Page 1 of 24 - Party Favors by Favor Affair

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What’s Ahead!
(Besides the Wedding!)
Introduction…………………………………………..3
A Couple! of Experts…………………………………4
Alternatives for Entertaining Out-of-Town Guests..8
Rehearsal Dinner Themes……………………………9
Rehearsal Dinner Ice-Breakers………………………13
Music and Entertainment…………………………...18
Welcome Speeches and Toasts……………………..20
Money-Saving Tips…………………………………..23
Rehearsal Dinner Checklist…………………………..21
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Introduction
Even if this wasn’t the introduction, the title of this chapter would have come up sooner
or later, though it would be plural—introductions. Why? Because introductions are what
rehearsal dinners are all about! Besides giving the bride and groom an opportunity to
thank loved ones for their support, he rehearsal dinner is a festive way for the extended
families of the bride and groom-to-be to meet and get to know each other.
Is it mandatory to have a rehearsal dinner? Absolutely not. But why pass up a great
opportunity to party?
Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is hosted (as you know, right after the wedding
rehearsal) by the groom’s parents. Invited guests include everyone in the wedding party
and, often, all the out-of-town guests who wouldn’t miss the wedding for anything—but
that rule is changing! You’re about to discover that inviting out-of-town guests is no
longer a requirement, and there are ways to dissipate their potential disappointment in
not being invited to the rehearsal dinner, which has become the expectation.
We’ll also talk about lively themes, with super ideas from some of our country’s most
talented event planners, decorations and favors, music and entertainment, money-saving
tips and the ever-popular more!
Planning a rehearsal dinner isn’t as detailed as planning a wedding, though many of the
same elements are on both checklists. We’ve created a Rehearsal Dinner Checklist to help
make sure you think of everything!
Let’s begin with an interview with our experts on this topic—a wife-and-husband team
that plans extraordinary events, and they’ll tell what made their own rehearsal dinner
more memorable than they ever imagined!
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A Couple! of Experts
From event planning and logistics
direction to full event design and
styling, Aleah and Nick Valley, aka
Valley & Co., have been providing
impeccable services—planning and
styling some of the most beautiful,
unforgettable, and fun events around
since 2003. Here are a few
testaments to their talent and success:
Nick and Aleah were named among
the Top 50 to Watch in 2011 by San
Diego Magazine; Valley & Co. was named one of the Top Wedding Planners in Southern
California by The Knot; the Valley & Co. blog was listed in the Top 100 Wedding Blogs
in 2011 by Bride Tide; they are members of Style Me Pretty's exclusive Little Black Book,
and they sit on the advisory board to Exquisite Weddings Magazine; the couple has been
featured in/on Exquisite Weddings, BRIDES magazine, Rock 'n Roll Bride, The Loveliest
Day, Seattle Metropolitan Bride & Groom, Wedding Chicks, Nonpareil Magazine, Merci
New York, and more. We’re delighted to bring their highly sought-after expertise to you!
Q. What would you say are the latest trends in rehearsal dinners?
Lately we are seeing large rehearsal dinners that are taking on more of a role of a full-on
separate event rather than an intimate gathering the night before. We believe this is due
to the fact that our clients' guest lists are primarily out of state and country, which leaves
the couple with the dilemma of not wanting to make anyone feel left out.
Q. What are the questions you ask
when a client comes to you to plan
a rehearsal dinner?
What are some wants or desires or things
you enjoy that didn't make it into the
blueprint of your wedding? Perhaps a
couple shares a love for Italian food or
has a favorite restaurant that really did
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not fit the premise of the big day but would be perfect for the rehearsal. Sometimes the
simplest question gets to the root of one's vision. We often ask “how do you want to
feel at the end of the night”? The answer to
this question will often guide the entire plan.
An example of this was past clients telling us
they wanted everyone to feel like they were
leaving a great family holiday evening. This
feeling was the basis of the entire evening;
from family-style dining to the menu’s
comforting simplicity, to the way the tables
were set, everything was structured to
encompass quality without pretention.
Q. Please give us some tips on how to have a memorable rehearsal dinner
on a smaller budget.
