Rehearsal Dinner Planning Tips

The rehearsal dinner, traditionally hosted by the groom's family, is an opportunity for both families to meet and get to know each other. It is also an opportunity for the bride and groom to show appreciation to the bridal party for their time and effort. The rehearsal dinner can be either formal or casual depending on preference. The guest list should consist of both sets of parents, grandparents, siblings, bridal party members and their spouses or significant others. The officiant and special guests may also be invited. Trying to find a location, however, for the rehearsal dinner may appear to be the most challenging part of planning the dinner. It may appear daunting to try to find a location that will accommodate your family, their needs and still remain within your budget criteria. Here are a few places that you may want to consider for your rehearsal dinner from for all budget sizes:

High Budget: A restaurant is always a good choice as it requires minimal planning on your part. Restaurants such as Ruth's Chris, McCormick and Schmidt's, and Maggianos may offer you a private room equipped with your own bar and staff for your event. A restaurant will also offer you a variety of meal selections to accommodate your families needs and tastes. More importantly, hosting your event at a restaurant means less work will be required on your part. The restaurant will provide you with linens, tables, chairs, drinks, food etc. All you need to do is select your menu.

A private room at a local winery or vineyard may also be an elegant option for your event. A winery will provide you with a beautiful and quiet setting amongst the greenery and vineyards. It will also provide you with lots of tasty spirits as you and the bridal party will be making various toasts throughout the night. You will need to inquire about catering as wineries vary on this one. Some provide catering while others do not.

Mid Budget: Your wedding venue may offer you space to hold your rehearsal dinner. If your rehearsal dinner is on a weeknight, the venue may offer a reduced rate especially if they have not booked the space by the time of your event. This means that your bridal party will not have to travel far for the dinner since they will be in attendance at the rehearsal.

If your event is located in the same town as your Alma Marta, they may offer you rental space to meet your needs. Many colleges have meeting rooms, banquet halls and conference rooms that are frequently made available for public rental. Because you are a graduate they may even offer you a reduced rate.

Do you have a lot of out of town guests arriving for your wedding? Contact the hotel in which your sleeping rooms are blocked. Since you are patronizing the hotel they may offer you space for your rehearsal dinner at a reduced rate.

Small Budget: If you are working on a leaner budget you may still want to try a restaurant such as the Olive Garden, Red, Hot and Blue or Bertucci's. They may provide you with a private area for you and your guests at a less expensive rate. You can also trim down the costs by only serving drinks and appetizers instead of a meal. You can also trim costs by skipping the private room and just booking a table instead.

The most inexpensive way to host your event may be to utilize a private home. Hosting your rehearsal dinner at your home or the home of a relative is one means to minimize the costs. You will save by not paying for a facility rental fee. Another benefit to hosting your event at a private home aside from the cost is that you gain a cozy and intimate atmosphere for your family to mingle and become acquainted. Although this may require a little more work, it can still be as elegant and fun as having it at a public facility.

If the weather is nice you can bring your party outside by hosting it in a backyard, garden, or local park. You can even jazz it up by incorporating a fun theme such as a luau or garden party.

Regardless of your budget, the main focus of your event should be intermingling your families and celebrating the big day. Your rehearsal dinner also provides you with an opportunity to show appreciation and distribute gifts to your bridal party. More importantly it gives you an evening to relax and have a good time with family and friends before the big day.