What is the point of a rehearsal dinner and do you even need one?

[MustangFan]

Is it just tradition?
Also is it just close family and the bridal party?

 

[neatfreak]

Well, I think the original tradition was to show the bridal party that you appreciated their services?

But now I don''t know. You certainly don''t NEED one. But for us, we don''t even have a bridal party and are still going to have a RD. But it''s more about celebrating the whole weekend with our OOT guests. Since we have so many OOT guests and a very small wedding, we''re inviting everyone.

But at least personally, I think it''s fine if you don''t have one.

 

[robbie3982]

I think it''s more of a tradition than a necessity. Some people have just family and bridal party, others also invite out of town guests.

It''s a fun way to relax the night before the wedding and it''s also traditionally when you give your bridal party and parents their gifts.

 

[MustangFan]

I''m not sure if Orthodox religion/wedding even do it this way, (they are always backwards) the wedding is normally held on a friday and a saturday party normally follows.. FI is Russian Orthodox

 

[janinegirly]

rehearsal dinner immediately follows the rehearsal (usually the church/reception site arranges the rehearsal for the night before the wedding). The RD is a nice way to wrap up the evening and a "thank you" to the wedding party etc. It usually includes the officiant, but sometimes they decline. It''s also a nice time to give gifts to the wedding party, and parents to say "thank you."

Etiquette says it includes wedding party (and their spouses/kids), and parents and siblings of the bride and groom. Some say out of town guests too, but we''re not doign that since we have a lot of out of towners and it''d just start to look like our actually wedding list!

 

[oshinbreez]

Here is a link. When my kids got married, the rehersal dinners were held in the hall at the churches they got married. Both just invited the wedding party (including the officiant) and immediate family. I don''t remember what we ate at either of my kids RD, but neither was fancy. Maybe spaghetti for one and fried chicken for the other. I think it''s more of a necessity. It helped to run through the basics of the ceremonies several times. Then, we all ate and had a good time.

 

[dani13]

We are not having a formal rehearsal the day before the wedding. We are getting married at a place that is about an hour away for all of us, inluding the bp. Our officiant reassured us that everything would be fine- he will go over the ceremony quickly on the day of with everyone before it actually happens....

We will probably have just a little informal get-together the night before the wedding- just the bp and families- not sure if we will have it at my parents and just have some food catered in, or we will go out for dinner somewhere or whatever...but we will do something I am sure....

 

[Fancy605]

I agree with others. The rehersal dinner to me is to thank the people involved in the wedding rehersal for rehersing for one or even several hours. For the weddings i have been in, it has always been nice knowing we''d get to eat after we pranced down the aisle for a few hours and stood around while people quibbled over details. Plus, if you have bridal party members from out of town, the dinner tradition is a really nice plus for their dates, who often patiently sit and wait while their SO prances down said aisle. And, it is also nice for out of town guests who have traveled to town early so that they could be there for the ceremony the next day.

I don''t guess you NEED one, but I am really looking forward to ours. It will give me a chance to hang out with my very best friends and family memebers on a smaller scale than the wedding. Our wedding is going to be pretty heavily attended, so I may not get to see much of my close family members, BFFs, and out of state guests during the reception.

 

[FireGoddess]

It''s a way to show your appreciation for the bridal party. It''s a nice gesture after having them come out and ''practice'' what will happen at the wedding, to treat everyone to dinner and also hand out the gifts for the bridal party. We had a lunch instead of a dinner, but it was really, really fun and enjoyable.

 

[surfgirl]

It''s also a nice gesture to have something for all the OOTs there.

 

[Gypsy]

We aren't having one, I don't think. We aren't having more than one attendant each and really don't want more than one 'event.' We'll have a rehersal and take our attendants our for bite or drinks afterward if it works with the timing of the rehersal. As for immediate family... ours don't get along... so the less interaction THE BETTER!

Do what works for you.

 

[firebirdgold]

My Sil had a nice rehearsal dinner at an italian resteraunt for just the wedding party and their S.O''s. Our friend''s wedding a few weeks earlier than that had a big catered and casual dinner at their rental house the night before for all the guests. (They had a dw at a ranch/resort.) The food was catered but it was buffet style and people just snagged whatever bit of seating they could find. Actually more fun than the wedding reception because the interesting people our age weren''t burdened by small kids.

Traditionally it is to thank the people involved in the rehearsal.

 

[rainbowtrout]

I certainly hope you don''t "have" to have one, since I don''t think we''re having one! Both of our families are divorced...


If it helps, my plan is to send people a detailed description of what they need to do in lieu of a rehersal (Dear Dad, you will stand on this side of me and you and Mom will walk me down the aisle. you will not have to speak to or look at each other. this is a picture of where you will be walking. here are fun things to do in Boston the night before."