Here are some useful wedding rehearsal hints and tips to refer to while planning your rehearsal and dinner:
Invitations should be less formal than the wedding invites, and include the date, time and location of the rehearsal, directions to dinner site, and RSVP cards.
At the wedding rehearsal, make sure someone is the leader and directs the flow of rehearsal. With guidance and direction, the rehearsal will run efficiently, and allow more time for the festive dinner afterwards.
Your rehearsal dinner should be of a style different than that of your wedding reception, i.e., if your reception is a formal sit-down dinner, your rehearsal should be a casual picnic, or themed party.
Your rehearsal dinner menu should differ from that planned for your wedding reception.
Wherever you opt to have your rehearsal dinner, be sure there will be a certain amount of privacy for your party to socialize. There’s nothing worse than having your dinner at a busy restaurant and being unable to hear a conversation because the next table over is singing happy birthday.
Invite all those who will take part in the wedding ceremony, including spouses or dates of all adult attendants and the parents and grandparents of the bride and groom.
Make sure you properly introduce your guests to each other, either through formal introductions or informally by mixing and mingling.
It is a nice idea to propose a toast to the parents of the bride and groom, thanking them for this wonderful wedding!
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to present your gifts to your attendants.
A fun alternative to the traditional pre-dinner cocktail hour is home movies of the bride and groom when they were young.