Wedding Rehearsal Dinners

A trend that’s set to be big in 2020 is the American tradition of wedding rehearsal dinners. These are dinners held after the wedding rehearsal, often the night before the wedding when really there isn’t anything left for you to do. They’re a great way to help you relax and stop you stressing about the next day.

If this sounds like your sort of party, then here’s everything you need to know about rehearsal dinners so you can plan your own.

Cost

The first thing to consider is who is funding this. For example, in America, if the bride’s parents are paying for the wedding, the groom’s parents pay for the rehearsal. Or, if both sets of parents are paying for the wedding, then the couple foot the bill. Once you’ve established the financial logistics of the rehearsal, you can move on to the next steps.

Guests

Who do you invite? In America, these can be massive events with all the wedding guests invited, although a recent trend is towards more intimate affairs with only the families of the bride and groom being invited. A rehearsal dinner may be a good way to make sure you spend time with any guests who have travelled a long way to be with you.

Location

When you have your budget and guest list, you can decide on your venue. As this is the start of your wedding celebrations, this is where you set the tone for the whole event. Consider keeping it casual so you can relax, which is ultimately the reason for having this party in the first place.

Time

This meal is usually after you’ve rehearsed the ceremony part of your wedding, which is great if you are doing the rehearsal the day before your marriage. If not, you might consider holding your party off rather than trying to fit something in mid-week.

Presents

This is a great time for you to give your thank you gifts to your principal men and bridesmaids, especially if it something you want them to wear on the day. It also means you have one less thing for you to deal with next day.

Fun

And the last thing to remember is this is all about having fun. If planning is going to be one more stress than you can take, then you can delegate it to someone else, so all you have to do is greet your guests when they arrive.