The Top 3 Things You Need to Include For Your Rehearsal Dinner
The rehearsal dinner is a time in which you get to fellowship with your bridal party, close friends and family members after rehearsing for your wedding. It’s an intimate gathering where you get to break bread and just unwind before the big celebration the following day. Continue reading to learn about two of the most important things you need to include for your rehearsal dinner.1. Great foodI believe a way to a persons heart, is through their stomach. That’s why I feel that when it comes to your rehearsal dinner, one of the main things you want to offer your guests is good food! Typically, the rehearsal dinner is held the day before the wedding, and it’s often the same day that your bridal party and other relatives and friends come in town. After rehearsing for the big day, it’s important to provide a great meal, since a good amount of time may have passed since everyone last ate.I feel the rehearsal dinner is a time when you can kind of have fun with your food selections. Our menu was BBQ style and consisted of chopped bbq, bbq chicken, cole slaw, baked beans, salad, sweet tea, lemonade and a homemade cake for dessert. Whatever you decide on for your meal, make sure it’s delicious and plentiful.2. Presentation of Gifts/Recognition of Special FamilyAt the beginning of our rehearsal dinner, we thanked everybody for participating and sharing in our special day. We also took the time to recognize our parents and our bridal party by presenting each of them with gifts as a token of our appreciation. I hear that some people present these gifts on their actual wedding day, but I felt it was best to do it at the rehearsal dinner because it’s a more intimate setting and it’s one less thing to have to think about doing on your wedding day.3. A Beautiful AmbienceWhenever you’re hosting an event, it’s always good to create a warm and inviting atmosphere for your guests so that they feel comfortable. For your rehearsal dinner, you don’t have to go overboard with design (not unless you want to and your budget allows). Your can keep your decorations pretty, yet simple. It’s also important that the layout is conducive to your needs. We decided on a U-shaped setup for our tables and it turned out wonderfully. For the food, we had a simple buffet set-up.Our rehearsal dinner was informal and there was no program. We wanted it to be laidback and chill. After thanking everyone for coming, recognizing special guests and giving out gifts, we had music playing softly in the background throughout the evening. Guests were free to talk amongst themselves, eat and mingle, as they desired. It was just our style.What did you include for your rehearsal dinner? What would you add for someone who is getting married soon? Let me know in the comments below!A special thank you to Carly Marie Events for designing our rehearsal dinner space, and for Megan Travis Photography for capturing these beautiful shots of the set-up.