Wedding Rehearsal Dinners
Don't let the name wedding rehearsal dinners mislead you, although you may not be spending your entire evening practicing your walk down the aisle, or the routines of your wedding ceremony, you will spend most of the evening eating and mixing with close family and friends.
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What is The Wedding Rehearsal Dinner?
Well, quite simply, the rehearsal dinner is exactly that, a rehearsal. Traditionally it is hosted by the groom's parents on the eve of the wedding.
Although it is not always necessary for it to be a formal occasion, but it is a good time to go over the service with the bride, groom and wedding party. You should use this opportunity to go over the finer details of the wedding day, and a last chance to iron out any minor issues.
Usually after the rehearsal has taken place, everyone gets together for a more relaxed celebration dinner, where toasting may take place and gifts may be handed out. Remember to go easy on the toasting though, as tomorrow is going to be a long day!
Who Hosts the Rehearsal Dinner?
Traditionally, it is the groom's family who hosts the dinner, but in todays ever changing traditions, it really could be anyone. You could do it yourselves, or, you could even get both families to host it together.
Who Do You Invite?
Typically the guest list may include:
- Immediate family
- wedding-party members and any spouses and significant others
- The parents of any child attendant
- You should also invite the officiant and his/her spouse to the dinner.
There are a few events which are generally involved in your rehearsal dinner:
Toasting
Your wedding day is going to be hectic, and you probably wont have too much time to toast everyone on the day, and so now is probably a good time to toast close friends and family. During the rehearsal dinner toasts are usually started off by the groom's father, followed by the groom who has the last few words to say.
Giving of gifts
This is also a good time to give your thank-you gifts to your attendants, so be sure to show your appreciation to your parents and anyone else who has played an important role in the planning of your wedding.
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