Planning a Rehearsal Dinner - A Guide to Avoiding Problems

As a couple getting ready for a wedding, there is seemingly no end to the amount of planning that must be done. It can get overwhelming, as well as expensive. The ceremony, the reception, the registry, the honeymoon. It's easy to see how the rehearsal dinner can fall to the backburner. If you want your wedding to go off without a hitch, however, it is a necessary evil, and you'll need to plan it as well to ensure you aren't riddled with problems. It doesn't need to be as formal and perfect as you hope the rest of your wedding to be, but it should be handled efficiently. Here is a guide to planning it out in a way that will minimize problems.

Venue

Naturally, you'll have to pick a venue for your rehearsal dinner. Traditionally, this will be handled by the family of the groom, but there are a million reasons why this may not turn out to be the case. Whether it is or it isn't (or if you are reading this article as a member of the groom's family), you shouldn't hesitate to take an active role in participation. Offer some suggestions and contribute to the research. If it needs to take place at a restaurant, there's nothing wrong with that. But you need to give the restaurant a significant heads up on how many people to expect.

Invitations

Different families will have differing thoughts when it comes to how many people should attend the rehearsal dinner. Some couples will insist that only those in the bridal/groom party (and their significant others) attend. Others will want their families to be there, even if they aren't going to be in the wedding. It's easy for the guest list to get out of control. No one wants the rehearsal dinner to cost as much as the reception. Try to keep costs under control, but don't make waves when it comes to exclusions. Either way, send the invitations out early and stick with that list.

Seating

For some, the rehearsal dinner is a very informal way to thank the participants for their help, run through the ceremony, and relax with a good meal before the craziness gets under way. For others, this is a very formal event that must be as meticulously planned as any other part of the wedding. You'll save yourself a great deal of headache looking at it from the first perspective, but it's up to you. If you're going to plan it out carefully, make sure you draw up a good seating chart and mark the tables with place cards. This will prevent a lot of confusion on the evening of the event.