Rehearsal Dinner

You can go pretty casual and do a pizza place or something like that.

Pizza and salad with fruit for dessert. Fried chicken (grocery store is cheap and good by me), with slaw, etc.

We are doing heavy appetizers and an open bar for 1-2hra. Or just beer/wine & the food. It is in the resort/casino where we are getting married & a lot of our guests are staying so there plenty of food/alcohol if they want more.


We figure they will have the cocktail hour and then dinner at reception the dinner the night before doesn’t need to be huge- given we are lookin at 150-250 people!

For mine we are home cooking everything...my future in-laws refused to help cover costs so my grandma/aunts are cooking ham, turkey, a bunch of sides and dessert and my aunt and uncle will host as they have a nice big house!

My rehearsal dinner is for just the wedding party/anyone who is helping (so parents/my friend who is our photographer/etc). The less people saves money.


Also I’m just buying some pizzas and we are hosting at home.

We are doing a seafood restaurant (we live on the bay in Maryland) and it’s going to be about 2,500 for a 2 course plated meal (with seafood options) and an open bar with a set limit. We tried to convince FIL’s to do pizza at our house but they weren’t having it.

We got married on the beach. So after the rehearsal we went to a local casual seafood place, just the parents, wedding party and a couple plus 1s. No fuss, just good food and laughs. The RD doesn’t have to be a fancy catered affair.

Because the rehearsal is smaller than the wedding, we're doing a DIY taco bar. All the wedding party is bringing something: tortillas, cheese, chopped onion, salsa, etc. FMIL is cooking ground turkey and beef, and Mom is cooking beans and rice.

We also have played around with just ordering pizza and beer. Everyone will be socializing anyway, and we're planning on putting people to work helping with decorations and stuff while we have all hands on deck. But both options are really affordable.

View Quoted Comment Thank you ladies!

We did pizza, wings, salad, and roast beef sandwiches (all local favorites, as well as local beer/wine). Served buffet style and kept it super casual. Everyone loved it and price wise it wasn’t too bad! We just did some deal hunting ahead of time and bought the alcohol on sale during Labor Day and at a winery when they had a case special going on

I’m having the same issue. I was going to do it at home and serve pizza, but we’re 30 mins away from our venue and don’t have the seating or space. Ugh decisions. Now I’m trying to find a local place that will allow us to bring in our own food: a bar or winery.

View Quoted Comment It’s another expenses right? We are having a destination wedding so it seems harder for mw
To find a location. We just book a restaurant by the beach in anna maria island. We get select couple menus we want. Instead of picking and choosing from the regular menu. Good luck
finding a place

View Quoted Comment Thank you! I’m glad you found something! I haven’t had a ton of luck so far. I did find a local pizza place that books parties and has a full bar. I might end up going that route! Either that or we will have to invite only bridal party and parents. No siblings or out of town guests.