If the thought of figuring out catering, food, and seating for your guests stresses you out of trouble but you don’t wish to give up on the thought of a gorgeous outdoor rehearsal dinner, expensive hotels or restaurant courtyard could be the option for you. The main considerations here, obviously, are cost, any rules or restrictions on theme and decorations, and things to serve for lunch.
Once you’ve kept it in your feel times outdoor rehearsal dinner venue and cocktail dresses, it’s time for you to consider your theme. Your budget will dictate whether you can hire a celebration planner to assist bring all of the elements together (especially as there’s always something you will possibly not have considered), however, the vibe you would like for your rehearsal dinner can also be key.
Want to help keep things low-key and playful? Things like a photo booth with some props or perhaps an Instagrammable flower wall or arch made from colorful balloons lend themselves to spontaneity and fun. Love everything bohemian? Go with natural materials and wildflowers. Prefer a more formal mood? Shining silverware, pristine white linens, and lots of greenery could keep things sophisticated.
An outdoor rehearsal dinner continues to be, well, a dinner—which means meals are a must. If you’ve chosen a venue having a restaurant or perhaps a theme that goes hand in hand with having a particular cuisine, then your hard part has already been done for you. If not, there are a couple of questions that get you as well as your partner started: do you wish to assign seats, or do you would like your guests to mingle and meet others? Would you like your guests seated and served, or do you wish to encourage them to serve themselves, family-style?
Similar to decorations, the atmosphere you wish to create at the outdoor rehearsal dinner as well as your budget will heavily influence that which you serve. For a wallet-friendly, casual approach, a food truck (or two) is a crowdpleaser; similarly, if you’re lucky enough to get to have some particularly foodie friends, everybody loves a potluck. If you’ve got a little more cash to splash, a catered meal is a safe, wise decision.
There aren’t any particular rules by what happens at a rehearsal dinner, however, you do wish to keep your friends and relatives entertained with some activities. There are probably fewer speeches to obtain through compared to the wedding reception itself, as well as in between these, a relevant video or photo presentation from the engaged couple is a lovely, sentimental idea. Icebreakers, trivia—especially one with questions regarding the couple—and low-impact games for example bocce ball or pétanque will always be fun.