It should be all about quality, not quantity. Often times a couple feels that they need to
invite every single guest who has traveled for the wedding to the rehearsal dinner. While
this can be fun, we encourage our couples to stick to what the event is: a dinner for
those closely in or involved with the wedding—basically, your wedding party and
immediate family and close friends. When you start inviting everyone invited to the
wedding you can verge on creating a mirror of the wedding, which you don't want. Mix
up the people and keep the guest list short so that you can provide those guests present
with a delicious dinner and a fun
experience.
Q. We know that, typically, the
groom’s parents host the
rehearsal dinner. Who is usually
actively involved in the planning?
What role does the groom play?
This really depends on the couple.
However, we frequently see that most
of our grooms take the reins in
planning this. He and his parents can
pick a fun location that's greatly
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different from the wedding itself; they can
work together to create the invitations,
pick the menu, and create an experience by
planning to have a guitarist or musician
play or to create an activity during dinner.
That being said, it is important to balance
this out by making sure that what is being
planned does not compete with the
wedding. Although tradition states this is
the portion of the wedding events the
groom and his family take care of, we always encourage our couples to use this time to
meld both families.
Q. What is the single most important thing to remember when planning a
rehearsal dinner?
Keep it special. While we understand that your nearest and dearest are in town to
celebrate you, pare down the guest list for the dinner. We encourage you to view the
rehearsal dinner as a lighthearted time to visit with your family and friends the night
before your wedding. Inviting 175 guests can cause undue stress; think about arranging a
walk on the beach, a hike or tour of the town, a post-wedding brunch or other activity
where every guest is invited instead of turning your rehearsal dinner into a pre-wedding
dinner.
Q. Other than toasts and, often, a video, what other options and activities
might be included in a rehearsal dinner?
We have brought in dance
instructors for after dinner, which
was a great activity, but more
often than not we encourage our
couples to keep the evening lowkey and intimate. The couple has
a big day coming and the last
thing you want is for anybody to
be tired or affected in any manner
for the big day.
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Q. In your experience, what style of
rehearsal dinner seems to be the most
successful and memorable? What themes
lend themselves well to the occasion?
With regard to style, it is always best to keep it
relaxed. There will be enough emotion
throughout the course of events so, with this in
mind, we try to keep the event comforting and
conducive for telling stories and sharing memories.
This is really what this evening is all about.
Q. What are the advantages of using an event planner for a rehearsal
dinner?
The advantages of using an event planner for your rehearsal dinner are really the same as
for your event as a whole. A good, experienced team will eliminate stress, help navigate
family interactions, and bring your vision to life as only a pro can. Through experience
we know what works from layout down to menu, and most likely, among many other
benefits, we will save you money and costly mistakes.
Q. Would you care to tell us a little about your rehearsal dinner when you
got married?
Sure! We had a great night! We kept it to our wedding parties and close immediate
families. The rehearsal dinner took place on the water and, really, the most memorable
special part was, to our surprise, the outpouring of emotion and stories from all of our
guests. This part of the evening is
something we will never forget as there
were at least two hours of stories which
included laughing and crying and really
was a special moment. This is what we
want for all of our couples, and this is
what guides our advice and practice
when designing a rehearsal dinner—
making the environment conducive for
sharing. It is a rare opportunity to see
yourselves through others' eyes and
how you have affected their lives as
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well. At the end of the night we want our couples to be left with memories they will
cherish forever.
Fabulous information, right? In an economic downturn, the news that not every out-oftown guests must be invited is certainly good news!
Alternatives for Entertaining Out-of-Town Guests
You’ll need a plan to entertain out-of-town guests who didn’t make your rehearsal
dinner cut! Here are a few ideas that start with providing all out-of-town family and
friends with a map of the area along with a list of restaurants, movie theaters,
amusement parks, shopping malls, museums and other places of interest, etc.
If possible, offer personal recommendations next to the places you’ve visited and
enjoyed. Arrange with a restaurant to give a special discount to your guests if they go
there for dinner.
