Rehearsal Dinner - Do I Have To?

Hi!

I'm actually not having a rehearsal dinner in a restaurant or anything. My parents are just having a bbq at their home the afternoon before the rehearsal. But you can always skip the whole food part and let your guests know it's just going to be the rehearsal so that they can head home to relax for the big day!

Good Luck!

I didn't have a formal rehearsal dinner, I just ordered a lot of pizza and we ate that while we rehearsed, but my wedding was at my friends house. So you dpn't have to have a rehearsal dinner, but depending on what time you have it, if its around dinner time, you may want to provide some drinks and very light finger foods so that they don't get grumpy while rehearsing on an empty stomach.

I was a bridesmaid in a wedding last year and they did not have a rehearsal dinner, which was fine, except that no one in the bridal party knew that. The rehearsal was at 7pm and ended close to 10pm, and everyone was starving!!!! Even if you do not have a rehearsal dinner, consider providing light refreshments/snacks/finger foods. At the very least, let your bridal party know there will be no dinner and/or avoid having your rehearsal around a meal time.

I know exactly where your coming from with the tight budget, that's why me and my husband are planning WAY ahead of time. We got married at City Hall but do plan on a BIG wedding. I say take immediate family to a not so expensive resturant like BBQ's. Just so everyone can get to know each other before the wedding. You dont want to be walking around introducing everyone on your BIG day.

Well, a rehersal dinner is kind of a Thank you to your bridal party. It is customary that the grooms family pay for it but of course things have changed. I wuld still do something. It does not have to be grand. It should actually be on a different scale then your wedding. This is also the time to present your bridal party with their gifts as well as each other. You also mentioned being tired and that sort of thing. Consider having the rehersal 2 days prior to the wedding. For example, if the wedding is on Saturday have the rehersal on Thursday.

Best wishes

This is a tough one because having a rehearsal dinner is a good time for everyone in the wedding party to get to know one another. Also, it is a good time to thank your wedding party for being a part of your special day. In a sense, people look forward to the event because it's a time for gathering a (free...lol) food. You don't have to have anything grand. Since your wedding is in August, you might even consider a bbq is the wedding rehearsal isn't too late. All in all, the rehearsal dinner doesn't have to be a grand event, however it might be nice to have something just to say thank you to all that are helping to make your day a special one. I hope this helps.

Like everyone else has said, it is not a requirement. But I think you should still do something, even if everyone just goes to someone's home for drinks and snacks afterwards. Part of the idea behind the rehearsal dinner is to give the bride and groom a chance to spend time everyone who is close to them in a more intimate setting than what it might be at the wedding. If you are having a very small intimate wedding though, that may be unneccessary.

Thank you to all for your thoughts and/or suggestions. Since the wedding is in August, I am leaning towards a cookout prior to rehearsal. Then we can rehearse and go home to rest. I think I need the time to unwind and get ready for the next day. Thanks again.

I'm really excited for my rehearsal dinner, and I'm not sure it's something I would personally cut. I'm really looking forward to the chance of having all of my closest friends and family together, if only for a day or two. However, I do understand the tight budget, so the backyard party seems like the best idea to me.

I think that the Rehearsal dinner is a really good and fun part of the whole thing because you will have all of your closest friends and family and having a nice intimate dinner before te big extravaganza the next day. We are also on a very tight budget. Its actually traditional for the Grooms parents to pay for the rehearsal dinner. That is what we are doing. Its no money out of our budget, my fiances mother is paying for it. Good luck.