My Rehearsal & Rehearsal Dinner Experience

We had a long wedding weekend, our rehearsal was Friday morning at 9:30 AM at the venue and our rehearsal dinner was Friday night at 5:00 PM! Since our rehearsal was Friday morning, not everyone made it (totally fine) but 7/9 bridesmaids did and 4/10 groomsmen did! We did our rehearsal outside, but ended up moving our ceremony inside due to weather. It took around 30 minutes and was more for the coordinator and bride & groom than anyone else. It was nice to show my parents the venue prior to the wedding day though.Our dinner was at a local mexican restaurant right across from our blocked hotel, we had 70 guests (my fiance's father hosted) and offered a menu with 4 options & appetizer & dessert & two drink tickets. I printed personalized menus on Zazzle, it was a cute touch for sure! The restaurant provided napkins & linens & drink tickets. It worked out great, and cost just under $3,000. We invited parents, immediate family, wedding party (19 total) and their significant others and their kids, out of town guests (not all of them, but the ones in town that traveled very far), and extended family (cousins/aunts/uncles). One of our out of town guests is a newspaper writer/photographer so he had his camera and took beautiful pictures at the rehearsal dinner. What a treat!It was a beautiful dinner! 3 groomsmen and 3 bridesmaids unexpectedly gave a speech after my fiance's father. It made the dinner so special & intimate for us, I'm so glad those 6 decided to give speeches! We also gave a thank you speech. Afterwards we went back to the hotel and spent 2 or so hours at the hotel bar, it was great for everyone to mingle & catch up before the big day!
We gave a short thank you speech!Our original ceremony space before the rain moved us inside! My mom made a bouquet for me to practice with out of the ribbons and bows from my bridal shower.Bride & groom with best man & flower children!Hugging after the sweetest speech from one of my bridesmaidsThree of the groomsmen who gave a speech!Our tallest groomsmen (6'5") bear-hugging my groom (also 6'5"), adorable!bride & groom & MOBbride & MOH & two bridesmaidsbride & groom & my stepfather's 90 year old father, he flew in from NJ for the wedding!FOB & my MOH's mother!Two of my bridesmaids after their speechesbride & MOB & my stepfather's great niece!Groomsmen speeches!7/9 bridesmaids at the morning rehearsal!hugs after speechOne of our rehearsal dinner tables