Rehearsal Dinner Ideas

The Theme

When planning your rehearsal dinner you can make the theme and decor with your own personal style. It should be a similar vibe to your weddings theme, but make sure you don’t make it exactly alike. You want to leave some surprise for the big day your you and your wedding party.
Formal vs Informal: You can choose to have a formal rehearsal dinner, with everyone dressed up. Or you can have a relaxed rehearsal so everyone can be in comfortable clothes and have a more enjoyable night
Make it a light hearted evening, try to enjoy yourself and don’t stress out about last minute details. Also try to keep it drama free so your guests can enjoy it too. The party doesn’t need to be crazy.
The theme for your rehearsal dinner doesn’t need to coordinate with your actual wedding. You can do different themes that relates with the type of food you will be serving, such as mexican food or hawaiian food.
Go light on the decor when setting up for the rehearsal. It will save you money and give you less stress.

The rehearsal dinner can be inclusive. Don’t only invite your wedding party, but also invite a few close friends and family that you want to be there at the dinner with you.
When setting up the rehearsal dinner (or if you are having someone else come in to set up) make sure to have a layout of the tables and decor that allows your guests to mingle easily.
Make sure to send your invites out well ahead of time and get all your rsvps for you rehearsal dinner, it will give you a better estimate on how much food will be required and how many seats you need.

Try to have healthier options when serving your guests as well as yourself so you won’t be bloated and feeling laggy the next day. So try to avoid super greasy foods.
When serving your guests, most people opt to have alcohol at their rehearsal dinners. So you can have a Festive Bar that will spicy up your dinner. You can even have a cool signature cocktail that you and your fiance love featured at the party. (Make sure it is different if you have another featured cocktail for your reception.

You can provide entertainment at your party to liven up the mood! You can hire a local band, or if your budget is tighter play some fun music. You can also have some fun games that involve everyone and have a night of fun with your friends and family before the big day.
You can use the party to communicate last minute details such as weather, a change in the processional, or go over the schedule one last time for the big day.
Try to create a stress free environment (no drama), and have fun!

It is also a fun and romantic gesture to get a cute small gift for your significant other to remind them how much they mean to you.