TRENDING: Rehearsal dinner after parties at a local hot spot, so the bride and groom
can continue to celebrate with family and friends who care to join them—as well as
those who weren’t invited to the rehearsal dinner. Of course, this will be totally up to
the bride and groom, who should know how much rest they’ll need to be ready for their
big day.
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Rehearsal Dinner Venues and Themes
Before we get into venues and themes, let’s quickly
cover the invitations to a rehearsal dinner, which
can be handled several ways: Sometimes hosts can
include the invitation with the wedding invitation,
but that will be up to the bride and groom. If you
want to send or email invitations, do so two to
three weeks after the wedding invitations have
been sent. For casual affairs or destination
rehearsal dinners, you can simply tell the invited
guests where to be and when to be there.
Now, on to the topic at hand! This is going to be a
lengthy chapter, because you’ll hear from wedding
planners and brides about their rehearsal dinner
adventures. Here we go!
First, check with the bride and groom to see if they’ve chosen a theme for their wedding.
You definitely don’t want to rain on their parade by scooping their theme the day
before. The event is all about the happy couple, so be sure to run your theme ideas by
them for their feedback.
If you’re working with an event planner, you’ll be assisted through the process—finding
a venue, choosing a menu and caterer, hiring entertainment, tipping your vendors and all
the details in between. If you love a challenge, handle the preparations yourself!
Very often, the venue itself surrounds your
event with an atmosphere all its own, and
you don’t really need a theme or additional
decoration. If the bride and groom are wine
aficionados, have the dinner at a winery.
Museums and aquariums usually have event
facilities.
Wedding and party coordinator Mary Dann
MacNamee fulfilled a couple’s dream of a
memorable rehearsal dinner. For their venue, they selected The Aquarium of the Pacific
in Long Beach.
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It was the location of their first date while
attending Mira Costa High School. Seventy
guests arrived to steel drum music, passed
signature cocktails and hors d’oeurves. Then
they took a private tour of the Aquarium
and dined in a private room surrounded by
exotic sea creatures. We had mermaid tile
linens, lite cubes in the drinks to add to the
vibe and served a four-course gourmet
meal. No seafood was served!
The centerpieces were accented with faux shells
and jewel-tone flowers. The grooms cake
featured his college alma mater, Arizona State,
football stadium—go, Sparky Sun Devils! As a
parting gift, all guests received a custom labeled
bottle of champagne.
Destination weddings, especially to warm,
tropical locales, present the opportunity for a
spectacular sunset cruise rehearsal dinner. Check online for sunset dinner cruises in the
area. Some offer gorgeous yachts and others have large sailboats.
Where do you have the rehearsal dinner for an aerospace engineer/helicopter pilot and
his bride-to-be? Melissa Veselovsky, a patient navigator at Ironwood Cancer Center, has
a great story!
Our rehearsal dinner was far from
ordinary. My husband is an aerospace
engineer and a helicopter pilot so his
parents had our rehearsal dinner in the
hangar at a local air museum. We had
the museum to ourselves and had food
catered in the hangar. We had a lot of
out-of-town guests, so we invited all of
them to the rehearsal dinner. The
evening was very memorable with a lot
of good photo ops. It kept younger guests entertained, and also provided the space and
environment to really hang out and enjoy being with each other the night before our
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wedding. We were so much more relaxed at our wedding because we had been so filled
with joy from being with our friends and family the night before.
When it comes to unusual rehearsal dinner venues, this one just might take the prize!
Event and wedding planner Marie Unanue of Marie O’Mara, Inc. has the scoop on one
of the strangest sites for an event—of any kind! Family and friends gathered for a
destination wedding at Riviera Maya resort, and the night before the wedding...
There were 240 guests in attendance, and
the rehearsal dinner was at an Eco Park
called Xcaret. The restaurant, La Isla, was
built inside of a cave. The guests arrived via
buses and were then guided into through
the park on foot. The paths were lit by
candles all the way down into to the cave.
Once they arrived at the entrance to the
cave, there were authentic Mayan Indians
dressed in full costume blowing into conch
shells to greet the guests. The circle reflection path into the cave was lit with fire and
water flowed through all the cracks and grooves down into the cave to stand for purity.
