Rehersal Dinner - Ok to have guests pay for themselves?

How many people are attending? You could do simple pizza and make some pasta salad and tossed salad. Or have a small bbq? I mean i dont know if this is tacky but even little caesars is $5 a pizza!

We're spending around $375 for 40 people by doing pizza, beer and salad. It doesn't have to be fancy but you do need to have a dinner if you're having a rehearsal.

Pizza or burgers are ok. The rehearsal dinner doesn't need to be fancy. We're doing BBQ and thinking of it as the calm before the storm.

RD does not need to be fancy. Have the rehearsal and do pizza, a bbq, sandwiches etc. It doesn't have to be fancy, but it has to be done and paid for by the host. If you don't want to have a dinner, don't have a rehearsal at all

Also, your wedding is a year away..Im sure you guys can put away a tiny bit over time to do a small pizza party.

It doesn't have to be fancy, but they're taking time out to rehearse with you and it'll be in the evening during dinner time - You should provide food. You can cheaply cater from local restaurants, or pizza & beer. It doesn't have to be fancy at all, but please feed your people.

The consensus is correct.

If you have a rehearsal, you must hot something after. Don't have a rehearsal, and you don't have to have a rehearsal dinner. So don't have a rehearsal, and your problem is solved.

The rehearsal dinner is most certainly to thank your wedding party. If you rehearse then you have a dinner.

For my first wedding we were the poster children for dead broke. I made homemade spaghetti sauce, homemade chocolate cake and we had everyone over for spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, cake, and drinks. Super cheap.

Pizza is great too - but no one else pays for it and you need to do it if you rehearse. And, I also agree, no to the ice cream social.

Absolutely not. If you can't even afford a few pizzas and beer, then don't have a rehearsal. It doesn't have to be fancy, but if you're asking your party to give up a night to your wedding, they deserve dinner.

I LOVE that OP edited her initial post to include the overall consensus is 'Hell No'. Go OP!!!

The last wedding I was in they did pizza for rehearsal dinner, and honestly it was such a long day of getting everything set up at the venue that I was VERY happy I didn't have to sit through a more formal dinner. You need to have a rehearsal and you need to feed people after, definitely. Unless you have total snobs for friends get pizza!

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No

My grandmother is the queen information on these kind of things and she would say yes to the rehearsal dinner because its a way of thanking the bridal party for being part of your wedding. Its also the opportunity to literally say thank you and hand out any gifts. We are also inviting those that are coming from out of town because they are spending big bucks to make it. Think of it as a thank you. Doesn't have to be fancy or big. My grandmother is hosting it at my FIL's house and is ordering Italian food. See, still small, but doing what is proper etiquette

We didn't actually have a rehearsal but we still had a dinner as a way to thank everyone for being a part of the wedding, coming from so far away (the majority of our guests were out of state), and as a kind of mixer so his family and friends who all live in Denver and elsewhere could get to know my family and friends who are all from here. It was actually pretty fun. To the point of the question though, we hosted a full dinner, with ice tea and choice of soft drinks but no alcohol. If a guest decided they wanted it, they were free to purchase it at the bar. I felt a little shady setting that rule but we could only do one open bar per weekend.

Have the rehearsal without a dinner. Or don't have a rehearsal. Don't ask your guests to pay, ever.

ps. It is NOT inappropriate or rude to skip the rehearsal dinner. You're rehearsing. There is a purpose. You are not required to feed people after the rehearsal but it's nice to do so.

Have a BBQ, pizza or sandwiches at your house for everyone. Something is better than nothing.

Maybe you can provide light snacks (pretzels, drinks, mixed nuts, chips and dip).

No. If you're going to have a rehearsal, you need to have some dinner, no matter how casual.

Most bridal parties don't even need a rehearsal, so consider skipping it.

Rehearsal dinners don't have to be fancy. Most in my area are cookouts or pizza. If you have a require people to be at the rehearsal then you need to feed them. I know someone that did a taco night and one did grilled cheese and soup.