Who is responsible for rehearsal dinner

Depending on the guest list and budget, and the wishes of the hosts, the event can be anything from a formal banquet to a casual outdoor affair. The style of the rehearsal dinner can complement the wedding, but it should not copy or overshadow it.

Some couples opt for a complete contrast. For example, a backyard picnic can be a casual foil to a black-tie wedding. Many rehearsal dinners are held at restaurants—perhaps a favorite date spot or someplace with a style of cuisine that has special meaning to the bride and groom. If Italy is the honeymoon destination, for example, an Italian restaurant would be fitting.

A place that showcases local flavor, such as Kansas City barbecue, Chicago deep-dish pizza, or Maine lobster, is a good way to introduce guests to the area. The rehearsal dinner is typically held the night before the wedding, directly after the ceremony run-through. Despite its name, however, it can be a lunch, or even a brunch, if you like; and its pace is often informal and leisurely.

But if it is a dinner, keep in mind that the party should end somewhat early, to give everyone a chance to get plenty of rest before the big day. Traditionally, the groom's parents are the hosts of the rehearsal dinner, since the bride's family customarily pays for the wedding. But given the more relaxed standards of modern times, other relatives, close friends, or even the couple themselves can plan and pay for the event. Whoever throws the party should definitely confer with the bride and groom to avoid any conflict with the theme, menu, or decorations of the wedding.

Only those who will actually take part in the rehearsal—the bride and groom, their parents, the officiant, the wedding party including any child attendants , and readers—plus their spouses or dates, need to be invited to the rehearsal itself and the festivities that follow.

But the guest list for the dinner may be longer. You might want to include other family members such as grandparents and close friends, for example. And many couples invite their out-of-town guests as well, making the dinner into a welcoming party. Written invitations are not required, but still it's a good idea to send them if more than just family will be attending; and the host should mail them right after the wedding invitations go out. The invitations are not as formal as those for a wedding but can reflect its tone.

Because it's typically the first time the bride and groom see most of their close friends and family together, the rehearsal dinner can feel like a reunion. For a more formal dinner, or one with a larger guest list, it helps to have a seating chart so people aren't at a loss about where to go when it's time for the meal to be served. Furthermore, some members of the two families may be meeting for the first time, and relatives may not be acquainted with everyone in the wedding party.

Encourage conversation by seating these people together if you're sure they'll be comfortable , or simply make a point of introducing them personally sometime during the evening. Toasts are often a big part of the evening, and unlike those at the wedding reception, where the order may be well planned, rehearsal dinner toasts tend to be spontaneous.

Plus -- guests are too busy drinking, dancing and merrymaking to look up and see what's above them. Photos: Brides around the world. Brides around the world — Farzana Shaikh applies henna to visually impaired brides at the Andh Kanya Prakash Gruh institute as part of a ritual ahead of their marriages in Ahmedabad, India.

Brides around the world — A bride rides to church in the western Macedonian village of Galicnik. Brides around the world — Belorussian brides take part in an annual Bride Parade in central Minsk.

Brides around the world — Rows of newly wedded brides and grooms mingle at the Unification Church's mass wedding at its headquarters in Gapyeong, South Korea, on February 17, About 3, couples matched by the church tied the knot. Brides around the world — An Indian Muslim bride during a mass wedding ceremony at the ancient Sarkhej Roja in Ahmedabad. Brides around the world — iReporter Mikael Ruttkay Hylin shared this striking photos from his trip to Mbour, Senegal, where he witnessed a traditional Muslim Senegalese wedding.

Brides around the world — Pakistani brides attend a mass marriage ceremony in Karachi. Some couples participated in the ceremony organized by a local charity welfare trust. Brides around the world — Couples prepare for marriage during a mass wedding ceremony on December 12, , in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Brides around the world — A Jewish bride is surrounded by relatives during her wedding to the great-grandson of the rabbi of the Tzanz Ultra-Orthodox Hasidic community in Netanya. Brides around the world — A Japanese bride and her groom sail through a canal for their wedding procession after their wedding ceremony at Katori city in Chiba prefecture.

Brides around the world — A bride checks her messages while getting ready for a group picture after a mass wedding outside a Chinese temple in Kuala Lumpur on December 12, Brides around the world — Musali Mohammed al-Mujamaie, a year-old Iraqi farmer, sits next to Muna Mukhlif al-Juburi, his new year-old wife, the new wives of his grandsons and one of his grandsons during celebrations after their group wedding in his home village of Gubban, Iraq.

Brides around the world — A crowd cheers as a Lebanese bride and groom pose for pictures at the site of a car bomb just days before in Beirut, Lebanon. Brides around the world — Syrian soldiers celebrate with their their brides during a group wedding in Latakia province.

Brides around the world — A dozen brides wait to be married during a ceremony for a radio station contest at the Little Chapel of the Flowers on December 12, , in Las Vegas.

Brides around the world — Lini Sasanto waits to fill out marriage papers at a busy City Clerk's office on December 12, , in New York. Brides around the world — A bride walks holding her wedding dress at the Gandan monastery on October 18, , a special day on the lunar calendar for wedding ceremonies, in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Of all their duties, the bride's parents' role as host and hostess of the reception is foremost.

Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Erin is a writer and educator born and raised in New Jersey. Practice makes perfect, and all that ceremony practicing can make a bride hungry. Anywhere from 10 to 25 people, this group is the perfect size for an intimate dinner with your VIPs, and you can definitely leave it at that.

This might seem fairly obvious, but the immediate family of the soon-to-be newlyweds should always be invited to the rehearsal dinner. This means parents, siblings, and grandparents. Your wedding symbolizes not only the joining of you and your soon-to-be spouse in marriage but also your families merging, as well.

This dinner is the perfect opportunity for some quality family time before your wedding, when no matter how hard you try, you won't have nearly as much time to spend with them. Here's where it gets a little ambiguous. By no means should you feel obligated to invite your aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. However, if your families are small and you only have perhaps two or three on each side whom you'd really love to join you, go for it.