What do you think of this (long)
I sent out an email today to my bridal party with a few possible dates for the rehearsal dinner to find out when they could all attend. None of the dates were the night before. My FH's family and my family decided that the night before would be too hectic. No one in the bridal party is from anywhere besides NY and NJ. However, the groomsmen and groom's family all live in NJ and did not want to be getting home at midnight the night before the wedding. My wedding is on a sunday and starts around 1:30. One of my bridesmaids replied by saying that she is busy on every one of the dates i listed and said...i only saved the night right before your wedding. she then emailed me this:
Etiquette for the
Rehearsal Dinner
By Lynn Allen, Professional Bridal Consultant
Member, Association of Bridal Consultants
©2000 The Georgia Bride/Vaughn-Allen Enterprises. All rights reserved.
The wedding rehearsal, normally held the day or evening before the wedding,
is usually followed by a rehearsal dinner. This gives the wedding party,
families and out of town guests an opportunity to get to know each other
better, and socialize without the pressures of 'perfection' and 'performing'
which the wedding and reception sometimes impose.
The guest list includes members of the wedding party, their spouses or
dates, the families, the officiant and his or her spouse, and sometimes,
out-of-town guests. Make sure the flower girl and ring bearer are included,
along with their parents. The groom's parents traditionally plan and host
the rehearsal dinner, but other family or friends may host this party.
The rehearsal dinner is usually held at home, in a banquet room, restaurant
or church hall, and may be formal or informal. When choosing a theme, colors
and décor, avoid using colors and themes reminiscent of the wedding. You
want to avoid 'previewing' or upstaging the wedding. Therefore, if the
wedding is very formal, a pool party or Hawaiian Luau theme will be fun, for
example. An informal wedding might be preceded by a formal rehearsal dinner
in an upscale restaurant.
At some point during the evening, the father of the groom, as host, offers a
toast to the bride and groom and to the parents of the bride. The father of
the bride responds with a toast to the hosts, the parents of the groom, and
to the bridal couple. The groom then follows with a toast to the bride and
her parents. The bride may offer a toast to her groom and his family.
If the attendants' gifts have not already been given, now is the time to do
so. Many times the parents of the couple use this opportunity to give their
wedding gifts, and the bride and groom may exchange their own wedding
tokens.
As part of the entertainment, you may want to play some sort of icebreaker
game to encourage mingling and build acquaintances. You may be tempted to
use this time to give last minute instructions to the wedding party...don't.
Cover everything at the rehearsal and use this time for pure enjoyment.
It is wise to end the party relatively early, as there are often last minute
details to take care of before retiring, and everyone will appreciate being
well rested during the exciting day to come!
Etiquette for the
Rehearsal Dinner
By Lynn Allen, Professional Bridal Consultant
Member, Association of Bridal Consultants
©2000 The Georgia Bride/Vaughn-Allen Enterprises. All rights reserved.
The wedding rehearsal, normally held the day or evening before the wedding,
is usually followed by a rehearsal dinner. This gives the wedding party,
families and out of town guests an opportunity to get to know each other
better, and socialize without the pressures of 'perfection' and 'performing'
which the wedding and reception sometimes impose.
The guest list includes members of the wedding party, their spouses or
dates, the families, the officiant and his or her spouse, and sometimes,
out-of-town guests. Make sure the flower girl and ring bearer are included,
along with their parents. The groom's parents traditionally plan and host
the rehearsal dinner, but other family or friends may host this party.
The rehearsal dinner is usually held at home, in a banquet room, restaurant
or church hall, and may be formal or informal. When choosing a theme, colors
and décor, avoid using colors and themes reminiscent of the wedding. You
want to avoid 'previewing' or upstaging the wedding. Therefore, if the
wedding is very formal, a pool party or Hawaiian Luau theme will be fun, for
example. An informal wedding might be preceded by a formal rehearsal dinner
in an upscale restaurant.
At some point during the evening, the father of the groom, as host, offers a
toast to the bride and groom and to the parents of the bride. The father of
the bride responds with a toast to the hosts, the parents of the groom, and
to the bridal couple. The groom then follows with a toast to the bride and
her parents. The bride may offer a toast to her groom and his family.
If the attendants' gifts have not already been given, now is the time to do
so. Many times the parents of the couple use this opportunity to give their
wedding gifts, and the bride and groom may exchange their own wedding
tokens.
As part of the entertainment, you may want to play some sort of icebreaker
game to encourage mingling and build acquaintances. You may be tempted to
use this time to give last minute instructions to the wedding party...don't.
Cover everything at the rehearsal and use this time for pure enjoyment.
It is wise to end the party relatively early, as there are often last minute
details to take care of before retiring, and everyone will appreciate being
well rested during the exciting day to come!