The guests, after walking down the
circular path, walked in the cave,
which was lit by candles. They
were greeted with cocktails once
inside the cave, which opened up
into a huge, open, dramatic room,
where the guests were surrounded
by underground rivers with
floating candles. Above the river
was a huge stage with music and
dancing. The dinner was a formal
seated dinner and the couple had an authentic 12-piece Mariachi band perform for the
guests. When dinner was over, guest danced the night away and enjoyed flaming
deserts, treats and surprises for the remainder of the night.
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A Mexican fiesta is an ever-popular theme for a rehearsal dinner because it’s fun and
economical! Some of our favorite event planners gave us some terrific ideas for a
fabulous fiesta:
Emily McCollin of Occasions by Emily helped a client host a Mexican fiesta rehearsal
dinner:
Recently, the mother of one of my
grooms decided to celebrate her son's
intense love for Tex Mex by creating a
Mexican Fiesta. She brightened up a
very impersonal venue by using hotcolored table coverings. With
attention to detail (and her budget),
she coordinated disposables and
brought in buffet food from the local
favorite Tex Mex chain. The groom's
grandmother hand-made Mexican
wedding cakes for dessert—delicious!
Entertainment for the evening included mariachi
background music, group instruction of the
"Macarena", a version of the "Newlywed" game,
toasting and of course, a piñata. Each guest had
a maraca that served as a party favor and a call
for the engaged couple to kiss—there was a LOT
of maraca shaking going on that night!
Sounds like fun! And now, can you think of anything more tantalizing than fresh tortillas?
We love this next idea!
I did a fiesta in a family’s backyard, where we brought in a local
Mexican food restaurant complete with a lady making tortillas
on site! Mmmm. Thanks to Cynthia Zatkin of CZ Events for this
yummy idea.
Ethnic themes lend themselves perfectly to rehearsal dinners,
because they make choosing the menu, décor and favors so easy!
And you don’t have to be Italian to build your event around an
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Italian theme. Seriously—who doesn’t love
Italian food? Asian themes? Imagine an
evening of glowing Japanese lanterns--strung
inside an event tent, above a backyard or
garden or floating peacefully in a pond,
along with a meal that includes sushi, teriyaki
and tempura.
Marketing expert Padi Selwyn held her son’s
Chinese-themed rehearsal dinner at their
temple:
We brought in high-end Chinese food from a local establishment, had help to serve and
display it. Everyone loved it! There were many dishes to choose from, and it was very
cost-effective. We served buffet-style, had a private dining area, and for dessert, served
dipped fortune cookies (in the colors of the wedding, pink and brown chocolate) that
were customized with the message "Wishing Eli and Nicollette luck, love and joy on their
wedding day and forever."
Toni DeLisi of Memorable Events, Inc. lent her
expertise to a dinner with an Indian theme:
We had the rehearsal dinner at the bride’s parents’
house, food was catered, and we had a henna artist
there for the women.
Toni’s henna artist was a great entertainment idea,
right? Choose a Parisian or French theme—hire
apache dancers or a caricaturist to draw the guests. A Greek theme—gyros, spanikopita,
moussaka, ouzo and Greek dancers! For a rehearsal dinner in the fall—a German
Oktoberfest with wienerschnitzel and a polka band!
There are many other location-inspired themes. Linda
Howard of Linda Howard Weddings suggests a
Hawaiian luau, a New England clambake or lobsterfest,
or a western barbecue. You’re probably thinking that the
wonderful food, décor and entertainment for any of
those ideas would guarantee a memorable night! And
you’d be absolutely right!
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How about a “decade” theme? Think of the potential! You can choose the decade in
which the happy couple were born, or a decade with outrageous clothes and super
dance music (60’s, 70’s and 80’s!) or even a long-past decade, like the Roaring 20’s.
Desiree Thornton of A.M.E.E. Event Planning helped a couple celebrate the 60’s from the
rehearsal dinner to the walk down the aisle!
One thing that I began suggesting is that my
brides implement parts of their wedding
theme into the rehearsal dinner. For
instance, a bride of mine last spring had a
60's style wedding, and we chose to use
aspects of the theme at the dinner. We had
music from the 60's, the bride and groom
even wore 60's-style clothing. It became
more of a party then a traditional dinner.
