Rehearsal dinner

The rehearsal is covered by the bride and groom unless one of your parents offers to host. For our wedding, my mother-in-law offered to cover the cost of our rehearsal dinner. Your guests should never be asked to pay for any event related to the wedding. Those usually invited are bridal party and their significant others, parents of the bride and groom, siblings of the bride and groom and their significant others, officiant and their significant other, flower girl and ring bearer and their parents, and if you have a reader then that person and their significant other.

A rehearsal dinner is only necessary if you are doing a rehearsal. It's a thank you for those taking their time out of the day to rehearse for the wedding. If you hold one, you need to pay. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. It can be as simple as pizza and soda/beer. The people invited are those that are rehearsing and their significant others. Some people also add immediate family and/or out of town guests.

You pay for everyone. Traditionally it was paid for groom’s parents but some couples prefer to pay themselves but you cannot ask guests to pay their way. Figure out your budget and go from there. Pizza and beers/sodas is common because it is affordable and most people like it.

Generally only those directly involved in the ceremony and their significant others are invited. No dates for singles are necessary. As well as the officiant who often declines. This is the time when you will distribute thank you gifts to attendants. Otherwise, just have a great time eating and socializing. There isn’t an itinerary for them.

The recent welcome party trend for all traveling guests is done either at a later time in the evening following or instead of. But not everyone has the means to host one and they are always optional and not expected in many circles.

His parents paid for the rehearsal dinner. Only the bridal party & their sig others, parents & the officiant. Siblings are not invited.

I'd echo with everyone above. The couple or family pays for the rehearsal dinner. Usually you'd include the wedding party, their significant others, and your close family members (ie parents). That being said.. Not all rehearsal dinners I've been to actually had rehearsals.. Sometimes it was just a dinner.


As mentioned in a pp, if you want more people /open to all, you could also have a welcome party /cocktail either in place of a rehearsal dinner or after if cocktail.

Rehearsal dinner should be covered by someone. It can be bride/groom, or parents, or sometimes close family in my experience. Guests should be hosted regardless of who pays. We invited only the people involved in the ceremony (and needed to be at rehearsal) and their SO's. Some people invite all out of town guests (I'm not a fan of this personally) and some people host a welcome party for the entire guest list (these are usually more casual backyard BBQ type feel).

Rehearsal dinner should be hosted, but it should not be more elegant/formal than that of your wedding. Knowing that you're doing an elegant/upscale rustic wedding you could grill out at home or order pizza and beer as Michelle mentioned and that would be more than sufficient.

People participating in the ceremony are really the only ones that need to be at the rehearsal, and much like your reception, the dinner is to thank these people for their time.