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Nikki
Dedicated November 2019

Are Rehearsal Dinner's Necessary?

Nikki, on June 8, 2018 at 4:07 PM Posted in Parties and Events 0 14

I have seen on a lot of the wedding planning guides says to send invitations for rehearsal dinner. Is that necessary or what is it for?

14 Comments

Latest activity by Sarah, on June 11, 2018 at 1:40 PM
  • K
    Expert September 2018
    Kate ·
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    I'm not having one. But if I did I wouldn't send out invitations. I mean it's suppose to be the bridal party. So I'd just send out a text for them.
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  • Nikki
    Dedicated November 2019
    Nikki ·
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    But where is it supposed to be held at? and is it just the bridal party or the whole guest list?

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  • augbride
    Super August 2018
    augbride ·
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    A rehearsal dinner can really be whatever you want it to be. Traditionally, it is for the bridal party and their spouses, and parents. Sometimes people have the bridal party and their spouses and OOT guests. It's really just a nice way to spend more time during you wedding weekend with the people that mean the most to you

    I'm hosting a welcome dinner at a nearby park and inviting all of my guests. I included it in the details card of my wedding invite and will follow up with people via text/phone call to get their RSVP for the welcome dinner.

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  • Going to the chapel
    Master July 2017
    Going to the chapel ·
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    You don't need to have a rehearsal dinner if you don't have a rehearsal. If you do rehearse, you need to have a dinner to thank those who rehearsed. The dinner typically includes the bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girl/ring bearer and their parents, the parents of the bride and groom. If you have room and can afford it, it's nice to include the grandparents and siblings with their SOs. A rehearsal dinner can be as simple as beer and pizza. You can hold it in a restaurant, in a park or at a home.

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  • Mcskipper
    Master July 2018
    Mcskipper ·
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    If you are doing a “rehearsal” then yes, you need to feed everyone involved, it’s a way to thank them for their time. The dinner can be anything from simple (think pizzas) to formal.

    Rehearsals themselves, however, are not totally necessary, and many people forgo them. If you do not have a rehearsal, you do not need to host a rehearsal dinner.
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  • Nikki
    Dedicated November 2019
    Nikki ·
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    Well, we are having the ceremony in a church, we have a rehearsal days before the wedding. Do I need to do a rehearsal dinner for that?

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  • Charity
    Devoted December 2021
    Charity ·
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    For the entire wedding party and and out of town guests

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  • P.F.
    Super May 2018
    P.F. ·
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    We didn't have one. walking down the aisle is pretty straightforward. Nothing in our ceremony needed practicing
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  • S
    Dedicated April 2019
    Sassi ·
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    Rehearsals are held the night before the wedding, at the ceremony venue. The rehearsal dinner is typically held immediately after the rehearsal, at the same location, but some grooms choose a different location for the dinner. Customarily, the groom and/or his family pay for the rehearsal dinner, so my XH and I went to dinner at the Elks after the rehearsal at our country club venue. Other reasons to have the rehearsal and dinner at two separate places is if you get married at a church or town hall that doesn't serve food. The rehearsal is only for the bridal/groom parties, but we invited people's spouses and kids to join them for the dinner. I sent everyone a text, you don't have to send a formal invitation (but I suppose you could if you want- just never seen it done).
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  • SB
    VIP March 2019
    SB ·
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    We are having one, but it's more of a relaxed get together for everyone before the actual wedding. We have some OOT guests we would like more time with. My FH's parents are putting together a casual crawfish/seafood boil at their house. We are not sending invitations for it, just texting/word of mouth. It can be as simple or formal as you'd like it.

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  • Valerie
    Devoted September 2018
    Valerie ·
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    It’s not neccesary. We chose to do one not necessarily for the purpose of the rehearsing (that will be quick and easy) but because everyone will be in town the night before. We wanted a way to spend more time with our family and wedding party and thank them for being in our wedding. We are inviting our out of state guests as well. It’s at this really cool pizza restaurant for two hours, doing a quick run through there and then eating, drinking, and mingling.
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  • Valerie
    Devoted September 2018
    Valerie ·
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    Also since we got our invitations through my future MIL’s work (printing agency) we did print rehearsal dinner invites and will put them with the regular invites. If we didn’t print with her work, I wouldn’t have paid for them. It is convenient though because when her invites go out all of our people will know when and where we are meeting, another thing I don’t have to worry about later😊
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  • NinjaBride
    Super June 2018
    NinjaBride ·
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    Yes if you are having a rehearsal you feed the people who come. Does not have to be fancy and you do not have to send formal invitations.
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  • Sarah
    Beginner June 2018
    Sarah ·
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    I know I'm late to this discussion, but if you do have a rehearsal dinner you can do e-invitations that way you can get the information to people but not have to pay for postage or wait for them to be mailed out. A lot of e-invitations are free too Smiley laugh

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