The entire wedding party, as well as close
family and friends in attendance enjoyed themselves. The bride herself admitted that this
helped ease the stress of the wedding. She was able to let loose and have fun!"
The 60’s were full of fringe—and so were the Roaring 20’s and the age of Flappers!
Wikipedia describes Flappers as: a "new breed" of young women who wore short skirts,
bobbed their hair, listened to jazz, and flaunted their disdain for what was then
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considered acceptable
behavior. Flappers were seen
as brash for wearing
excessive makeup, drinking,
treating sex in a casual
manner, smoking, driving
automobiles and otherwise
flouting social and sexual
norms. Now, seriously!
Doesn’t that sound like fun?
Along with fun 20’s costumes
and amazing art-deco décor,
Qiana Broughton of
Wedding Blush suggests “a cigar bar and a dessert spiked with good whiskey.”
Qiana has another intriguing rehearsal dinner idea for the more low-key bride. “Do a
breakfast spread—pancakes, fresh fruit, topping and lots of whipped cream. And don’t
forget the mimosa bar!”
Night-before dinners for destination
weddings, especially those on a tropic
isle or beach, are not as difficult to
coordinate as you might think. If the
wedding is at a hotel on the beach,
work with the hotel’s wedding
coordinator to host a beachside
barbecue or picnic. For a relaxing,
romantic evening, consider a sunset
dinner cruise. An Internet search should
yield a number of sunset cruise
companies in the area.
You know the guests of honor quite well, and that will guide you when you choose a
venue, a theme and entertainment. Here are a few venue ideas:
Baseball or football stadium (private room)
Winery (include a wine tasting and tour!)
Historic home
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Museum/Art gallery
Botanical garden (or any lovely
garden!)
Bowling Alley/Arcade
Country club
Farm (imagine a hayride and
bonfire in autumn!)
Swimming pool (in someone’s
backyard or a hotel)
Beachside (play beach volleyball,
badminton, Frisbees, horseshoes!)
Amusement or Theme Park
A mountain lodge or ski lodge (great for outdoorsy couples and winter!)
Let’s touch on a few more themes, too! Depending on the couple or the time of year…
Military or patriotic theme (perfect in late
June and early July! Fireworks to end the
evening!)
Caribbean theme
College (did the happy couple meet at in
college, and do they still support their
teams?)
Valentine’s Day
Mardi Gras
Casino night
For more good ideas and great advice, the Art of
Celebration book series from Panache is filled
with gorgeous illustrations of celebrations
designed by some of the foremost event planners
in the country, who share their thoughts and
provide valuable insight. You’ll find divine
inspiration for weddings, rehearsal dinners and
other happy occasions!
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Rehearsal Dinner Ice-Breakers
The truth? Some folks might find ice-breakers a lame way to introduce people and
encourage interaction, so you’ll have to decide whether or not the majority of folks on
your guest list would get into this. Our thanks to PurpleTrail.com for the ideas!
Hello, My Name Is… Remembering
people’s names can be stressful at this
type of event. To help take the pressure
off your guests, create name tags for
people and note how they are
connected to the bride or groom.
Example: Bill Johnson, Groom’s coworker. This is a great conversation
starter! ”Oh, so you work with Bill. How
long have you been working
together?” Voila! Instant conversation!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Share A Memorable Story: Ask each rehearsal dinner guest to explain their
relationship to the couple and to share a short story about them. This is a fun way
to get to know everyone while perhaps also learning something new about the
happy couple. A good way to set this up is to have the maid of honor or best
man start it off and then invite people to stand and share their stories. That way
those who don’t want to speak in front of the group don’t have to. This ice
breaker game works best with smaller groups.
Bride and Groom Trivia: This is always a hit, especially at rehearsal dinner parties.
It’s a lighthearted way to see who knows the couple best! Have the bride and
groom come up with 10-12 trivia questions
about themselves and their relationship. A
couple of examples: What town was the groom
born in? What did the couple go on their first
date? You can make the questions progressively
more difficult. Divide the guests into small
groups. Make sure you don’t stick all the people
who know each other in one group—mix it up!
