My fiance and I are paying solely for our own wedding, however still trying to save some money. Who are we expected to pay for at the rehersal dinner and is it ok if we only pay for the attendants and not their partners? Thank you Nicci
Since you are hosting this event you wil be paying for all invited guests. It is not polite to host a party; paying for some guests and not others. If you are on a budget, as most of us are these days, limit your guest list as much as possible.
You should invite everyone included in the wedding ceremony (ushers, bridesmaids, bestman, maid of honor, flowergirl, ring bearer, officiate, etc.) Spouses or dates of all adult attendants should be invited. Parents (divorced parents new spouses or partners), grandparents and siblings of the bride and groom should be invited. If children are involved in the wedding, the children and their parents should be invited. If there are out of town guests staying over it is considerate to invite these people as well, however not required.
Perhpas you could host something at your home or the home of a friend? Catering your own dinner can save you some money and if you have the space it's so much more intimate than a restaurant. I have also heard of some couples hosting a potluck dinner for a rehearsal dinner. This dinner does not have to be anything fancy or elaborate. Top Wedding Questions Forum Moderator - "Write your sorrows in the sand, your blessings in stone".
My fiance and I as well are paying for our wedding. Just a thought but we are having ours at a favorite restaurant that we frequent. Our headcount is up to 30 at this point and could go up another 10. What we found by asking was that we could use the early bird menu. This was quite a savings, meaning like $10 a head for steak, chicken, ribs, or salmon dinner.This might be an idea. I had thought about having a BBQ but found I wanted to take it easy the night before the wedding.
Me and my fiance decided on an old-fashioned bbq for our rehearsal dinner. We decided with all the fanciness of our reception, ceremony, and everything else, we wanted something a little lower key the rehearsal night. That way people can come dressed in tank tops and shorts, drink a few beers, get a hamburger, play some volleyball, etc. Not only that, but we are hosting it in my parent's backyard (free) and the food items are very cheap from a local grocery store. I loved this idea and it will be nice to our budget as well!
Rehersal Dinner
