Your rehearsal dinner is an important part of your wedding. Not only does the actual rehearsal help you understand the flow of the ceremony, but the dinner that follows helps to set the overall tone for the event. However, there are a few common rehearsal dinner mistakes that could derail your plans for a picture-perfect event. So, we tapped a few wedding planning pros to reveal what not to do when it comes to rehearsal dinner planning and etiquette.
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Not Hiring a Planning Pro
While your focus may be on planning your wedding, the rehearsal dinner is a special event the night before the wedding you don’t want to forget about. It might seem like an event you can plan on your own, but with so much of your attention on the wedding, hiring a professional is a worthy investment. They can help you with details that may be overlooked and help you stick to a budget. You can find hundreds of pros on The Knot Vendor Marketplace by searching for wedding planners in your area.
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Not Determining a Budget
When it comes to wedding planning, determining your budget is one of the most important initial steps — and the same goes for your rehearsal dinner. Make sure you establish who will be hosting the rehearsal dinner and what the budget is before it becomes a stressful situation.
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Not Creating a Separate Rehearsal Dinner Guest List
There are many factors that go into determining a rehearsal dinner guest list. Traditionally, wedding party members and immediate family members are invited. Some people might choose to invite extended family members, out-of-town guests, or other people playing important roles in the wedding, such as ushers, your officiant, etc. It all depends on your budget, capacity and the type of rehearsal dinner you’re looking to have.
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Not Planning Well in Advance
It’s easy to let the details of your wedding day take up the majority of your time, but planning a rehearsal dinner is just as important. It’s important to nail down a rehearsal dinner venue well in advance so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Hiring a wedding planning pro to help you out will take some of the stress out of organizing a rehearsal dinner and a wedding.
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Overlooking Essential Details
This goes hand in hand with not planning in advance. If you leave everything to the last minute, essential details are naturally going to be forgotten about. Things like table settings, seating charts, securing vendors, tapping speakers for a toast, etc. are important pieces of the rehearsal dinner puzzle.
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Not Considering Guests’ Dietary Restrictions and Needs
When you’re putting together your rehearsal dinner menu, you’ll want to consider the dietary needs of your guests. Are they vegan or gluten-free? Or do they have a specific dairy allergy? You’ll want to make sure you ask your guests when they RSVP if they have any dietary considerations so you know in advance.
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Not Hiring a Photographer or Videographer
You didn’t think twice about hiring someone to capture your wedding day, so why should your rehearsal dinner be any different? It’s also a very special occasion that you’ll want to look back on for years to come. Learn more about our wedding photographers and videographers in Duluth, MN at Complete Weddings + Events.
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Overdoing It
Remember: Your rehearsal dinner is just that—a rehearsal. Your wedding is the main event, and you don’t want to throw a party so huge the night before that you and your most special guests are tired or worn out the following day. You also don’t want to make the rehearsal dinner such a large event that it completely outshines your actual wedding.
Complete Weddings + Events Duluth, MN
Complete Weddings + Events, Duluth, MN’s leading provider of event and wedding photography, videography, lighting, coordination, DJ services and photo booth rental.