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Need some wedding inspiration to start off your week? Today, I’ve compiled some quick and easy tips to plan your rehearsal dinner.
- Invitations: don’t forget to include a separate invitation (or invite of any sort) to those you are inviting to your rehearsal dinner. It doesn’t have to be fancy. We’ve received a mix: some choose to go the invitation route (digital or paper), some text and some email.
- Theme. Will your rehearsal dinner have a theme? I’ve been to some country western themed rehearsal dinner, fiesta themed, coastal themed. You name it – there is a theme for it. A theme always makes things more interesting, but it’s definitely not mandatory.
- Speeches. We touched on speeches here. Make sure you have a plan in mind for speeches at the rehearsal dinner. Do you want your parents to give a toast? Do you and your groom want to say a little something? We’ve been to some rehearsal dinners where speeches have been super casual and anyone who wants to say something can take the mic. We’ve also seen some go more formal, where speeches are pre-determined and written out. It’s totally up to you, just make sure those who you want to speak are informed in advance.
- Gifts. This deserves a separate post of its own because there are so many cute ideas out there. The rehearsal dinner is a fantastic time to pass out those gifts we talked about. We’ve seen grooms give out special ties/bowties/socks they want their groomsmen to wear on the big day. We’ve also seen brides give out robes and shoes they want to be seen in pictures the following day. Make it fun and make it yours!
- Decor. Last, but not least, one of our favorites: decor. We tend to not like to get too carried away with the decor for the rehearsal dinner. After all, you don’t want to be to stressed the evening before your big day. We like the idea of some simple arrangements (your florist should be able to handle these. Some might give you a discount since you are already using them for your wedding) and some special touches. Do you have a lot of out-of-town guests attending your rehearsal dinner? Create a specialized map. Do you have a social media hashtag? Create some social media prompts. Many vendors can customize these with your logo and color scheme. We also love the idea of adding some fun photo booth props to the fun.