Rehearsal Dinner. What is the point?

I feel the same way about spending but we do need to have a rehearsal and finish decorating so we are just going to order pizza and make it like a quick eat while you work type thing.

We did a rehearsal because A. it wasn't your typical walking down the aisle two by two. and B. because my in-laws offered to foot the bill (which was very nice).

If you aren't strapped for cash I would say yes, do it. It's a nice time to get those special people together because at the wedding you really don't get a ton of time with them.

I do hate how my laptop makes duplicate posts that I have to clean up lol.

Well, no. You rehearse during the rehearsal (usually at your venue) and then you do a dinner to thank everyone for taking time out of their day to rehearse and it is an extra thank you to those who have done so much for your wedding. So you really invite the BP and parents. Some do extended family and OOT guests but that is up to you.

AND no your dinner doesn't need to be fancy. We had it catered by a local BBQ place who makes great food and set up some yard games. It was really fun and cheap.

We had rehearsing going on, because I had several people who had never been a wedding. We just did Subway and KFC wings. So you don't have to have anything fancy.

Mine is after the rehearsal just at a local pizza place. We wanted to do it because we have out of town guests and just a thank you to our bridal party. I am also presenting them with their gifts and doing the grooms cake that night so I dont have to worry about it at the wedding.

We are just doing setting up the night before and a quick run through. I'm getting pizzas to feed everyone, a dinner isn't necessary!

What Soonyee said

Ok I get it now LOL. Sorry I have just always seen rehearsal dinners to be a fancy dinner the day before the wedding.

We are having a rehearsal cocktail/hors'deouvers-appetizers get together before we go to the ceremony space and rehearse. I rented a party room at one of my favorite little bar/ grills. Nothing formal or fancy! Just a few drinks/food and hanging out. We plan on giving out our BM & GM gifts and thanking all those involved.

My oldest sister is super type A and she had a full catholic mass wedding. Her rehearsal was fairly formal and we definitely had some rehearsing at that one (also, folders were given out with all the responsibilities and time tables to each member of the wedding party...I told you she was type A). If you are similar or nervous at all about how the ceremony is going to go, I definitely think it would be worth it to have a rehearsal, even if the dinner is homemade food at your house or a couple pizzas. My in laws have also offered to pay for the dinner portion and I know I won't be able to relax without rehearsing at least once!

I agree that it doesn't have to be fancy... I am going to see if we can just do subs from a local place or pizza or chinese food....

Really, I just want to eat pizza, chinese food and subs from Massachusetts since those aren't the same out here in AZ, I have debated flying back east just for Chinese food before..

I want backyard feel but it probably won't happen since no one lives really close to the venue (w/in 20 miles) so it wouldn't be fun to drive that far.

So maybe a local park or something would work

Doesn’t have to be fancy. I know a lot of couples that do a backyard BBQ with everyone. Just a good way to spend time with your closest family and bridal party before you see everyone else on the wedding.

Our rehearsal is at the church - they're practically standard for Catholic weddings, I think. I don't know if it's possible to have a wedding in a Catholic Church and NOT have a rehearsal, but anyway. . .everyone at the rehearsal is invited to dinner afterwards.

I'm really looking forward to that. It'll be a fun couple of hours with those nearest and dearest to us. The reception will be a much larger crowd.

We did a rehearsal lunch at H's pizzeria. We did a super quick rehearsal to basically let them know who's walking with who and what order we were going in. We repeated this at the venue later that evening (with whoever was staying there and had some stand ins.) The actual rehearsal was kinda quick, and we kept it completely to our immediate families, bridal party and our officiant (who is also my mom's cousin.)

If you want to do it at the pizzeria up here, I'm sure I could get them to work you out a deal...

I didn't have one and everything was fine. I think most people know how to walk down an aisle and stand in a certain spot. lol

That's how we feel! But our mom & FMIL feel it's necessary even though me and FH will be treating everyone to dinner the next day. So we're going to the site the afternoon before and then my mom and FMIL will be treating everyone to lunch.

I didnt have a fancy rehersal dinner i just order pizza for everyone. Lol i guess if you got the money for it then go ahead and go all out.

I've been in a wedding where there was no dinner after the rehearsal. I never knew there was suppose to be one. No one was offended. We all wanted to get home because we all had to be up early the next day. At my venue, the owner told me they had a huge grill if I wanted to just have a cookout. My venue is two hours away and the closet hotel is 30 minutes. I don't know if I will have a rehearsal the day before with everyone. Maybe a few minutes that morning.

@FutureMrsP- I hear you about the food. I grew up in Massachusetts as well and I crave that Chinese food all the time!