Do I have to buy a gift for the parents hosting the rehearsal dinner?

Question

My soon to be husband and step mom are hosting a rehearsal dinner at their house. They will supply all the food, alcohol, etc... should I get them a gift? Will the cost of the wedding it's like they are helping us by doing this so do I realy need to give them something? If so, any suggestions?

Answer 1

First of all, you never "have to" buy a gift for anyone.  

Also, as the guests of honor, you shouldn't need to bring anything but yourselves to the party.

That said, it's always the considerate thing to bring your host or hostess a gift.  A bottle of wine, some flowers, a small dessert, or even a houseplant are usually well received.  Showing your gratitude is probably all the gift they need, really.

Answer 2

I feel that is up to you. The brides family is responsible for the most parts of the wedding and the grooms parents are  responsible for the rehearsal dinner and some of the flowers. Ea. year people change the rules of weddings and have the grooms parents do more and more and it is basically who can afford to do what, how and when. If your husband is doing the dinner and Your step mom, which should be his parents, then wing it. I have found places where you can make these great little hard cover books with your own pictures(say pics of wedding and honeymoon and families) and your own words or stories to go along with them and I think something like that would be such a nice keepsake for both sides of the family to receive and it would be a nice TY gift also. You should buy the bridesmaid and attendants gifts for there participation and the groom should get his side something. But if you buy a gift for them throwing a rehearsal dinner than you would need a gift for the other side who has the most of the wedding duties too. I think a formal TY card would be sufficient.

Answer 3

Yes, give them a thoughtful gift in your price range. My husband and I gave both sets of our parents an engagement photo of us in a nice frame and a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant.

Answer 4

A gift is not necessary, especially if they told you they wanted to do it (versus you asking them).  

It's customary that the groom's parents host the rehearsal dinner while the bride's parents host the wedding.  However, I understand that times have changed and many couples pay for the wedding themselves.

If you feel like a gift is the right thing to do, then perhaps a gift certificate to a nearby favorite restaurant for dinner for the 2 of them or a nice bottle of wine that they wouldn't buy themselves.  Regardless if you buy a gift or not, you absolutely should give them a thoughtful thank you card.

Answer 5

My mother-in-law had a fish fry for our rehearsal dinner (the wedding was a very small, destination wedding, there were14 people including us). She rented a house on the beach for their stay so we had dinner there with the fish the men caught while fishing that day (deep sea fishing was a gift given to all the guys who came to the wedding from my husband). I took all the women to the spa for massages and then to lunch while the men were fishing as my gift to them. So with that said, we did not give my mother-in-law a gift. We did give everyone who attended the wedding the professional photos we had taken of them as Christmas gifts that year (we had photos taken of each couple or family by themselves). So we sort of gave her a gift but we sort of didn't. We did give my parents a custom made bench for their entry way, but that was because they paid for the entire wedding and the entire reception at a later date.

Answer 6

Nope.  Kind words and a very personalized thank you card.

Answer 7

my husband and I didn't have money after everything.

We are making our parents custom wedding albums.

EDIT: I get a thumbs down for making a custom wedding album? all four sets of parents (both sets are divorced) and told us they didn't want us spending money!

Answer 8

YES!!!! Gifting Parents is costumary. You should give your parents a small gift as well. It does't have to be anything fancy, but a personal token of appreciation.

Good luck

Answer 9

it's really up to you.  my husband's family refused to help with anything, so my parents ended up paying for most of our wedding and the rehearsal dinner.  i bought a nice album at things remembered (no engraving, though).  it had a big heart on the front, and i put a picture of my parents at their wedding and then in the two lower hearts i had a picture of my brother and his wife's wedding and a drawn temporary pic of my husband and me's wedding.  inside i filled it with pics of my parents wedding, my bro's wedding, and left space for my wedding.  my parents never had a wedding album, so this kind of took its place.  

at the rehearsal dinner we gave a short speech thanking them for all of their love and support and so on and presented the album.  they loved it.

i think if you do something sweet and simple to acknowledge what they are doing it will be greatly appreciated.

good luck!