An Easy + Delicious DIY Rehearsal Dinner

Sponsored with love by Evite ® + Olive Garden

You know the one thing ever couple leaves until the last minute? The rehearsal dinner. I did it and pretty much every couple does too so you are definitely not alone on this.

I mean, I get it. You’re in the midst of planning a huge event, the biggest day of your life thus far, so of course you don’t have the time to plan another event on the side. Plus it means cutting that budget close -- if you have any left over.

In our eyes, a rehearsal dinner should be meaningful and full of delicious food. It’s a celebration of the two of you with those who have helped you this far, it’s a way to start off the weekend festivities and it’s a way to spend some fun and cherished memories together with your wedding party and family. It’s your way of opening up this momentous weekend of fun and welcoming everyone into your new family together.

You don’t want the hassle of all DIY and you don’t want to spend a fortune, so we’ve teamed up with Olive Garden + Evite to find the perfect happy medium:

An easy and delicious DIY rehearsal dinner that won’t break the bank but will still be a lovely evening full of yummy food, endless stories and contagious laughter.

Take a scroll down to see the gorgeous set up you could easily achieve for your own rehearsal dinner and click on the link below to take a peek at all of the details that will make your evening so perfect and special!

7 Reasons Why You Need to Have A Wedding Rehearsal

I offer wedding rehearsals for every single wedding I coordinate for, whether I planned the entire wedding or not. And while most couples take me up on that offer, there are some who decide against it.

"All of our bridal party has been in at least 5 weddings" is the common reason why people deny a rehearsal, but there are other instances where people are coming from out of town or there just isn't a day that would work for the rehearsal.

And that's okay!

I am not going to tell you that a rehearsal is 100% necessary...because it absolutely isn't. I have done plenty of weddings where I quickly told everyone where they would be standing at the ceremony site right before they headed down the aisle, and everything went without a hitch. But in the cases where you have the ability to hold a rehearsal, I would always recommend it.

And here is why:

The Line Up

Whether you have been in a wedding before or not, every wedding is different. You may have stood in a "V" shape at one wedding and on stairs at another. Or for a church wedding, you may have been sitting for the majority of the wedding in a specific seat assigned to you and the rest of the wedding party.

Jay Dixon Photography

So for that reason, it is always a great idea to give your wedding party a practice run so they know where they will be standing or sitting throughout the ceremony, and where they need to walk so no one is confused.

The bride and groom have got it easy :)

The Pairings

Jay Dixon Photography

Not every wedding party has an equal number of bridesmaids as they do groomsmen. And in these cases, we typically match up two bridesmaids with one groomsman, for example. While it's nice and simple when everyone just pairs up with each other, there are instances where it is still simple, but needs to be brought to everyone's attention so they know WHO they are walking with for both the processional and recessional.

Yes, sometimes it is different! Is a groomsman walking your mom down the aisle and then looping back around into the "groomsmen processional"? There are so many ways to run a ceremony and every ceremony it slightly different in that way!

The Maid of Honor Duties

I give the maid of honor 3 duties:

1. Take the bouquet from the bride once she gets down the aisle.
2. Make the bride's dress look pretty for the duration of the ceremony.
3. Give the bride back her bouquet (because she will forget) before she starts her recessional!

Yes, I could tell the Maid of Honor these "duties" the day of the wedding, but I believe it's best to tell her when there are less jitters in her system.

Pre-Wedding Jitters

Speaking of jitters...

On the day of the rehearsal, everyone is excited. But it is a relaxed excitement. And on the day of the wedding, everyone has more of a jittery excitement. The wedding party is smiling and giggly and talkative and doesn't really want to listen to what I have to say...and I don't blame them! They want to hurry up and get their best friend married!

So it is much easier to explain to everyone what to do and when to do it, when there are less jitters in their system.

The Little Ones

What about your flower girl and ring bearer? It's always best to practice with them beforehand (and then again on the wedding day) so they know where they are walking and where they can find their parents to sit for the rest of the ceremony, once (or if) they make it down the aisle!

The Photos

And on top of that? If something is practiced just once or twice the day or week before, everyone is more likely to look comfortable and natural up there - just as you want them :)

Jay Dixon Photography

Pre-Wedding Reminders

At the end of every rehearsal, I group everyone together (parents included) and go over some important details:

1. I give out my cell phone number. And the #1 rule is: DO NOT CALL THE BRIDE OR GROOM ON THE WEDDING DAY. No texting, emailing, and no ifs ands or buts. If you forget something, your dog eats your tux, or you are stranded on the side of the freeway, call ME. If you don't have a coordinator, select your Maid of Honor or a bridesmaid for this duty. I promise, you'll thank me!

2. What time do you need to be there on the wedding day? For some reason, I ask this question every time and there is always silence among everyone...including the bride and groom. And so, I remind everyone - the groomsmen need to be here at this time, the bridesmaids need to be here at this time, and the parents need to be here at this time.

