Who goes to the rehearsal dinner?

Well for kids, obviously their parents need to come with them. I think it's typical for the immediate family, the bridal party, and maybe some VIP guests or people coming from out-of-town. I guess check with who's hosting the rehearsal dinner and see how many people they're comfortable paying for.

View Quoted Comment My parents are hosting

Typically everyone in the bridal party or involved in the ceremony to rehearse will go to the church (so bridal party, your parents, kids and their parents, and SOs of your bridal party). Anyone not involved in the ceremony will just sit in the pews and watch. And then everyone from there should be invited to the dinner. And any out of town guests should be invited to the dinner, but don't need to be at the rehearsal. I have been a part of 3 Catholic marriages and this is how it worked for all of them.

To answer your question, I believe the answer is typically yes. At the rehearsals and rehearsal dinners I've been to, here are the people that typically attend (if appicable): the couple, officiant, wedding party (and typically their SOs), parents and grandparents on either side, flower girls and ring bearers with their parents, and anyone else involved in the ceremony (maybe ushers, readers, etc). I hope that helps! If the couple hires a musician or singer or something for the ceremony, they typically attend the rehearsal (but since they're someone that's hired, I don't think it's customary for them to be invited to the dinner). Same with the officiant - if they're hired, I don't think they're typically invited to the dinner. And if I forgot any group (or if anyone has different experience), hopefully other posters will point it out! Oops forgot to add that out-of-town guests are typically invited to the dinner (but not the rehearsal itself, unless they happen to be in one of the above groups).

Typically everyone involved in the wedding, their SO's, family members, and their SO's all go to the rehearsal and dinner. Some also choose to invite out of town guests to the dinner.

Usually everyone in the bridal party/involved in the wedding is invited along with their SO's. Immediate family members and their SO's are invited as well. If you have some out of town guests you can choose to invite them, but usually out of town guests that are family are invited as well. Parents of the children involved in the wedding are also invited to the rehearsal.

We're only having those involved in the wedding, SO's, and immediate family at the rehearsal. We have some extended family that are out of town, but we'll be having a 'meet and greet' after the rehearsal in our hotel's lobby bar. That way we don't go overboard with costs for the rehearsal dinner, but we still get to spend time with family that traveled far to see us.

View Quoted Comment When you say bridal party do you mean wedding party? Don’t the groomsmen have to be there?

View Quoted Comment Thank you!!

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Yes! I guess that might not mean the same thing everywhere lol. Groomsmen and bridesmaids have to be there.

Yes, those involved in wedding party and children's parents are supposed to attend

Everyone directly involved in the ceremony. Bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower/ring children and their parents, you and fiance, whomever is escorting you down the aisle. Also officiant, musicians, and usually day of coordinator.


The dinner immediately following, all of those folks are invited plus any significant others.
Out of town guests are generally not invited to the rehearsal dinner.

Sometimes when the groom's parents are hosting, or the couple, the grooms parents won't go to the rehearsal itself, but instead see to the informal catered or cookout food, or get to the restaurant early to make sure everything is done as requested. And any siblings and SO or wedding party who do not wish to sit through rehearsals , or who are seen as extra and not allowed, will go to the dinner site directly. And if the rehearsal is not immediately before the ceremony or night before, it often is on a weekday evening. In that case no one is expected to travel any great distance or stay an extra day for a half hour rehearsal. They miss and are filled in later. Many local weddings have a rehearsal dinner on one of the weekends preceding the wedding, not immediately following an inconvenient rehearsal time. A meal is not necessary immediately after a 10-10:30 Tuesday or other between meal odd time. SO and siblings and parents usually could not take off work, often a reason to have the rehearsal but hold the dinner at a more convenient time, the weekend before or after, or the night before the wedding.

View Quoted Comment Thank you!

View Quoted Comment Yeah I didn’t think out of town guests were invited! I’ve never heard of that!

View Quoted Comment Many posts here suggest inviting out of area guests but that is not feasible for most. It's rarely if ever done in reality outside of magazine/website articles.