Rehearsal Dinner Ideas?

Can you do a rehearsal on the day of your wedding instead?

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I don't think there will be time, we only have 6 hours at the venue (we may be adding one just to be safe) and that all includes set up, tear down, all photos and the ceremony and reception. We are already so tight on time unfortunately.

I would do it on Friday to prevent it from interfering with Thanksgiving. People can still go Black Friday shopping if necessary and attend an evening rehearsal and dinner.

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Should I do it as a lunch or early dinner to give some time maybe? We aren't planning a super fancy affair

Our rehearsal will be the night before the wedding, I don’t think that will be an issue.

I would do it on Friday, for sure

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Ok thank you!

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Sounds like my best option! Thanks!

Most rehearsals are done the day before the wedding. Any earlier and people will forget everything they practiced. The dinner doesn't have to fancy nor does it need to have anyone in attendance beyond those participating in the rehearsal and their significant others.

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That makes sense! Thanks so much!

I'd just go with the night before. Black Friday isn't that important, lol. Make it a little later in the day, so people have time to relax or go shopping after Thanksgiving.

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Haha it sure won't be a priority for me this year! Thanks!

I would just do it on Friday. I would try to do it later, in case anyone in your bridal party works retail and has to pull an early shift. Much easier to say they would rather work the early shift than try to get out of that. Plus that way if anyone wants to battle the craziness they still could.

Most small town churches do rehearsals in a morning or evening a week or two ahead, if people are local. And most often those RD are held the weekend before or after. Few rehearsals are even necessary. The couple and the officiant, and often someone who does music, are really the only ones who need to practice or walk through in the venue. Anyone else can just be filled in, the day of or day before. At some point, if you have not done it before, you need to time a walk for determining how long music will play, or changing an arrangement, walking the real distance. If you have not done that way earlier, it helps to do it earlier in the week, not the day before. But otherwise, not a big deal. More than half of all weddings I have been in, there has been no general rehearsal, just the couple and officiant.
And of those that are held, no one comes in from out of town. Most people have graduated from somewhere, 30-500 students getting it right, no rehearsal. So do what will leave you most prepared. If you would like to meet with clergy, rehearse your vows, time bride's walk, and walking back together ( for music) , earlier than most arrive, your wedding party dinner can be held whenever convenient. It need not follow the rehearsal. Once people arrive, they are not making a special trip across a meal time to do a 20-30 minute rehearsal. Just do each when convenient. And if only you two go to rehearsal, or Dad, pick some time to review the order of things. Start here, walk to there, is easy. It can be done in a few minutes before the dinner, anyplace.

View Quoted Comment Interesting! That may not work great for us because our family and wedding party lives so far that they haven't been super involved in planning and don't know whats going on. A rehearsal will be good for us in that regard, but good to know! Thanks!

Girl, I’ve been getting little jabs from people because mine is the 21st. So I feel your pain there.
Honestly I don’t think the doing it Friday would be too much. In all reality most of the Black Friday deals happen on thanksgiving or online anymore, so it isn’t like that ability to shop will be limited. Plus Black Friday shopping is usually an early in the day thing, isn’t it? Plenty of time to nap and recharge before the rehearsal...especially if you do it in the late afternoon/early evening.
Sadly someone will complain regardless but in my brain this would be the best option.

We're doing ours the night before the wedding, but we also aren't doing it on property. We are traveling to NY from MD for our wedding, so we don't have much flexibility in when we do it. Our venue has a wedding the day before ours, so we can't use the actual venue to rehearse with our timeline of when we'll be there. So we're renting out a private room nearby for 3 hours - 1 hour to rehearse and 2 hours for a plated dinner service.

View Quoted Comment Our bridal party will be flying in from out of state, so no one will be working that night! Great point though, thank you!

View Quoted Comment Im glad to know I'm not the only one who has had an issue with a thanksgiving time wedding! I agree! Thank you!

View Quoted Comment Im glad to know it's not too weird to do the dinner the night before! Thanks for your reply!