The maid of honor and the best man should
definitely not be on the same team. Have the
bride and groom alternate presenting each
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question. Establish how each group will chime in to let you know they have an
answer (have them raise their hand or clink their glass etc.). If your group knows
each other well, make the questions a little harder. Provide a small prize for each
member of the winning team.
Finding Love--Celebrity Couples Ice-Breaker game: Make a list of celebrity
couples or well known iconic couples (Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie, Lucy and Ricky etc.). List each
half of the couple on separate pieces of paper.
Choose as many couples as you have guests. When
each guest arrives at the dinner, secure the name
of the celebrity on their back. The goal is for each
guest to find his or her other half. First, everyone
must figure out who she or he is by asking each
other questions that can be answered only by yes
or no. When they guess correctly, they can place
their identity on their chest. When both people
have their identities figured out and find each
other, they win!
Music and Entertainment
Your theme, the venue, budget and the ambiance you desire all
figure into your music and entertainment choices. For a lowkey gathering, you may choose to let only the sound of happy
conversation permeate the event. Background music, via a CD
player or i-Pod with a small sound system is easy to provide. If
you or someone you know have the time and the talent, create
and play a mixed CD of songs meaningful to the bride and
groom and their families. But if you want to go a bit bigger…
Hire a DJ and/or a band—a salsa band for
a Mexican theme, steels drums for a
Caribbean or tropical soiree, a string
quartet for an elegant affair, bluegrass or
country-western for a barbecue, a pop or
rock band if you want the evening to
include dancing. Find out if the bride and
groom-to-be are fans of a local singer you
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can engage for the event. Let the music match the motif of the moment!
TIP: When choosing music, think upbeat during cocktails, mellow for the dinner hour
and lively music for the rest of the event. If you want to energize your guests for
dancing, play rock and pop to get them going!
For another of event planner Toni De
Lisi’s dinners on the eve of a beach
wedding, guests were treated to a
pizza party, after which the whole
bridal party played miniature golf!
That’s pure cost-effective fun!
If you host the rehearsal dinner at a
museum, a botanical garden, an
aquarium, a historic home, a winery,
etc. pre-arrange a tour of the venue for
the guests.
Consider toasts part of your program. Go a step better by pre-planning a “roast” or a
“This Is Your Life” presentation with guest participation. Include a video or slide show
starring the guests of honor.
Other ideas for entertaining your guests? Bring someone
in to emcee an hour or so of karaoke, hire a comedian,
classical guitarist, a hypnotist, a magician, a strolling
violinist, or celebrity look-alikes, have a caricature artist
do drawings of your guests on the spot, hire a mystery
dinner theater company write and produce a custom
presentation centered around the happy couple and
guests. Have a professional photographer take photos of
the event and candid snapshots of everyone with the
happy couple during the party. Have them available in
frame-style place card holder party favors as they leave!
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Dinner Etiquette, Welcome Speeches and Toasts
Dinner should begin 30 minutes to an hour after the rehearsal, and should last for 2 ½ to
3 hours so the bridal party can get a good night’s sleep—unless, of course, they decide to
dive into the trend of an after party. For you, the rehearsal dinner is now a wonderful
memory, and you can join in the late-night festivities or snooze, knowing your
celebration was a smashing success.
Don’t forget to invite the officiant for tomorrow’s
wedding!
At a seated dinner, you might want to use strategically
placed place cards to get family and friends to mix,
mingle and get to know one another better.
In time-honored fashion, the toasts begin with the
serving of the first course. The host, usually the groom's father, welcomes the guests and
thanks the bride's parents for hosting the wedding. The bride's father then responds with
his own good wishes, followed by the groom, the groomsmen, and a bridesmaid or two.
In the new parameters of today's etiquette, more and
more guests are participating as well, and it's no longer
uncommon for the bride or her mother to add a few
words.
