Rehearsal party budget

Budget is something only you can decide. Some people go super extravagant and others go casual inexpensive so as not to compete with the wedding day.


How filling are the appetizers and what are they? What options do you have if people don’t drink beer/wine? Personally I would do a casual full dinner instead of appetizers, especially if serving alcohol. Pizza and beer/soda is very common and filling.
Are you local to the area? What are your favorite casual restaurants? Take a look at GoogleMaps for restaurant menus.

Passed hors d'oeuvres for 2 hours plus alcohol isn't the greatest choice, imho. As my FH would say, that's not food-food. If budget is a concern, as Michelle suggested scope out casual restaurants (and don't mention the word wedding anything!) for a nice simple meal. We are hoping that our favorite Italian restaurant can work with us to provide a Welcome Dinner/rehearsal dinner of simply salad, charcuterie boards and pizza. (Food-food )

View Quoted Comment I agree with this. I would skip the appetizers and serve a full meal instead, especially if you're serving alcohol. I would also maybe consider limiting the amount of alcohol (such as, two drinks per person), just so no one is hungover for the wedding day, and it'll also help save on cost. As far as the amount spent, you could spend as much or as little as you like! Something as simple as pizza and soda in someone's backyard, or going out to a local burger restaurant, or a taco bar are all good options for a rehearsal dinner that shouldn't break the bank! Some places also have party rooms that you can rent out for a larger group.

It sounds like a good idea actually! because you're still hosting something so it doesn't have to be a full meal

If your guests are going to be drinking that long then it would be best to have a full meal instead because they definitely are going to be hungry lol.

And I like what Cece said about limiting drinks so that way people aren't too hungover the next day.

Hi Yanidit! Most of the rehearsal dinners I've attended have all been either at a country club or in a restaurant with private dining space. OpenTable actually has a good filter for searching local restaurants with private dining rooms - I'd definitely check that out for your area!

View Quoted Comment

Thank everyone yes i am def reconsidering ! Im not too concerned with beer and wine for 2 hours because it is at 3 pm so I dont think anyone will be hung over but I do think we need to serve more food.

Our venue has a separate facility that they offer for rehearsal dinners. It’s $2,000 for 45 people. This covers the meal, staff, setup, cleanup, and people serving alcohol. We will bring enough alcohol for the wedding to also cover the rehearsal.


Most that I have attended are a cooked meal at a family member’s house following the rehearsal. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but they’ve always served a full meal.