How to Address Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
- Coordinate with the host of the wedding, or the bride and groom. Find out when they plan to mail out the invitations and...
- Learn the essential parts of a wedding invitation envelope.
- Include the name (s) of every guest invited to the dinner, including full names of any children. This sends a clear...
Full Answer
Who should I invite to the rehearsal dinner?
Your rehearsal dinner guest list includes, as you see above, the bride and groom, their parents, grandparents, and siblings; the officiant, the wedding party (and any child attendants like the flower girl and ring bearer ), musicians, readers, and ushers. You will also need to invite spouses or dates for all of the above.
Who did you invite to your rehearsal dinner?
You should invite at least one parent to the rehearsal dinner, both as a thank you for being part of your day and to ensure kids feel comfortable. If you plan to invite both parents, consider extending the invites to any siblings of your ring bearer(s) and flower girl(s) as well, so parents don’t need to find a babysitter.
Should I bring a gift to the rehearsal dinner?
Rehearsal Dinner DO’s & DON’Ts
- Make a Schedule. Traditionally, the ceremony is practiced before the meal and mingling. ...
- Practice “I do”. From walking to wedding party placement, practicing “I do” is crucial to working out last minute kinks and making sure everyone is on the same page.
- Pick a Theme. ...
- Book the Venue. ...
- Send Invitations. ...
- Who to Invite. ...
- Appropriate Activities. ...
- Plan Your Event. ...
How far in advance do you send dinner party invitations?
Answer: Send invitations for a dinner party or cocktail party three to four weeks in advance. In order to avoid over-buying or under-buying food and beverages, send your invitations early so you can set aside an appropriate budget and save money. How you set your table will also depend on how many RSVPs you get.
Do you send invitations for rehearsal dinner?
When it comes to rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette, it's not as strict as wedding invitation etiquette. While everyone coming should receive some kind of invitation, it doesn't have to be a formal invitation. For a rehearsal dinner, an online invitation or phone call is perfectly acceptable.
What is the etiquette for rehearsal dinner invitations?
6. When do the rehearsal dinner invitations go out? It's best to send them four weeks before the event and, of course, after the wedding invitation. You should never put the rehearsal dinner invite in with the wedding invite.
How are rehearsal dinner invitations addressed?
Save the Date, Wedding Invitation, Rehearsal Dinner Save the dates and rehearsal dinner invitations do not need to be addressed formally, unless the meal or expected attire dictates such. It is often perfectly acceptable to address a save the date without titles, using first and last names only.
Are rehearsal dinner invitations sent separately?
Traditionally, rehearsal dinner invitations are sent as paper invitations in a separate mailing, but digital invitations are also totally okay nowadays.
Who is traditionally invited to the rehearsal dinner?
Here's who definitely gets an invite. Your immediate families, the bridal party (including the parents of the flower girl and ring bearer, even if they're not in the wedding), any ceremony readers, and your officiant (plus his or her spouse, if married) should always be invited to the rehearsal dinner.
Does the grandmother of the bride go to the rehearsal dinner?
This might seem fairly obvious, but the immediate family of the soon-to-be newlyweds should always be invited to the rehearsal dinner. This means parents, siblings, and grandparents.
Who pays for rehearsal dinner etiquette?
the groom's parentsWhile it's a common custom for the bride's parents to pay for the wedding ceremony and reception, the groom's parents traditionally pay for the rehearsal dinner. It's the way to go if you're following traditional rehearsal dinner etiquette, and the groom's family is willing to host.
Who gets gifts at rehearsal dinner?
Groomsmen, bridesmaids, the maid of honor, the best man, the ring bearer, and the flower girl all should receive gifts. You can also opt to give the your parents gifts, but you may wish to do this in a more personal setting or on your wedding day.
Who speaks at the rehearsal dinner?
Who Gives a Rehearsal Dinner Toast? The host of the rehearsal dinner (traditionally the father of the groom in a heterosexual couple) gives the first speech. This person is followed by members of the wedding party that won't be speaking at the reception (typically anyone other than the maid of honor and the best man).
