No wedding is complete without a wedding rehearsal dinner. A rehearsal dinner is the perfect way to say thank you to your family and friends who are in the wedding. Planning the perfect wedding rehearsal dinner can be a lot easier than you might think.

A wedding rehearsal dinner is traditionally hosted by the parents of the groom, as a way of saying thank you to those participating in the actual wedding. Although a formal run through of the wedding is not required, most couples and officiants will want to do a run through of the ceremony prior to the wedding. Generally, the groom, bride, both sets of parents, the entire wedding party and anyone doing a reading or singing a song in the wedding will participate in the rehearsal. By doing a dry run of the actual wedding, all of those participating will know what they are supposed to do, prior to the actual wedding.

After the rehearsal, participants often attend a rehearsal dinner together. Not only is this a great way of saying thank you to those sharing in the wedding day, it also allows everyone a chance to get to know each other a little better. The rehearsal dinner is also a great chance for the bride and the groom to hand out any thank you gifts they may have purchased for their parents and the wedding party.

Traditionally speaking, the groom’s family pays for the rehearsal dinner. However, in today’s society, anything is up for grabs. At times, the wedding couple may choose to pay for the dinner on their own. Other times, both sets of parents may want to help pay for the dinner.

The question often arises of who should be invited to the rehearsal dinner. At a minimum, the guest list should include the immediate family, such as parents and siblings. The entire wedding party and their significant others or spouses should also be included in the dinner. Inviting any children participating in the wedding is optional. However, their parents should be included in the dinner. When planning your guest list, be sure to invite the officiant of the wedding along with his or her spouse.

Where you choose to have your rehearsal dinner at generally depends on the budget of those hosting the dinner. Although the bride and groom generally have a say in the dinner, if the groom’s parents are hosting the dinner, they should do a majority of the planning. Often times the bride and groom’s efforts could be better spent on planning the rest of the wedding.

The location of the rehearsal dinner can be just about anywhere. The dinner can be as fancy or as casual as you would like. Many couples choose to have the dinner in a restaurant or hotel banquet room. Such locations often offer a full course dinner menu complete with desserts. Other couples may choose to have the dinner at their home. Family and friends can choose to bring a dish or Chinese or Italian food can be ordered in.

More and more couples are choosing to move away from the traditional sit down rehearsal dinner. Instead, they are looking for creative alternatives. Couples are planning dinners on the beach, in the backyard or even at the local bowling alley.

If your wedding is more on the formal side, consider going with a less formal rehearsal dinner. What better what to say thank you to your family and friends and let everyone get to know each other, than over hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salad. Picnic tables enable guests to casually interact with each other.

Consider throwing a bowling party to help you relax before the big day. Some bowling alleys offer private rooms, perfect for serving your guests. And what could be simpler than serving pizza, pretzels and nachos. You can even have some friendly bowling competition between the boys and the girls.
Perhaps a casino night is more your style. Try sending out your invitations on customized decks of cards. You can decorate the tables with poker chips made from chocolate.

You can hire a dealer or let the bridal party deal out various games of poker, blackjack and other card games. You can also consider hosting bingo matches and raffling off prizes.
No matter what route you choose to go for your rehearsal dinner, with some simple planning your guests are sure to have a good time.

Keep in mind that the rehearsal dinner is a great time for both families to really get to know each other, as well as a great way for the couple to say thank you to family and friends. By thinking outside the box, you can have a wedding rehearsal dinner that will leave your guests wanting more.