Need help with speeches and toasts? Here are a few Web
sites with tips and ideas:
Best Father-of-the-Groom Speeches
Wedding Speech Digest
Rehearsal Dinner Ideas
Wedding Speeches and Vows
The rehearsal dinner is absolutely the perfect
time for the guests of honor to present
bridesmaid gifts and groomsmen gifts to
wedding party.
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TRENDING: Serving the groom’s cake at the
rehearsal dinner so it gets to be in the spotlight
instead of sitting in the shadow of the wedding
cake.
The world of wedding and rehearsal dinner
etiquette is changing to accommodate a more
informal world. It’s your option to be as
ceremonial or as laid-back as you wish.
Money-Saving Tips
As soon as the bride and groom have chosen their ceremony venue and created the guest
list, begin thinking about the rehearsal dinner in terms of budget. Determine if you want
to invite all the out-of-town guests or, as Nick and Aleah recommend, keep your guest
list to the wedding party, immediate family and close friends. Whatever your choice,
here are a few cost-effective ideas:
Host the rehearsal dinner in someone’s
home or backyard, with hamburgers, hot
dogs and all the trimmings. If you host the
dinner in a home, do consider hiring two
or three people to help you with
decorating, table setting, food preparation
and serving, so you can enjoy the event
with family and friends.
Instead of an open bar with cocktails and
champagne, stick with beer and wine. If your
party has a theme, offer a signature drink
along with beer and wine—piña coladas for a
tropical or beach event, margaritas for a
Mexican theme, hurricanes for a Mardi Gras
party. Even if you’re not working within a
theme or location that lends itself to a specific
drink, work with a bartender to create a
signature drink for the dinner—perhaps a Lynn
Harvey Wallbanger, a Bloody Mary & Alex, or a Ted & Miranda martini.
&
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Lucky enough to live in a small town with lots of
relatives and friends close by? Make it a potluck! You’ll
serve the best food around!
Have an appetizers and desserts-only dinner.
Everyone loves a pizza party!
Host at a restaurant—maybe the one where the couple
had their first date or where he proposed.
NEGOTIATE! NEGOTIATE!
NEGOTIATE! With all your vendors, that
is! You’ll be amazed at how
accommodating vendors will be to get
your business. Try it just once, and you’ll
be hooked. Check out these Web sites
for good advice on how to negotiate
with venues, caterers, limo service, etc.:
Budget a Wedding
Wedding Plan Secrets
Weddings: About
Remember—the worst a vendor can do is say “no”. Have confidence that these people
want your business and are willing to work within your budget—to an extent. Don’t
walk into an upscale place famous for their pricey events knowing your budget couldn’t
possibly cover costs. Meanwhile, once you know how well negotiation works, we
wouldn’t be surprised if you start using your negotiating skills for other big-ticket items!
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Rehearsal Dinner Checklist
Instead of reinventing the proverbial wheel, we’ve listed the sites with online checklists
below. However, none of them covers all the details, especially if your theme or location
is out of the ordinary, so we’re adding our own short list of items for your consideration.
We want to make sure you think of all the essentials and possibilities—whether you
choose to include them or not!
Theme
Budget
Event Planner
Invitations
Venue
Rentals (tent, tables, chairs, linens,
dinnerware)*
Caterer/Menu/Servers
Wine/Beer/Cocktails/Bartender
Set-Up/Clean-Up
Contracts/Deposits (GET EVERYTHING IN WRITING! No Exceptions!)
Audio/Visual Equipment (Screen, computer, projector, sound system, etc.)
DJ/Band/Music/Entertainment
Decorations/Favors
Dance Floor*
Photographer/Videographer
Child Care (if children are invited)
Transportation
*Venues and caterers often have a few rental options. Be sure to ask!
Wedding Rehearsal Checklists
Real Simple
Wedding Planning
Especially for the groom from The Plunge!
Especially for the groom’s family from The Man Registry!
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Remember—Rehearsal dinners can
be as memorable as the wedding!
Don’t forget the favors—and have fun!
Editor‘s Note: All pictures have been gathered from various sources around the Internet,
including Google images. Some were submitted by their original photographers. If any of the
images are copyrighted, and you are the owner of these pictures, please do not hesitate to
contact us. They will be removed or credited, if you so desire.
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