What is appropriate attire for a rehearsal dinner?
"For formal rehearsal dinners (not black tie), men should wear dark suits and ties, and women should wear cocktail dresses or long gowns. For semi-formal rehearsal dinners, men should wear jackets, suit pants (or slacks) and ties, and women should wear cocktail dresses or pantsuits or dressy skirts and blouses.
Does the father of the groom give a speech at the rehearsal dinner?
Who speaks at the rehearsal dinner? Traditionally, rehearsal dinner speeches are given by the Father of the Bride or the Father of the Groom. Sometimes the Maid of Honor, Best Man and Bride, and Groom can give short rehearsal dinner speeches or toasts of their own, but it is not mandatory.
What to include in a rehearsal dinner invitation?
As you prepare to extend an invitation to your friends, family and guests of honor, you want to ensure you have all of your bases covered when it comes to rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette. According to wedding planner and designer Kristen Gosselin of KG Events Design in Edgartown, Massachusetts, all rehearsal dinner invites should include the following: 1 The host of the rehearsal dinner 2 The names of the couple 3 The event date, time and location 4 The RSVP deadline and method (email is often easiest) 5 Any additional information to know: wedding website information, dress code and so on
What should rehearsal dinner invites include?
According to wedding planner and designer Kristen Gosselin of KG Events Design in Edgartown, Massachusetts, all rehearsal dinner invites should include the following: Any additional information to know: wedding website information, dress code and so on.
What is rehearsal dinner?
The rehearsal dinner is usually the very first event of the jam-packed wedding weekend, making rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette almost as important as protocol for the actual wedding invitation.
Can you serve a wedding cake at a rehearsal dinner?
A formal wedding cake should not be served at a rehearsal dinner—save that for the main event! In some parts of the country, the groom’s cake is traditionally displayed and served during the rehearsal dinner. If you’re not going that route, a simpler cake or other dessert of your choice is totally fine.
What to include in a wedding RSVP?
You’ll need to get the basics down first. Include the hosts’ names, the couple's names, the location, the date and time, and an RSVP card. Of course, you may also want to include additional details such as meal options and what to bring.
Do wedding invitations have to be paper based?
“Your invitation does not always need to be paper-based; you could embrace technology and open your wedding celebrations with a gorgeous website, an electronic invitation or wedding film,” says Newland. “What could be more you, than your guests actually seeing your face and hearing your voice on your invitation?” Feel free to be creative and choose a method that suits you.
Can you add a few lines to a wedding invitation?
You can either add a few lines to your wedding invitation or send an entirely separate rehearsal dinner invitation—the choice is yours. When you’re ready to put pen to paper, here are some of the things that you should keep in mind. 1. Keep things simple.
Is rehearsal dinner formal or casual?
Be as casual or formal as you please. When you’re planning many of the events surrounding your wedding day, they are steeped in tradition and, therefore, come with a rulebook. However, since rehearsal dinners are a modern addition to the timeline, you have complete control.
Do rehearsal dinner invitations have to be last minute?
Nobody likes a last-minute invitation. When you’re working on your rehearsal dinner invitations, be sure to allow enough time for your guests to respond. Not only will this approach mean that more people are likely to attend, but it also makes your job easier.
When to send wedding rehearsal dinner invitations?
Mail out wedding rehearsal dinner invitations four to six weeks before the wedding, after the main wedding invitations have been mailed. Tara advises couples to send out rehearsal dinner invitations after the wedding invitations have been mailed. This means mailing them four to six weeks in advance of the wedding day.
How to make a rehearsal dinner?
Pick the formality of the rehearsal dinner based on the venue and the ambiance you want to create. In general, rehearsal dinners are not as formal as the wedding and don’t have to match the formality of the wedding. Pick a date and time. (They both matter.)
How long before rehearsal dinner do you have to send RSVP?
The RSVP date. Ask your guests to send you their replies about three to four weeks before the date of the rehearsal dinner. How to RSVP. If you’re not including a stamped and pre-addressed RSVP card, include an RSVP name as well as a contact phone number or email address.
