Thanks to Vivian Morgan at Culinary Art Catering for answering this week’s Ask the Expert questions about rehearsal dinners.
What are some recent trends in rehearsal dinners?
The food is becoming a bigger focus and at times rehearsal dinners are rivaling the actual wedding reception. On the food front, ethnic stations are big! The food is fun and interactive and can even tell the story of the couple. Food reminiscent of a couple’s favorite restaurants, travels, and first dates are enthusiastically shared with their guests. Everything from street taco stations to kitschy gourmet hot dog stations. There is definitely less interest in serving a plated, formal meal.
Do you have to invite all out-of-town guests to the rehearsal dinner?
If it is in the budget, then definitely. However, we are seeing a lot of couples who are footing the bill themselves and can’t necessarily invite all the out-of-towners. The best solution we have seen is giving the out-of-town guests ideas of local activities or restaurants that they can do on their own, and then plan a meeting spot for attendees of the rehearsal dinner and the uninvited out-of-town guests to gather for post dinner cocktails. This limits the rehearsal dinner to closest family and wedding party members only and saves on cost in the end.
Is the wedding party still conducting speeches at the rehearsal dinner?
Yes. Although many traditions have faded away, we still find that the rehearsal dinner is full of speeches. The tone of these events is definitely more casual and has really evolved into a celebration that sets the tone for the following day’s events. Since the number of attendees is usually much less than the reception, people feel more comfortable standing up and speaking.
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