Rehearsal dinners have become full-blown events in recent years. Many times the rehearsal dinner includes more than just the wedding party (queue in the Welcome Party!). Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is a private dinner for the couple’s VIP wedding guests. 

But like with many things, you can make your rehearsal dinner whatever you’d like it to be! Below are a few ideas to help you think about how you’d like to kick off your wedding festivities: 

• Keep it small: If you’d like to stick with the traditional meaning of a rehearsal dinner and only invite your VIP guests, you can do just that. Something to consider could be lunch or dinner at a restaurant. A fun tip we like to share with couples is that when or if it’s possible, have your rehearsal dinner immediately after the ceremony rehearsal. Keep all of your VIP guests together and ensure everyone arrives on time! 

• Consider the “Welcome Party”: The welcome party and rehearsal dinner are different concepts. We’ve seen many couples opt out of only hosting their VIPs for an intimate dinner and throwing a welcome party to welcome all of their guests, including the VIPs. The welcome party can be a cocktail party, a pool party if you’re having a destination wedding, or simply hosting a party at a family home. The welcome party is a fun way to see all of your guests before the wedding day!
  
• Get creative: Whether you opt to keep it small or host a welcome party, get creative! 
  
  • Have a photo moment: Having a photo booth at the pre-event is a perfect way to get all the photos with your guests ahead of time and you can spend more time dancing on the big day! 
  • Extra speeches: Is there anyone you’d like to hear from but can’t make time for at the wedding reception? Have them speak at your rehearsal dinner or welcome party! 
  • Meet and greet games: Use your rehearsal dinner or welcome party as a way for your guests to get to know each other! Think through some fun ice breaker games to get your guests chatting and interacting with one another.
    

• Enlist help: Weddings are a huge undertaking with many logistics. While we’d recommend working with a professional wedding planner to make sure everything flows seamlessly on your actual wedding day, rehearsal dinners and welcome parties are the perfect events to have parents, aunts, uncles, and other family members to help plan and execute. Especially if your loved ones are eager to assist you, it can make them feel included while still taking some to-dos off your plate. Never shy away from asking for help! 

Keep in mind, when it comes to kicking off your wedding festivities there is no wrong way to go. Do what makes the most sense for you and remember to have fun! 

Post written by: Shaneice

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