Who hosts a wedding rehearsal dinner?
A wedding rehearsal dinner is usually hosted by the groom’s parents , but it doesn’t have to be. The names of the bride and groom. The date. Spell out the day, month and year for formal dinners and use numerals for casual parties.
Do wedding invitations reflect wedding style?
While the style of the invitations doesn’t have to reflect the wedding style – and should be different from the wedding style – there’s room to design a look that complements the wedding. “We love to include the bride and groom’s personality in the design of the invitation,” says Tara.
Is hosting a wedding party easy?
Hosting a party is not easy, or affordable. Never feel pressured to plan a party beyond your means, even if the wedding is a black tie affair. “The rehearsal dinner is traditionally less formal than the wedding,” says Tara. Design invitations that reflect the formality of the dinner.
What Do You Need to Keep in Mind When Creating Your Rehearsal Dinner Invitations?
When you’re creating the invites for your rehearsal dinner, there are a few main elements that you’ll need to consider, including:
What Information Do You Need to Include on Your Rehearsal Dinner Invites?
The different design elements will create the overall look and feel of your rehearsal dinner invitations, and that’s important! But, when it comes down to it, your invitations are meant to deliver all the key details about your rehearsal dinner to your guests—so it’s even more important to make sure that your invitations include all of those details..
What Are Your Options for Designing Rehearsal Dinner Invitations?
When it’s time to actually go through the rehearsal dinner invitation process, you have two options: you can either hire a designer to create a custom design, or use a pre-designed invitation template and create your invite yourself.
When Should Your Rehearsal Dinner Invites Be Sent Out?
You’ve designed the perfect rehearsal dinner invitation. The invitations are ready to go. So, the question is when, exactly, do they need to go? Or, in other words, when do you need to send out your rehearsal dinner invitations?
Need Some Inspiration?
Still not sure what kind of look you want to capture with your rehearsal dinner invitations? Let’s take a look at a few different styles you might want to consider for your invites.
Modern Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
If you want to do something less classic for your rehearsal dinner invites, a modern invitation design—with bolder colors, shape, and design accents—might be the style that you’re looking for.
Glamorous Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Is your rehearsal dinner going to be an upscale, fancy soiree? Then going with a more glamorous invitation design (think sparkle, elaborate fonts, and a major WOW factor) would feel on-theme for your event.
Who sends the invites to rehearsal dinner?
If the couple is planning the dinner then they would send out the rehearsal dinner invites (after they send out the wedding invites). If the couples family is planning the rehearsal dinner then they would send out the invites.
When to send out wedding invites?
If you are planning a destination wedding and plan to mail out rehearsal dinner invites, send those out around eight weeks before the wedding. If you are planning a destination wedding and are sending out virtual invites, send those out after your guests receive your wedding invites. Who sends the invites?
How to collect RSVP cards?
If you plan to mail out paper invites, you have two options to collect your RSVP’s. First, include a return envelope with a stamp in your invites so guests can easily mail back their response. Once the RSVP cards start coming in you can begin tracking your RSVP’s.
Can you include a wedding website link on a RSVP card?
There is also the option to do both, simply include your wedding website link on the RSVP card that you mail out so your guests have the option to either mail back their RSVP or RSVP on your wedding website. And, if you want to save on postage, you could include your rehearsal dinner invites with your wedding invites ...
Can you send out rehearsal dinner invites?
If sending out rehearsal dinner invites is the right fit for you, virtual invites are a great option. This option will save you time, money and unneeded waist, yet still share all the necessary info for your dinner. The virtual options also allow you to easily track who has opened your invite and who has accepted or declined your invite.
Can you include rehearsal dinner invites in wedding invitations?
And, if you want to save on postage, you could include your rehearsal dinner invites with your wedding invites (just be sure to only include them in those that will be invited) when you mail them out. What goes on the invite? For a local rehearsal dinner you want to include the following. For a destination rehearsal dinner you want to include ...
