Alternative Rehearsal Dinner ideas

A rehearsal dinner can be really casual. A cookout, pizza, sandwiches. Any of those would work.

Hi I am at the Jersey Shore too what area are you in? I am in Point Pleasant. But besides that you can skip it all together along with the rehearsal, it's not mandatory.

We had a casual cookout and it was a blast and everyone enjoyed themselves

We're just doing a simple picnic dinner in a pavilion next to our church. Only a handful of people need to be there, so it'll be causal and simple. You don't need anything fancy, people are ushally just excited to see you and want to hang out and talk afterwards, especially if they're from out of town.

View Quoted Comment I’m in Spring Lake! And yea I was thinking of skipping all together. Just isn’t within my budget.

We’re having pizza in a park. If we just stay quick and casual it’s free besides the pizza. If we want to hang around longer and spend some time there we can pay $50 to use a building on the property and another $50 for a liquor permit.

You can skip the dinner if you skip the rehearsal! Rehearsals aren't necessary; we did not do one the day before, we just did a 5-min one on the day of after our first look. Or, you can have it be really informal and just invite people over to your place for pizza, wine & beer.

But you have to provide some sort of meal if you're asking people to come to a rehearsal.

Our local Elks Lodge has a small, private bowling alley. We're going to do that and serve beer and chili cheese dogs. We are not trying to fool anyone about who we are. (Yes, there will be a tofu pup and veggie chili option and yes, we'll have a professional heating up and serving those things.)

Most people don't need to rehearse. If you cancel rehearsal, you can cancel the dinner. If you don't cancel the rehearsal, then you need a rehearsal dinner (and of course you and your FH would pay for it. Did you assume different?). It can be casual. Some couples do pizza and beer in their hotel suite. If that works for you, do that. Just make sure you invite everyone involved in the rehearsal AND their significant other. If you have a flower girl/ring bearer involved in the rehearsal, their parents need to be invited to the dinner with them.

My FMIL is insisting on one. They are paying for the majority of the wedding. I don't want them accruing more unneeded expenses since they have been very generous. We been weighing options. I said pizza and beer at the venue since it's ours for the whole weekend,and we set up and have rehearsal there. She didn't want it to cause a clean up...something to think about. I suggested a local pizza joint that's very nice with a secluded room for reservations. We nixed the idea of a fancy dinner with alcohol. I really don't feel they're necessary anymore, but she has a lot of people from out of town that I think she wants to spend time with.

Cancel the rehearsal. Most adults can walk, stand and walk without a rehearsal.

Cancel the dinner.

What about just a cook out style get together at either your house, parents or another close family member that wouldn’t mind hosting. I am personally considering doing this but having a local gourmet food truck come so that we only have to worry about drinks and a few appetizers! The food truck total will only be $800.

Honestly that how I was but then I found a place in my location that was somewhat reasonable. You can cancel the rehearsal dinner but me personally wanted to enjoy a dinner with my family before I get married. If you keep looking good luck. I wish I can help.

There are quite a few BYOB places in your area if you did consider this. My mom held my brothers rehearsal at a place in Brick, BYOB only wedding party and their spouses/partners, with a prefix menu and it didn't cost her more than $700.00 and it was lovely. Lubrano's Trattoria in Manasquan is a very nice BYOB place, if you were going to go that route.

View Quoted Comment Thanks! I will definitely look into this.

View Quoted Comment

If your in-laws are insisting on one, then you should let them pay for one. If you don't think they can pay for one, then cancel it. If she wants to spend time with family from out of town, she can treat them to dinner. No need to have a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner to spend time with loved ones.

If you decide to do a rehearsal maybe do like a bbq or at least provide sweets/ some way to say Thank you. Just make sure if you aren’t providing a dinner, you include that information on the invite so people don’t expect to be fed. I’ve been to rehearsals where they just offered us desserts like cookies/cupcakes ect and it was perfectly fine because we knew ahead of time to eat before we came.