How to Plan a Rehearsal Dinner

Posted October 18, 2011 by EmmalineBride | ♥ 8 Comments - Leave a Comment!

The rehearsal dinner is an opportunity to get together with family and friends the night before the wedding immediately following the rehearsal at your ceremony site. Today, we’re showing you how to plan a rehearsal dinner using handmade details to set a personal, romantic tone.

Select a Venue

You’ll want to select an intimate setting for the venue, without upstaging the wedding day. The rehearsal is designed to be a small gathering of friends and family, not a reception. A cozy room with personal details (like this western themed site spotted via Salt Harbor Designs) creates a warm, inviting space:

Images above via Salt Harbor Designs with assistance from Harborside Event Rentals. Didn’t they do an amazing job?

If you’re having a destination wedding or beach theme, perhaps a small setup on the beach would work out nicely:

Or, perhaps an outdoor bohemian styled rehearsal dinner is more your taste:

(The images above are by Katie Neal Photo and you must see the entire shoot! It’s incredibly gorgeous!)

A rooftop venue (this one in particular is from The Andaz in San Diego, beautifully photographed by Scott Lawrence Photographs) takes the guesswork out of catering and scenery: the view is breathtaking and you have helpful hire the staff to assist.

Or, how about a backyard wedding rehearsal complete with tent, folding chairs, flowers and home cooked goodness?

Images above, via Brett Maxwell Photo depicts an elegantly designed backyard rehearsal dinner in Traverse City, Michigan.

Once the venue is selected, you’re ready to add the personal details, beginning with the invitation.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitations + Decor

We love this silhouette rehearsal dinner invitation to set a chic, elegant tone (via Eden Wedding Studio):

Or, this silverware themed invitation also by Eden Wedding Studio:

If you’re looking to accentuate a rustic rehearsal dinner, this invitation will suit your theme:

You’ll also need plenty of table decor and personal details. Here are a few of our favorites for inspiration:

Don’t forget some yummy treats like these custom cookies by Linda’s Edible Art:

What to Wear

It’s your rehearsal dinner – the bride can wear anything she wishes! Here are a few dresses to spark some style inspiration (you don’t have to wear white). These are by River of Romansk:

This one is my favorite…

Remember: the most important part of your rehearsal dinner is to enjoy every minute of it.

Happy Planning!

-E.

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8 Responses to “How to Plan a Rehearsal Dinner”

1. Alex
   October 18th, 2011 @ 5:31 pm

   Love this post! So many neat ideas!

2. Adrienne O'Connor (Ruffles & Tweed)
   October 18th, 2011 @ 7:01 pm

   great ideas – love them all!

3. Elaine (RehearsalDinnerGuide.com)
   October 18th, 2011 @ 7:22 pm

   So ditto your ideas (so much so I have some pics in my blogs and pinned on Pinterest), great minds think alike! :))))) Luv your blog Emmaline, it’s my favorite, Elaine

4. Monica
   October 19th, 2011 @ 9:45 am

   I love the white dress at the end. Where did you find it?

5. Isabelle
   October 21st, 2011 @ 11:26 am

   I would choose the garden as the venue but at night. Then there would be colorful light bulbs around! THE CUSTOM COOKIES ARE JUST SOOOOO TEMPTING TO LOOK AT!

6. Marjorie
   January 1st, 2012 @ 12:11 pm

   The rustic invitation suite comes from Lucky Lady Paper, which is where I got my wedding invitations. One of the best experiences of my entire wedding planning was working with Aimee….just wanted to give a shout out! Anyone looking for an extremely talented artist who is patient and helpful in letting you completely customize your invites, check out her shop on Etsy, you won’t regret it.

7. EmmalineBride
   January 2nd, 2012 @ 1:45 am

   Thanks for the info, Marjorie! We are happy you had a positive experience while selecting your wedding invitations. Thank you for stopping by!

   Emma
   Emmaline Bride

8. Friday Five | Bridesmaids and Weddings
   June 8th, 2012 @ 12:07 pm

   [...] emmalinebride.com via Bridesmaids and Weddings on [...]

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