Nimanto

Guide

Rehearsal dinner invitation wording

By Nimanto · · 4 min read

The short answer

A rehearsal dinner invitation says who is hosting (traditionally the groom's parents), names the couple, and gives the date, time and restaurant or home with a reply-by date. It goes to the wedding party, both families and the officiant, and is sent separately from the wedding invitation, three to four weeks before the wedding.

What goes on a rehearsal dinner invitation?

The hosts' names, a line that it is the rehearsal dinner for the couple, the date, the time, the venue with its address, the dress code if the restaurant has one, and how to reply. Mention the rehearsal itself with its own time if the guests are the wedding party who must attend it.

  • Hosted by the groom's parents by tradition; today it is often both sets of parents or the couple.
  • Sent separately from the wedding invitation, never tucked inside it, since most wedding guests are not invited to the dinner.
  • Reply-by date about a week before, since a restaurant needs a firm number.

Formal rehearsal dinner invitation wording

Mr. and Mrs. David Harrison request the pleasure of your company at the rehearsal dinner for Claire Elizabeth Bennett and Michael James Harrison. Friday, the eleventh of June, two thousand twenty-seven, at seven o'clock in the evening. The Garden Room, The Langham, Chicago. Kindly reply by the first of June.

Together with their families, Sophia and Daniel invite you to dinner on the eve of their wedding. Friday, September 17, 2027 at 6:30 pm. Osteria Via Stato, 620 North State Street. Cocktail attire. Please reply by September 8.

Casual rehearsal dinner wording

Most rehearsal dinners are relaxed: a pizza place, a backyard, a taco truck. Say so, so guests dress and plan accordingly. A casual card can be written in the first person by the couple or in the hosts' voice, and it can carry the rehearsal time on the same card for the wedding party.

The night before the big day. Please join Tom and Linda Walsh for a rehearsal dinner celebrating Emma and Ryan. Friday, May 21, 2027, 6 pm. The Walsh backyard, 40 Harbor Lane. Barbecue, beer and a bonfire. Reply by May 14.

Rehearsal at 4 pm at St. Mark's, then dinner at 6 at Luca's on Fifth. For the wedding party, our families and anyone who flew in early. Hosted by the Rossi family. Let us know by June 4.

Tacos and tequila before we tie the knot. Dinner on Friday, August 6 at 7 pm, Casa Lupe, 212 Mission Street. Hosted by Ana's parents. Reply by July 30.

Welcome party invitation wording

A welcome party is the larger, looser gathering for every guest who travelled in, usually the evening before the wedding, after the rehearsal dinner or in its place. It can be a drinks hour, a beach bonfire or dessert at the hotel bar. Say it is open to all wedding guests and that it is optional.

Welcome to Charleston! All wedding guests are invited for drinks and oysters on Friday, October 1, 2027 from 8 to 10 pm at The Dewberry rooftop. Come as you are. No need to reply; just come.

You came all this way, so let's start early. Join us for welcome drinks on Friday, June 25, 7 pm at the hotel's garden bar. Hosted by the families of Priya and Arjun. Let us know if you can make it by June 18.

Who is invited to the rehearsal dinner?

The couple, their parents and siblings, grandparents, the whole wedding party with their partners, the flower girl and ring bearer with their parents, and the officiant and their partner. Out-of-town guests are a kindness to include, or they get the welcome party instead. Keep the list firm; a restaurant has a seat count.

  • A rehearsal dinner for 20 to 40 is typical; a welcome party can be everyone.
  • On Nimanto, the rehearsal dinner sits on the wedding's schedule as its own function, and only the guests you tick for it see it: see the schedule and functions.

When should rehearsal dinner invitations go out?

Three to four weeks before the wedding, after the wedding invitations have gone out and well before the reply-by date for the wedding itself. Six weeks is better when the wedding party is scattered across the country. A welcome party line can go out with the wedding details page rather than as a card of its own.

  • Reply-by date: one week before the dinner.
  • The dinner's dress code is usually one step down from the wedding's.

Questions people ask

Who hosts the rehearsal dinner, and whose names go on the invitation?

Traditionally the groom's parents host and pay, so their names lead the invitation. Today both sets of parents often host together, or the couple hosts their own. Whoever hosts is named on the card and takes the replies. A welcome party is usually hosted by the couple or both families.

Does the rehearsal dinner invitation go in with the wedding invitation?

No. Most wedding guests are not invited to the rehearsal dinner, so it is sent separately, to the dinner's own list, three to four weeks before the wedding. A welcome party that is open to everyone can be mentioned on the wedding's details page instead of a separate card.

Do rehearsal dinner guests get a plus-one?

The wedding party's partners and spouses are invited, and so are the partners of the parents and the officiant. Single members of the wedding party do not usually bring a date to the dinner unless that date is also invited to the wedding. Write each guest's name on the invitation to make it clear.

What is the dress code for a rehearsal dinner?

One step down from the wedding: cocktail attire for a formal wedding, smart casual for a garden wedding, and whatever the venue calls for. Say it on the invitation in two or three words, especially when the dinner is somewhere a guest could not guess, like a backyard or a beach.