What to Keep in Mind When You Create Your Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

It’s true that your wedding day may be the best day ever, but your rehearsal dinner might be a close second. With all your favorite people in attendance and no pressure to have everything perfect, plus all the joyous anticipation – there’s a palpable amazingness that everyone feels. It’s when some of the more personal speeches and toasts surface, and when friends and family feel more willing to loosen up and have fun. The dinner is often casual and relaxed, and the evening is full to bursting with love, laughter and collective excitement. It’s customary for the groom’s family to host the rehearsal dinner, but not obligatory. The final decisions regarding venue and invitation should come down to whomever hosts the event. But since it’s the bride and groom’s big weekend, the happy couple should be involved in the look and feel if they’re interested. They might just be happy to beg off any responsibility surrounding one more detail! Either way, it’s equally appropriate for the invitation to match the rest of the wedding stationery, as it is to be a complete divergence. Even if the wedding is a formal affair – perhaps especially if the wedding is a formal affair – it’s perfectly wonderful to have an ultracasual rehearsal dinner invitation.

There’s something fabulous about a black-tie wedding that’s preceded by a rehearsal dinner BBQ. And there’s something equally awesome about a champagne and caviar spread when the wedding will take place the following day in a barn. In other words, the rehearsal dinner is a wonderful time to flirt with your alter ego as a couple. So get creative with your rehearsal dinner – and feel free to unleash another side of who you are as a couple. Just be sure to include the following details:

The Who

While it is typically the groom’s family who hosts the rehearsal dinner, it is the bride and groom together who decide who will attend. The guest list should include members of the wedding party and their spouses, fiancé(e)s, or live-in partners. The officiant and his or her spouse or partner is also invited. Family members invited to the rehearsal dinner are typically parents, stepparents and grandparents of the bride and groom, plus siblings of the bride and groom even if they are not in the wedding party. If your budget and sensibilities allow, you may also want to extend the invitation to out-of-town guests. Just be sure you think ahead about any feelings that might be hurt when they don’t make the list. Sometimes keeping to a small group simplifies the occasion. And…on the theme of “who,” make sure it’s clear who’s hosting the event so guests know whom to thank.

The What

Make sure guests have an idea of what’s in store for them at the rehearsal dinner. Understanding the theme or menu helps them know how to dress and what frame-of-mind to get into. We humans are apt to have the most fun when we can anticipate the fun and prepare ourselves mentally for what’s ahead. Luckily, Mixbook rehearsal dinner invitations are so visually compelling that the mood and tone of the occasion comes through clearly. But you may also want to use language that’s specific about the theme of the evening.

The Where

You will, naturally, want to include the venue name and address on your invitation. And while most guests will simply be able to use their smart phones to locate the event, it’s a nice touch to include directions to the party.

The Why

Why? Because this is HAPPENING! And practice makes perfect, of course! Everyone is thrilled to come together in anticipation of the big day, and after the rehearsal itself, it’s nice to share a meal all together. Though the “practice” part is ostensibly about how the ceremony will unfold, the rehearsal dinner itself is good practice for the excitement of having so many loved ones in one place!

The When

While it’s typical for the rehearsal dinner to be held the day before the wedding, it’s still important to put the date on the invitation. Be sure to send your rehearsal invitations three to six weeks in advance.

The RSVP

Include one point of contact in charge of tracking who will attend. It’s ideal to include both an email address and a phone number depending on how people prefer to reply.  And, last but not least, make sure that one point of contact is ANYONE BUT THE BRIDE!

Happy Mixbooking! Happy Rehearsing!