Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

Most couples have wedding rehearsal a day before the wedding, so that every member of the bridal party knows his/her role properly and the wedding goes without any confusion. Followed by the wedding rehearsal, people also host a rehearsal dinner for the wedding party. The reason for such a dinner party is to thank all those people who have helped the couple in making the wedding a reality. As per etiquette, the rehearsal dinner should be held by the groom's parents. Nevertheless, nowadays, most couples are organizing the rehearsal dinner on their own.

The best thing about wedding dinner rehearsal is that there are no fixed rules and etiquette that people have to follow. As weddings are usually a formal affair, most people opt for a casual party for their rehearsal dinner, though it is fine to have a proper sit down dinner too. This gives people the option to organize the rehearsal dinner as per their budget. While it will be great to have the rehearsal dinner at an expensive club or restaurant, if you want to give a casual touch to your rehearsal dinner, a barbecue or a small party at home will also be appreciated. However, not many people know about the proper etiquette including, who should be invited, how they should be invited, etc. Hence, let us now understand these details.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Etiquette
Wedding rehearsal dinners are considered to be intimate affairs with only family and close friends. However, the proper etiquette states that all the members of the bridal party and their families have to be invited for the rehearsal dinner. Though in some cultures, all the guests who are invited for the wedding are called for the rehearsal dinner, there is no hard and fast rule regarding this. However, there are many couples who like the idea of throwing a huge party by inviting as many people as possible from their guest list. Even though your rehearsal dinner is an intimate affair, it would be a good idea to invite out of town guests to the party, so as they do not feel alone in the new city. Nevertheless, if you are not keen on this, you can ask a relative or a friend to hold a small cocktail party for the out of town guests at some other place.

When to Send the Invitations?
Once the guest list for the rehearsal dinner is ready, you can start scheduling the dispatch of invitations. The wedding rehearsal invitations should be sent at least 2-4 weeks before the party, however, only after sending the wedding invitations. Many people make the mistake of sending these invitations with the wedding invitation. However, this has to be avoided and it is extremely crucial to send a separate invitation through mail for the rehearsal dinner. Also, do not forget to send RSVP with these invitations, so that you will know how many people are actually coming for the dinner and you can make the arrangements likewise.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Ideas
As the formal wedding invitations are very expensive, getting separate invitations for the rehearsal dinner can cause problem for couples who are getting married on a budget. However, these invitations need not be very grand. Rather, one just needs to have a simple card which sends the message that the person is invited for the rehearsal dinner, where it is held, date as well as time. There are many Internet sites which have invitation templates which people can download for free. Another option would be to make the invitations on your own. One can get the supplies for making invitations from the craft stores and make customized invitations for their guests. Making the invitations on the computer and taking printouts is also a good way of saving time as well as money.

Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wordings
Another thing that has to be given special mention is the wordings for the invitations. Though there are many people who prefer to have formal wordings in their invitation, it is actually fine to have casual wordings, as rehearsal dinners usually have a casual feel. Here are some rehearsal dinner invitation wordings that you can refer to while making an invitation yourself.

Invitation Wordings #01
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Wilson would be honored by your presence
at the rehearsal dinner of
Michelle and Roger
on Friday, the twenty third of April
at seven o' clock
at the Wilson Residence
5873 Park Street
San Antonio, Texas.

Invitation Wordings #02
We would like to invite you
for the rehearsal dinner in the honor of
Jack and Olivia
on Tuesday, April 27th 2010 at 6.00 pm
at Oriental Club
674 People's Street, California.

I hope this article has been helpful to you while arranging your own wedding rehearsal dinner. The main purpose of the rehearsal dinner is to give the guests time to relax and mingle with each other, before the main day.