Rehearsal Dinner?

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It still sucks for the SO to be invited to a wedding and then left in the hotel room while your SO is at the rehearsal dinner. I am invaliding the SOs in everything because I have been in their shoes and it sucks 85% of the time. Why not included them?

View Quoted Comment Okay. You asked if you should invite significant others and a lot of people answered honestly. I would be offended if my significant other wasn’t invited but you know your crowd best.

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Oh, that is a big wedding party! we only had 4 total bridesmaids/groomsmen! but we did invite about 75 people to our rehearsal dinner (big families + some out-of-town friends). we ended up having about 55 people attend.

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No, not even for that. I can manage to be away from my husband for much longer than an evening (obviously). It's the respect and etiquette that a wedding is not a right, it's a priveledge, and it shouldn't be held in general if you have to do things like not invite someone's husband to attend with them. I've been to weddings that cost 3k and under and they all invited SOs.

Usually for formal seated dinners that last for hours, people are invited as couples. But you cannot have more than the number you can seat and have the budget for. That is a huge bridal party. And since everyone has a SO invited to the wedding reception, if you want the RD to be just for the wedding party and very closest family, it is fine. It is ridiculous to have practically a second wedding for 60 or more for the rehearsal dinner. It defeats the purpose of an intimate party just to thank WP. Etiquette does not require that every party be for couples. Just as, at work, or in a community group, some functions are strictly for workers or members, no other guests, you have plans for couples another time, and can limit this to WP, Not a problem. ( On WW, and most industry supported sites and media, they make it seem necessary to always have couples, to have gifts every time you turn around, and lavish entertaining with alcohol served. But nothing in etiquette has ever required those things, except for the wedding. Showers, Bach, and perties from co-workers or friend groups at wedding time are all for limited groups, not couples. And RD can be too, quite properly
Some weddings, the B and G have separate lunches or dinners for just their people, a long standing etiquette approved option. No RD at all. People only MUST be given a meal after Rehearsal if they have travelled a long time, and it covers a meal time. And couples dinners are not a requirement either. Just one, fairly common choice. 4 of the last 5 wedding rehearsals I have been in, were 15- 20 minutes long, and less than 10 minutes drive , on a weeknight. Only locals attended. No meal. But separate lunches or bar dinner night, one for BM, one for GM, as thank you, for all, not just those at rehearsal. The dinner was to thank people for being in the wedding party, not for coming to the rehearsal.

I'm having everyone come because it's only 30 guests and in Vegas. I figured the least I could do for them flying out is feed them a couple times.