A rehearsal really only takes about 10 minutes total (I leave an hour because everyone will ALWAYS be late!) so if it means you feel comfortable up there, then 10 minutes is well worth your time!

At the end of every rehearsal, I group everyone together. And I go over some important details:

Rules of the Rehearsal Dinner

Your wedding day plans are almost complete and with only a couple of DIY items left to create. You feel a sigh of relief in knowing that you will never have to plan a wedding again...EVER AGAIN! Isn't that just the greatest feeling?

You are your maid of honor sit down for a quick celebratory drink and right then and there, it comes to you. You have yet another event to plan in addition to the wedding day. The rehearsal dinner!.

"Planning my rehearsal dinner is going to be the same thing all of again," you think to yourself.  The guest list, the food choices, centerpieces, decor, venue, attire, timelines and you are ready to pull your hair out once again! No matter the size of the event, all of the same little details need to be meticulously chosen and planned. You immediately remember the disagreements you had with your fiance over choosing colors that aren't too girly, the shouting matches with your mom over which dress flatters your figure best, the back-and-forth emails with dad over who would be invited, and the almost-falling out with your best friend over something as small as what jewelry the bridesmaids would be wearing. And before you are even able to take a sip of your celebratory drink, that incredible overwhelming wedding planning feeling sinks in, yet again.

Oftentimes, brides don't realize that no matter how large or how small the event, all of the exact same details, vendors, and items go into planning. So when it comes to the rehearsal dinner, I understand why so many of you get stressed out! But what if I told you that the whole planning experience could be calm, affordable, and stress-free? Would you follow my advice? Well I think you should :)

This isn't a wedding the night before your wedding.

No matter what your wedding-day theme is, the price tag on your wedding day, or the formality of the day following, your rehearsal dinner is not meant to be a wedding the day before your wedding. You don't have to stick to the same theme, the event doesn't have to be up-scale and extravagant, and you absolutely don't need to invite everyone.

Your rehearsal dinner is a quick gathering after your ceremony rehearsal to not only thank those who have been by your side throughout planning, but a thank you for their participation in your wedding day and just a fun time for everyone to relax before the wedding-day craziness begins.

Just because they flew in for the wedding, doesn't mean they need to be there.

I hear bride after bride after bride telling me that they have a lot of guests who flew in for their wedding so they feel bad not inviting them to the rehearsal dinner. And this is what I say to you: When your guests booked their flight and hotel, did they even know about a rehearsal dinner? Most likely, the answer is no! Don't feel obligated to invite everyone. This is an event for your wedding party and just because a family is spending some money to attend your wedding day, doesn't mean you are obligated to invite them to every single activity and event that happens throughout the weekend. Are you going to feel bad not inviting them to your romantic breakfast with your husband the following morning??

This is a "thank you" to those involved.

I have a very simple formula for determining who should be invited to the rehearsal dinner and here it is:

Anyone who will be participating in the ceremony (aka whoever is at the rehearsal) should be invited.

This includes your bridesmaids, your groomsmen, your parents, your grandparents and great-grandparents, your officiant, your flower girl, and your ring bearer, and your coordinator.

Guest List Continued - Who gets a plus one?

Now this is where is always gets tricky. Again, we are trying to stick to a budget so adding a plus one for everyone involved is not always necessary.

Those who should ALWAYS get a plus one (or plus two):
- Flower Girl (yes, invite both of her parents)
- Ring Bearer (yes, both of his parents are invited)
- Officiant (let him or her invite their spouse/significant other)

Those who may or may not get a guest:
When it comes to your bridal party, this is where is gets the most tricky. If a majority of your bridesmaids have spouses/boyfriends who are groomsmen, then there really isn't any problem for you. However, if no spouses/significant others are in the bridal party, then this is something you are going to have to determine yourself. I wish I could give you a formula for this but unfortunately, it is always circumstance-based.

- If you have room in the budget, then it may be a nice to touch to invite them.
- If you are extremely tight on budget, don't even think about inviting spouses.

Remember, this is going to be one event and will last about an hour. I think everyone will survive without their boyfriend or wife for one hour...don't you agree?

This isn't a royal ball.

The rehearsal dinner in no way, shape, or form has to be an extravagant event. If you have time, are not stressed by the thought of planning a second wedding, and have plenty of budget remaining, then be my guest and host a wedding the day before your wedding! But in my eyes, this event should be relaxing and fun for everyone involved.

You don't need a 5-course meal and on that note, you don't need a meal at all! Serve appetizers at your favorite restaurant and allow your guests to purchase drinks if they would like! There is no rule that says you have to serve dinner. Start your rehearsal later in the evening and everyone will have eaten anyways. As long as your guests know what to expect and know what or what not to eat beforehand, your event will turn out exactly as it should be!