Rehearsal dinner?

Question

Where is a rehearsal dinner held - home or a restaurant? Are they usually fancy or more laid back? Are they usually the day before the wedding? I'm writing a story with a scene at a rehearsal dinner where the groom's family is very wealthy, which is why I am wondering. I'm married, but I didn't have a rehearsal dinner! Thanks for your insight!

Answer 1

You can choose the best setting for your story...we had our rehearsal dinner at the chinese restaurant where we went on our first date.  We invited the wedding party, their spouses/children, parents and siblings of the bride and groom, out of town guests, and two uncles, an aunt and a godmother who were participating in the ceremony.  

I've heard of doing rehearsal dinners as a potluck picnic/BBQ, at a very fancy restaurant, or at the church social hall served by the church ladies society.  You could do any of these things that fit into your story.  

Seeing as how you have a wealthy groom's father, consider setting the scene as a champagne brunch or an evening soiree at a country club, or something similar to reflect their wealth, or as a catered event at the groom's parent's elegant home...the groom's family "traditionally" pays for the rehearsal dinner, so you could work that in too.  Just make sure the meal isn't just like the meal for the wedding reception!

Answer 2

The rehearsal dinner is up to your own personal taste. Some people opt for a BBQ in the backyard, others go for glitz at a nice restaurant. Being a wealthy family, they're probably not going to let you get off with hotdogs and a boombox...

Answer 3

The rehearsal dinner is usually held in a restaurant - although it can be done at the home or at the church hall.

The formality of the rehearsal dinner usually depends on how formal the wedding is. I would imagine that if they are rich it would be more fancy. Most rehearsals take place the day before the wedding - but I've seen some people do rehearsals a few days in advance due to time crunches, etc.

Answer 4

A rehearsal dinner is usually at a restaurant close to the ceremony site (so no one has to clean their home and cook a meal), but more and more people have backyard barbeques or at-home dinners for their rehearsal. It almost ALWAYS takes place the evening before the actual wedding. As to dressy or casual, it really depends on your style (or your character's style, I guess). A wealthy family would probably either have a very fancy catered meal in their posh apartment, or in the private room of a very swanky expensive restaurant. If it's a beach wedding, they might do a fancy clambake on the beach, with dining room tables set up right by the ocean.

For some ideas, you might want to flip through some wedding books or magazines - many of them have articles on different options for reheasal dinners. That might give you some ideas about what would be appropriate for your story.

Answer 5

Rehearsal dinners are usually pretty relaxed (most definitely not held in a ballroom anywhere, that's for sure). Some people have family BBQ's and some people go to restaurants (usually casual). We plan on going to a casual restaurant with a private room so that we can give out our wedding party gifts, etc.

If the groom's parents are wealthy in your book, I would think it would be appropriate to have the reheasal dinner in a more upscale restaurant.

Answer 6

Usually the day before the wedding, after the rehearsal at the church.  Mine was at a restaurant...I know plenty of people do something more low-key with a backyard BBQ.  It all depends on the couple.  For your story's sake, I'd make it a fancy affair at a restaurant.

Answer 7

Most people I know have them at the church in the fellowship hall....

But considering you're talking about wealthy people, I'd say a fancy restaurant is where they'd have it. That's how it works on TV, right? LOL

Answer 8

They are normally held the night before the wedding.  Your setting can be anywhere.  A  restaurant, a ball room, at home or on a cruise ship.   We do 20 to 30 rehearsal dinners each summer aboard our boat with food from as high end prime rib , seafood to a real Maryland Crab Feast.

Answer 9

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held after the rehearsal of the wedding, with the bridal party, family, friends in attendance.  

You can have it anywhere you like, fancy or laid back whichever the bride and groom to be prefers.

Hope this helps..

Answer 10

its what you want

at home bbq, catered or pot luck

at a casual resturnat, fancy or mexican!

it depends what yopu want and whos paying really!

Answer 11

We went to a restaurant for our rehearsal dinner.  It is laid back and it is just for the wedding party to unwind from practicing for the ceremony and as a way of saying thank you.

Answer 12

I plan on following in my uncle's footsteps, who rented out a private meeting room at a hotel. There were plenty of tables and a dance floor, and we got to avoid having it in the middle of a nice restaurant where there would be no privacy.