The rehearsal dinner is a relatively new tradition in the wedding ceremony – it used to be part of the wedding reception.
Today, many couples are skipping this step in favor of having everyone arrive at the actual ceremony site earlier in the day with time for photos before the wedding party heads over to join them for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
If you still feel like you want to have a rehearsal dinner, make sure it’s small and intimate.
And if you’re the one hosting it, here are some tips that will help ensure that everyone has an enjoyable experience:
1 . Rehearsal dinners should be short and sweet.
Keep your speeches short and to-the-point.
Tell funny stories – just don’t get too graphic!
A lot of couples put together small video clips as well as photos from their relationship as a slide show instead of doing a boring PowerPoint presentation or reading out their entire wedding itinerary.
It’s often helpful to pair speech givers up so they share the duties (i.e., Best Man + Maid / Matron of Honor).
Make sure your videographer is on-site so you get footage of everyone’s rehearsal dinner speeches.
2 . Choose a fun, casual place to have dinner.
It should be local and walkable if possible; it doesn’t make sense for people to drive all over creation after they’ve been drinking during the many cocktail hours at the wedding reception.
Make your rehearsal dinner inexpensive or free (hors d’oeuvres and drinks) and book a room in advance – don’t wait until too late when hotels will charge much more than their usual rates.
3 . Keep things interesting by changing up locations within your chosen restaurant/bar/club/etc.
If you’ve decided to keep this informal, take everyone bowling, ice skating or even miniature golfing before or after dinner.
4 . If it’s your rehearsal evening, keep your guests entertained while the wedding party is running late with their hair/makeup trials.
Set up a photo booth – it doesn’t have to be anything too complicated or expensive. You’ll probably need to hire someone to run the booth but you can also set one up yourself if you’re feeling crafty and/or artsy!
Give everyone in the wedding party a prop bag when they arrive so they can get into the spirit of things. It’s way more fun than sitting around waiting for people to go through their photos at midnight on the night before your wedding!
You can also hire a caricaturist to entertain everyone. A good one will cost you, but it’s worth it for those hilarious images that everyone will want as souvenirs – and the memories of your wedding rehearsal dinner!
5 . Think about alcoholic options as well as non-alcoholic ones such as soda and juice.
You may want to offer cocktails or mocktails along with wine and beer choices.
Make sure there’s something for everyone – especially designated drivers!
6 . If your dinner is potluck, think about how much time each person will need to prepare something (and if they’re helping out with set up and clean up).
It’s easier if you assign people tasks ahead of time; this ensures the event goes smoothly instead of everyone scrambling around at the last minute.
7 . If you want to make sure no one gets too drunk, include food in your dinner plans – but if it’s casual enough, don’t worry about including a meal option.
Ordering pizza is usually pretty inexpensive and easy.
If you need help with cleanup afterward, ask someone on-site to designate that task.
8 . Keep things positive!
It doesn’t have to be all about congratulating the newlyweds or making speeches – let your guests bond over conversation and games instead of feeling awkward because they’re not sure what they should be doing.
Make sure there are people mingling throughout the room so it doesn’t feel like everyone is trapped at their seat until time for them to make a speech.
9 . Thank everyone for coming
and make sure they know how much you appreciate their support! It will mean a lot to them – and the newlyweds!
10 . Make sure you send an email or text message thanking your wedding party members as well as all your guests for coming.
You can include links to photos of the day so people who missed out don’t feel left out.
People love that extra touch – it’s better than just saying “thank you”.
These are just some of the things you can do to make your rehearsal dinner fun and exciting. Keep your guests entertained and don’t forget to have fun!
