Don't Ignore Rehearsal Dinner Etiquette

Weddings can be a complicated affair.  There are rules and procedures at every turn.  Planning a wedding is often a full time affair.  One of the elements of a good wedding is the rehearsal dinner, with its own set of rehearsal dinner etiquette.  Understand the rules can make all the difference and lead to success and fun.

The groom's parents are considered to be the hosts for the rehearsal dinner.  Leave the details to them.  For couples who prefer to host the dinner themselves as a thanks to the families and wedding guests, make sure to explain the reasoning to the grooms parents so as not to insult them.  If the groom's parents insist, let them do it.  Why take on more work when letting others manage it makes them happier?

Plan the dinner for the night prior to the wedding day.  It's best then so people can easily attend.  Never plan this for days before the wedding day.  That makes it harder for people to attend.  Avoid hurting people's feelings or making their attendance more difficult .  Remember, for the bride and groom both families are soon to become their family.

Of course, both the bride's and groom's immediate relatives are invited.  Include close friends as well as the entire bridal party.  The preacher or whoever officiates the wedding, offers the vows, should also be invited.  Take care with these invitations.  Maybe uncle Albert is a little rude, but is it worth a lifetime of bad blood to exclude him?

Give people a little time to relax before eating.  Make it a relaxing situation.  Don't make the dinner too far out of line with the overall wedding budget.  If it's a million dollar wedding then the rehearsal dinner should reflect this.  By the same token a budget wedding should have too fancy of a rehearsal dinnerA less expensive wedding warrants a less expensive rehearsal dinner.  And don't keep people out too late the night before the big day.

The bride and groom toast all those helping to make the wedding wonderful.  This includes both the bride's and groom's parents, and anyone else who has helped.  The toast follows the main course and should be made by the bride and groom.  Other toasts, for example the best man's toast, happen at the reception. 

Don't ruin a nice wedding by stepping on toes at the rehearsal dinner.  Don't ignore rehearsal dinner etiquette.

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