Cocktail Hour instead of Rehearsal Dinner

Again if you don't think people will drink that much, cover it yourself.

Thanks @BeautyOfDreams! Took awhile to perfect it but its almost to a science now

For the cost of this cocktail hour, you could probably find a restaurant (even BYOB), and host in an area that is separate from a restaurant. I barely had a rehearsal and it wasn't even in the space I was getting married in, but my H and I found a restaurant in town that had a separate room and had a menu where people could pick from 2 apps, 3 entrees and then dessert, it was BYOB, and my parents and my H's parents split it. My H's parents paid for the "typical" rehearsal dinner people, and my parent's paid for the extras we invited (all of our out of town family) we provided the basic liquor, beer my H and groomsmen liked, and white and red wines that others liked, i think we also had Gin and Vodka since those are two liquors we knew people would drink. If anyone wanted something outside of that, they were on their own.

We are having it at an event room in the hotel as we are coming from out of town and some out of the country so it makes it convenient for everyone.

This makes zero sense to me. As in absolutely none. It's like, 'should i adopt a dog or buy a green dress." There is no relationship to anything from Plan A to Plan B.

Here's what you do. Skip the rehearsal, since by your own admission, almost your whole bridal party will not make it.

Organize the processional order, or get your officiant to help you. Then give that processional order to your on site Maitre D or coordinator so they can line you all up and send you down the aisle. It's honestly not brain surgery.

Then do a party for your BP only the night before. Pay for everything, none of this "first drink" BS. If you insist on inviting eeryone from out of town, then pony up and pay for everyone's drinks and food.

Hi Natalie! This message board was from forever ago, and so you may not even see this. But I am literally planning the same exact format of a wedding weekend. Primarily because our wedding is out of town, and we have like 3 people in our wedding party, including my son. But I like the idea of a Friday cocktail party, and maybe a small thing with our wedding peeps on Saturday, and then ceremony on Sunday. So, if you happen to see this, can you tell me how it went? Hope you are still happily married!