restaurant it is, what dress code is in effect at that restaurant and this is important a little map or a little set of directions on how to get from the rehearsal to the restaurant. The rehearsal dinner is also a spot where bridal party I'm talking to you for a second here, this is where you are going to give out appreciation gifts to your bridal party, so bride and groom will give them to the bridal party. And or to your parents if you are giving parents gifts, things like that. This is where they are given. You can do this publicly by standing up at the rehearsal dinner and giving a little speech of gratitude, keep it short and simple or if you are not comfortable standing up in front of everybody that's ok. You can quietly go table to table and have a little one on one with the person that you are giving that gift to and show your appreciation that way. Keep it simple, keep it casual, keep it fun. This is a time to mix and mingle and have a great time because you know what someone is getting married tomorrow."