A rehearsal dinner is a pre-wedding event where the wedding party, family, and close friends gather to rehearse the ceremony, enjoy a meal, give speeches, and celebrate the upcoming wedding. This article explains the traditions and activities typically associated with rehearsal dinners.
In This Article
What happens during the Rehearsal Dinner
Who Hosts The Rehearsal Dinner?
How To Personalise Your Rehearsal Dinner?
What’s A Rehearsal Dinner?
While some wedding traditions can be adjusted to suit your preferences, the practice of holding a wedding rehearsal dinner is a time honoured tradition. Whether you’re Chinese, Indian or Malay; every culture practices a form of pre-wedding event that serves as a kickoff to the actual wedding celebration, bringing together close friends and family before the official nuptials commence. This helps to alleviate any pre-wedding jitters, ensuring that you, your partner, and your key participants are well-prepared for the actual wedding day.
What Happens During The Rehearsal Dinner?
Ceremony Rehearsal
One of the main goals of this gathering is to rehearse the actual ceremony process. Couples and their wedding party convene at the ceremony location to go over the wedding ceremony outline, ensuring that everyone understands their duties and obligations. This helps to alleviate wedding-day nerves and ensures a more seamless process on the actual day.
Dinner
The rehearsal is usually followed by a rather informal dinner, held either at home or a restaurant. It presents an excellent opportunity for the bride, groom, and their families to bond and get to know each other better in a calm and casual setting. During the dinner, the bride and groom includes any speeches and toasts that haven’t been scheduled for the actual reception.
Who Hosts The Rehearsal Dinner?
The groom’s family has traditionally hosted the rehearsal dinner, but in modern times, this task is frequently shared by both families or taken on by the couple themselves. Individual circumstances, interests, and financial arrangements all influence the choice of host. It’s safe to say there are no hard and fast rule.
How To Personalise Your Rehearsal Dinner?
An Open Mic Toast
Typically, the host of the party will give a welcome toast to kick off the party. There may not be adequate time for your all of your nearest and dearest to give advice or bless you with their words during the reception dinner. However, this setting is the perfect chance for them to do so. Give your bridal party, relatives, and friends notice before the event that they are welcome to speak a few words. Furthermore, for anyone who wishes to deliver a roast rather than a toast, the rehearsal dinner is a more than appropriate occasion for some good-natured hilarity.
Provide Entertainment
Since this where some of your families may be meeting for the very first time. It would be good to prepare some ice-breakers to ease any initial awkwardness. Make sure there is music to set the mood. Incorporate games, or even a dance floor (if the venue permits) to encourage bonding.
Gifting or Thank You Notes
The day of your wedding can be a hectic one. Instead, present your gifts to your parents and wedding party during the rehearsal dinner. This way, you’ll have one less thing to think about on your wedding day.
Do remember that a rehearsal dinner is more than just a formality; it’s a meaningful and fun opportunity for the bridal party, immediate relatives, and other invited guests to be together before the big day. Therefore, don’t get too caught up in the details! It’s important to leave room for spontaneity and just enjoy the company of your closest and dearest.
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