Rehearsal Dinner Ideas

He was lonely, and so was she. She met him and said, “He is the one for me.” He met her, and knew she was a winner. Now it’s time for the rehearsal dinner!

Wedding rehearsal dinner ideas can range from simple to elaborate. Since the wedding is the real focal point of the wedding weekend, a simple, yet sophisticated rehearsal dinner is always a nice way to thank friends and family for their support. 

Here are some rehearsal dinner ideas to jump-start your rehearsal dinner party planning:

• Wedding Party Gifts: Be prepared to hand out wedding party gifts at the rehearsal dinner. Select an elegant necklace to accent the bridesmaid dresses for the ladies. Order personalized gym bags for the gentlemen. Design a personalized necklace with the name of the flower girl. Purchase a personalized piggy bank, duffle bag or backpack for the ring bearer.

• Rehearsal: Create a hand-out for the wedding party with details of the ceremony. Include information such as the time the wedding party is requested to arrive at the wedding. Write the order of the Processional and Recessional. Inform the wedding party about whether or not they will be formerly introduced at the beginning of the reception. Specify the order the wedding party will be introduced into the reception. Think about whether or not the wedding party will gather around the dance floor as the bride and groom have their first dance.

• Venue: Select a wedding rehearsal venue based on the budget, preferences of the bride and groom and the overall feel of the event (formal or informal). Low budget venues include residences, local town function halls or barbeques. Examples of formal venues are hotels, restaurants and private function rooms.

• Seating: Create seating cards for better organization. Assigned seating brings people with common interests closer together, and helps to avoid awkwardness. Couples or families will not have difficulty finding a table due to a lack of available seats.

• Speeches and Toasts: Plan for speeches and toasts in advance. Check with the father-of-the-bride, father-of-the-groom, best man and maid-of-honor about whether or not they plan to make a speech or toast. Proper etiquette is to recite speeches and toasts in between meal courses.