Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Ideas

One of my favorite things about weddings is the fact that the celebration starts one night in advance. I love the rehearsal dinners. They are more intimate and less glamorous. Although, you can strut the stylish cocktail dresses without judgment. Having been to a LOTT of weddings and rehearsal dinners I have seen my fair share of the good, the bad and the ugly!!

Beginnings should be on a good note. So I shall start with the good, pretty and gorgeous rehearsal dinner Ideas.

Thematic Approach: No bride would want any theme in her wedding. The simple wedding theme is the most elegant. But you could give a theme to your rehearsal dinner. Something like Greek gods and Egyptian mythology would give all your special guests, a chance to look out of the world. More so, which bride would not want to be Cleopatra for the day?

Formal-ity Sake: A formal party has a charm of its own. One can go for the elegant formal rehearsal dinner idea. Make sure that the guests are aware that this is a tad more formal than the main reception (kind of office party type). Blazers and little black dresses, could we have a more romantic setting?

Fairy Tale Wedding: Every bride would like a fairy tale love story. The wedding is obviously a "happily ever after" so why not keep the rehearsal dinner like it just came out of the "Cinderella". The groom could be Prince Charming and the bride Cinderella (obviously!) and the brides maids could be other fairy tale princesses. Who knows, there could be more love stories being written on this magical night!

Now we come to the bad ideas. Mind you, these ideas might work under exceptional circumstances (sometimes cocktails do the trick!).

Wild, Wild West: It would backfire very badly if you try to get your guests to dress like cowboys. Firstly, they may even start behaving like them. Secondly, there will be a clan of people who will disapprove of it. And most importantly, there will be chances of the real cowboys in them cropping up and showing themselves. Like, fights after a few drinks, it could really ruin the china, right?

Casual-ty: A complete casual theme might give you lesser joy than you expected. I once attended a casual wedding rehearsal, it suddenly seemed like a random dinner at a BnB. It was awful! The bride was disappointed, and the groom was furious at people's attitude. Why ruin the feel of your day-before-the-special-day just to make your guests "comfy"?

Old School: One could try the Old British style of a dress code. It would work if your guests are petite and probably models. In case you have any friend or family member who is anything over a size 4, they might find your rehearsal dinner impossible to dine at. As Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightly) from Pirates of the Caribbean says, "You like pain? Try wearing a corset!"

Now we come to my personal favorite (because the memory of this experience would probably be hilarious) The Ugly!

Halloween Town: One night in a year is sufficient to feed a person's need to dress scarily. You could try to let that night be your wedding rehearsal dinner. Trust me, dressing as the "dead bride" or the "zombie groom" may seem fun in theory, but in practicality, it is a hoot. More so, your single friends (who will be attending) would probably come there looking for their special someone (weddings are the favorite hunting ground), why not spice up to "hunting activity for them"? Like I, personally, would hate to dine with a man who has a hammer through his head, but it could be fun!

Slumdog Millionaire: Being a hit flick, a lot of people are trying to bring in the spirit of the movie in to their wedding rehearsals.Why on earth would you want your guests to dress DOWN in your wedding? Further, why would YOU want to dress down for your wedding. So wouldn't it be fun to let your guests put some work in to dressing down for the rehearsal? Now, pre-alcohol there might be a few frowns around, but, I am sure, post-alcohol, the frowns will turn around!

Wedding rehearsals are the bonus night of the weddings. Have fun with them. Be smart and try to keep it as simple to organize as possible. Mind you, the wedding is the main attraction, not the rehearsal! Bon appetit!