Rehearsal Dinner? Yay or Nay

Usually there are 3 choices for a time to say thank you to your attendants. 1 is a rehearsal dinner, informal with just participants or a more formal dinner with participants, SO, couple, parents, and others you want to invite. 2 is that the couple have a dinner or evening with just their own people, a bride and bridesmaid dinner or lunch together, and a groom and groomsman one separate. Or 3 the couple, and bridal party and SO, not at rehearsal and without parents or out of towners, just a bridal party goodbye. you do have to do something, but there have always been these 3 choices, and just bride and bridesmaids, and separately just groom and groomsmen, not a big drinking events, just a simple small meal, or coffee and desserts, is the least expensive. the bride and the groom pay for all, and a 2 hour max meal at a low end place is about the best you will do. A lot of people on WW say there has to be an RD, but any etiquette book will tell you, that is not true and never has been .

Aloha! Not sure if it’s a regional thing, but I’m from PA and it is very common here. Our rehearsal dinners range from casual at a parents home or an upscale restaurant. We did ours outdoors under a white tent with only those who had a part to play in the wedding. A friend of mine went to a casual rehearsal dinner hosted at a relative’s home that was a clam bake - she said it was the best! Hope this helps in your decision ❤️

If you are holding a rehearsal for your ceremony, it is typical to also host a rehearsal dinner as a way to thank your wedding party for participating in the ceremony rehearsal. If not doing a ceremony rehearsal, then it is totally up to you on whether you'd like to do a dinner or not. Rehearsal dinners can be anything from very casual pizza or BBQ in someone's backyard, to making reservations at a local restaurant, or even to a fancy restaurant. Whatever fits your budget and vision is totally fine. Often, couples give the wedding party their "thank you" gifts at the rehearsal dinner, though this could also be done the day of the wedding.

If you don’t do a rehearsal, then no dinner needed.

If you have a rehearsal, etiquette says you have a dinner for those who participated and their significant others. Not a big group of out of towners for a social gathering. If no rehearsal, then no dinner. They are very casual.

It's always a good idea to have a rehearsal dinner if you'll be having a rehearsal. Some rehearsal dinners are held at fancy restaurants, and others are held in someone's backyard with pizza and beer. Some people just invite just the wedding party and parents, and others invite out of town guests. It's really up to you how you want to do it! However, if you're not having a rehearsal, then there's no need for a rehearsal dinner.

View Quoted Comment Thank you for that insight. I never looked at it that way.

View Quoted Comment Thank you Sara. That’s a good option to look at things.

View Quoted Comment That’s my concern at the moment. Because our wedding party is connected to large families. Consisting of small children. And that makes the number grow quicker.

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100% agree with this