Rehearsal Dinner 101

With all the buzz surrounding your wedding day, it can be daunting to even think of planning the party-before-the-party. Thankfully, many couples are now tossing traditions aside in favor of more personalized, casual details, which can make things less stressful and a whole lot more fun. Here’s a little to-do list to help get you started.

Determine who’s paying. While the rehearsal dinner was once a way for the groom’s family to showcase their hosting skills, many couples now pay for the dinner themselves, and still more families are splitting the bill.

Create your invite list. Standard etiquette calls for inviting close family, the bridal party and, of course, your offciant. Plus ones are a must, and you might consider including out-of-town guests, depending on your budget and space.

Consider a low-key cuisine. For a more intimate, relaxed dinner, consider opting for family-style comfort food, like a mac and cheese bar or a country barbecue, either at a restaurant or catered at home.

Pair traditions with new ideas. Casual toasts, bridal party gifts and groom’s cakes are all time-tested traditions, but these days, rehearsal dinners are coming to life with group games, signature cocktails and individually served desserts.

Time it out just right. Plan dinner too early, and it may be tricky to do for your traveling guests. Plan dinner too late, and an early wedding morning may feel that much earlier. Try for a 7:00 dinnertime, and make sure to wrap up early so that everyone gets their beauty sleep. After all, the big day is tomorrow.