Planning a wedding can be enough to make even the most organized person feel like hiding under a rock for a few months, but a wedding rehearsal dinner need not be a burdensome affair. Originally created as a way for out-of-town guests to participate more fully in the wedding festivities, the rehearsal dinner is an optional event that is often planned by the groom’s family. Many options are available for the rehearsal dinner, and your choices become clearer once you determine three important factors: how many people would you like to include, what sort of mood are you imagining (casual, elegant, or formal), and what is your budget?
The rehearsal dinner does not need to be expensive or formal, unless of course that is what you prefer. Simple wedding rehearsal dinners can include a potluck or a simple catered buffet. If you prefer not to host the event at your home, consider your options among restaurants and local halls, allowing you to relax and enjoy the company of your guests instead of cooking and preparing (not to mention cleaning before and after the event).
Remember, the rehearsal dinner is not entirely about the food – it’s about offering your out-of-town guests a chance to interact and mingle with the rest of the family, as well as the bride and groom. Many people prefer a less-than-formal affair for the rehearsal dinner, as it allows your visiting family and friends to choose who they sit with, as opposed to being forced to conduct small talk with strangers (which they may have to do anyway during the wedding reception). Many local restaurants are available for rehearsal dinners, either in a banquet room or in a special part of the restaurant.
If you plan to invite many guests to the rehearsal party, a casual or outdoors event may be your best option. An outdoor picnic or barbecue offers a great way for family and friends to mingle and get to know others who are intimately connected with the bridal couple. This provides an additional benefit: your out-of-town guests will already know more people when they arrive at the wedding reception, which helps ensure everyone has a good time.
For smaller gatherings, you may prefer the intimacy of a sit-down dinner or a cozy rehearsal buffet in someone’s home. Alternatively, if your wedding rehearsal dinner includes only the bride and groom, siblings and parents, there’s really no need to plan a formal dinner – why not choose a favorite restaurant and enjoy a nice dinner out. Invitations aren’t required, especially for more intimate gatherings – a simple phone call will suffice.
Wedding rehearsal dinners do not typically include favors or keepsakes, although it’s not unheard of to provide such a memento. A simple photograph of the entire group is a nice gesture, and these can be printed and mailed with wedding gift thank you cards, or discreetly handed out by a helpful cousin or family friends during the wedding reception.
There is certainly one thing that no wedding rehearsal dinner would be complete without – a photo montage that includes pictures of the happy couple. You may choose to assemble images beginning with the birth of the bride and groom, continuing through to their courtship, or you may prefer to include photos of family and friends, but either way, this is a simple and powerful technique for uniting both sides of the soon-to-be-joined family. And what better way to showcase this trip down memory lane than with a slide show projector rental from Projector123.com? It’s easier and more affordable than you may think – just click here to get started or learn more.
