Many couples hold their rehearsal dinner at a restaurant.
When you are preparing for a wedding, sometimes it is easy to overlook the details of all the other events that surround a wedding, such as the gift opening and rehearsal dinner. Rehearsal dinners are an important part of the wedding process, so plan them carefully. Make the effort to create a special rehearsal dinner so that you can thank everyone who helps you with the wedding.
Decorating at Home
If you hold the dinner at home, you have more flexibility in terms of decorating. The rehearsal dinner is usually informal, especially because the following day in most cases is going to be as formal as it gets. Complement the theme of the wedding with your decorations. Tropical flowers, beach-inspired centerpieces and tropical drinks can be fun if you are planning a beach wedding. You can use pictures of the couple as table pieces for a rehearsal dinner. Include a few shots of the couple with the invitees to the rehearsal dinner to give it a personal touch. Put the shots in small free-standing frames that you can scatter around the room or on the table itself.
Restaurants
Just because you want the ease of dining out doesn't mean you can't decorate. You can ask the restaurant to allow you to add your own centerpieces, which can be anything from elaborate pre-purchased displays to simple home-grown flowers floating in decorative glass. A photo board or display for invitees to view as they come in for dinner featuring pictures of the bride and groom through the years is easy to set up and take down. Decorate each plate with your party favors before guests sit down for an added touch.
Creative Decorations
The casual atmosphere of a rehearsal dinner gives you flexibility in creative decorating. One idea is to spread white paper over the table and provide each seat with markers. Encourage guests to write a message to the couple on the paper. You can take the theme further by including picture albums with photos of the couple on one side of the page and a blank page on the other. Find pictures that include the friends and family at the dinner and use the books as centerpieces. Invite everyone to sign or write in the books as well. Creative decorations like this can add to the enjoyment of the evening, and can provide something for the couple to remember the dinner by.
The Invitations
Slip a little card in the main invitation envelope mentioning that the guests are also invited to the rehearsal dinner, and ask them to indicate on their main RSVP card if they will attend the dinner. You don't have to theme your rehearsal dinner cards to match the theme of the wedding invitations. Instead, use the theme of the rehearsal dinner itself to inspire these invitations. For a formal dinner, white on black or black on white invitations with an indication of formal dress or the location of the dinner will work well. For a casual affair, use graphic design, pictures, fonts and colors to indicate the theme, whether its a backyard barbecue, a home-cooked meal or the type of restaurant that you are hosting the dinner at.
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