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Wednesday, February 04, 2009

How Much do You Know About Rehearsal Dinner Etiquette?

By Doug Schlette

Weddings aren't simple. There are rules and procedures at every turn. Families preparing for a wedding often receive a crash course in party planning and guest accommodations. Even rehearsal dinner etiquette can be rigorous. Understand the rules can make all the difference and lead to success and fun.

The groom's parents are considered to be the hosts for the rehearsal dinner. They plan it and organize. Some couples hold this task for themselves as their way of thanking the wedding party, but should always be careful to console the groom's parents with this news. If the groom's parents insist, let them do it. Why not let people take on extra work when they insist?

The dinner should take place the day before the wedding, directly after the wedding rehearsal. This ensures that all the guests and family are in town, available to attend. It's very bad form to hold the rehearsal dinner too far in advance of the wedding. It potentially excludes some people. Avoid hurting people's feelings or making their attendance more difficult. Happy guests make for a better wedding.

Make sure to invite the immediate relatives on both sides of the wedding. Include close friends as well as the entire bridal party. Make sure to invite the priest or minister or person who administers the vows. Just like with the wedding be very careful with who is invited or not. Failing to invite someone could lead to years of bad feelings, do you want that?

Give people a little time to relax before eating. It's important to consider the feelings of all the guests and to provide a pleasant atmosphere. Keep this dinner in line with the budget of the overall wedding. Spend more when the overall wedding budget is higher. By the same token a budget wedding should have too fancy of a rehearsal dinnerA less expensive wedding warrants a less expensive rehearsal dinner. Finally, make sure the dinner ends fairly early so people can be well rested for the next day's festivities.

Toasts go to all the people helping with the wedding. Don't forget both sets of parents. This toast takes place after the main meal, delivered by the couple to be. Other toasts, for example the best man's toast, happen at the reception.

A good wedding can be better with a smooth rehearsal dinner. Pay attention to rehearsal dinner etiquette.

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