Rehearsal dinners can sometimes be the one event that doesn’t get a lot of attention while planning a wedding. This is traditionally the responsibility of the groom’s family but anyone can help plan or host the event. However, it’s a great way for the groom to get involved and for his family to have a starring role, so I advise you hand it off to your in-laws to be (with some input, of course).

It’s become popular to have causal rehearsal dinners and I like the trend. After all, you’re asking all of your guests to get dressed up the next day and why not allow them to just relax the night before the wedding? I also like the idea of having some activity or activities planned to help folks mingle. Some options include:
Book a local brewery/restaurant with a brewery and pair each course with a beer tasting and ask the brew master to give tours before or after dinner. If the brewery doesn’t have a restaurant, bring in a caterer for the food.
Don’t do a dinner at all – set up hors d’oeuvres stations and a wine bar designed to complement the menu selections.
Have a favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant? Ask if they’ll book a private event, offer a limited menu, bring in a mariachi band and have a rehearsal fiesta.
Club houses by the pool are great during the summer. Think “classy cook out”, bring out the corn hole sets and have a make-your-own sundae bar for dessert.
The point is you don’t have to be traditional – do something fun that will get your guests talking. One ambitious bride created a booklet for each rehearsal dinner guest complete with a photo of each guest and how the bride and/or groom knew them…it was an amazing conversation piece! Give this event a little extra thought and don’t let it be overlooked. It’s just as much a part of the celebration as the reception and you’ll treasure the memories!