The Most Basic of Rehearsal Questions

[TangoWedding]

Ok. As you all know, I'm lost when it comes to traditional wedding stuff. So here are some dumb questions.

I've never been to a rehearsal dinner (only was a bridesmaid one...I think we just did a bridesmaids luncheon? something?).

I assume that the rehearsal dinner is for the people who come to your ceremony rehearsal. Right?

And...the rehearsal is just so you know who needs to stand where, when, and what they're supposed to do at what times...right?

We're not having any bridal party...no groomsmen or bridesmaids, no one standing up with us, no flower girls, no live music, no one is walking down the aisle except us, etc. (We've decided I'm just going to carry a bouquet that FH gives me...no friends handing me flowers now.) So we don't need ANY of this, right? I mean, we're getting together with the minister to go over vows and such, but he's the only one that we need to rehearse with, right?

Am I missing anything that I need to practice?

I ask because FMIL was asking me where I want my rehearsal dinner...who I was going to invite, if I want kids there, etc. I was all, "uhhhhhhhh....no clue?"

:bblol:

I appreciate any input. I'm a total ditz with this stuff.

[SerendipityCrafts]

Sounds like the minister is the only one you really need to rehearse with. Heck, we didn't even do that LOL .... I guess he figured that since we had both been married before, we would have it "down pat" ??? :purplex:

If your future inlaws want to throw a rehearsal dinner for you both, then .... you can make it whatever you want. You could have it at chucky cheeze or it might be fancy. You might invite both sets of parents, siblings, relatives that you are close to .... heck, invite the minister if you want to.

If you have gifts for your parents then, the rehearsal dinner is a good time to make them. If you want to say a word or two about anyone present ... FH, your mom, or your dad .... you can do it then.

It's just an opportunity for everyone that is close to you, to have a meal together before the big day.

[TangoWedding]

Ok...that works for me.


I think I'm confusing the heck out of my FMIL with all the "we're not doing that....we're not doing that either....nope, not that either" stuff. I think she's asked me about 50 times "so, you're not having anyone stand up there with you at all?" :bblol: She's great about it ("it's your wedding...do whatever you want!") but I think it's baffling her how much I don't care about the foofoo girly stuff.

Since she's so excited that she gets to pay for the rehearsal dinner, I'll have a small shindig with the parents/siblings or something. Thanks for the ideas.

:purplex: Gifts for the parents, huh?

Oh cr@p...


:rofl:

[KMS]

Yep - We didn't have a rehearsal until the morning of the wedding and Chad's parents still insisted on paying for a rehearsal dinner as a way to get some friends/family together. I'm actually quite happy that she insisted because it was a nice simple evening that didn't take more than 2 hours.

BTW - We got his parents a gift card to their favorite restaurant and my dad a pocket watch!

[august8bride]

Some people invite the immediate family to the rehearsal dinner. So people can meet and socialize with their family. In my family someone (usually the father of the bride) always stands up and gives a speech of how its not to people becoming a family, but two families now becoming one family.


I've also been to a rehearsal dinner where everybody that was invited to the wedding was also invited to the rehearsal dinner. Then it's an icebreaker for the guest before the wedding.

So there really is no one way you have to do it.

[SerendipityCrafts]

:purplex: Gifts for the parents, huh?

Oh cr@p... :rofl:

LOL it doesn't have to be extravagent and there is nothing saying that you have to give a gift at all.

We bought both Mom's a butterfly broach and gave them a personalized hanky. We gave our daughter's the same thing + we bought their dresses. We bought DH's son/best man his suit, my son/usher a "hockey snack table" LOL but now that I am thinking of it ..... I am not so sure we bought his Dad anything. :purplex:

Oh cr@p... :rofl:

[KMS]

:bblol: You women are cracking me up tonight.

[Nekochanpurr]

Oohh, these are good questions!! Hehe. I've been in two weddings, but neither of them had a rehearsal dinner.. Steve's parents insisted on paying for one for us.. Um.. Heh. I think i know who we are inviting? The bridial party, my mom, grandma, and great aunt and uncle (cuz hes walking me down the isle.).. Um.. We have kids, but i think my cousin/aunt might just be more comfortable with us giving them gift cards to mc donalds, depending on where we are eating the night before. I just feel bad and don't want to feel like i am piling on the list or anything, specially since we are not paying for it.. Yay for rambling..
..oh, don't know what to get them, either..