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Budget for rehearsal dinner?

abarlow12abarlow12
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in Pre-wedding Parties
How much is too much to spend for a rehearsal dinner? Our wedding budget is around $20,000 total. We were thinking of having it at a restaurant banquet room.
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Re: Budget for rehearsal dinner?

  • flamingtwig72flamingtwig72 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    It obviously depends on what you can afford. If it helps, ours will probably run about $80/per person at a nice restaurant.
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  • stephasuasustephasuasu member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Too much is what you cannot or do not want to afford! Ours had 33 people at it, and was at a restaurant downtown. The cost was $2500, and a lot of that came from the open bar. That comes to about $75 per person. 
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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    If you are spending that much on your wedding, I would say having a fancier RD is in order. Our wedding wasn't near that much and our RD was about $2k I believe. H's parents paid for it. We did not have an open bar, just a few different kinds of wine available. It was in a old historic restaurant banquet room, but we only had heavy app's/hor'dourves bc it was later in the evening by the time we finished the church rehearsal and our wedding was 1pm the next day. Many of our guests lived 45 minutes away, so opted to go with that instead of a fancy sit down dinner. That way people could leave at anytime.
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  • DanielleZZDanielleZZ member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our wedding budget is $11,000 and I believe the RD is coming in around $800 (FILs are planning/paying for it so I don't know all the details)  It will be at a Chinese restaurant with about 36 people.
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  • NOLAbridealmostNOLAbridealmost member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    It depends....I've been to RD's where they've pulled out all the stops: fancy restaurant, Dom Perignon, the works.  I also been to RD's at someone's house hosted by a local Italian place and bottles of wine.  Both felt incredibly meaningful and I was honored to be there.   It's really all about everyone being comfortable, well fed, and sharing the last night with the special couple!
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  • Summer2011BrideSummer2011Bride member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    I don't know the exact cost b/c FIL's are planning and paying. Ours is at a local Italian place (not super fancy) and we're doing bowls of pasta family-style. We wanted something a little more laid back, just some good food with good friends and family.

    I have been to fancy, sit down dinners with open bars, and I've also been to very casual RD's at a burger joint. I enjoyed both equally. It depends what you're going for.

    Also, I sometimes personally think if the wedding will be formal, sometimes it's nice to NOT have a super formal RD for a change of pace.


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  • katheriner89katheriner89 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Since most of the ppl that will be at our RD are traveling 12-14 hrs from NY, we decided to have a bbq type of RD. It going to be at my mother's house. We are taking our big grill to her house & grilling out steaks & bbq chicken. hotdogs for the couple of kids that will be there. We want to have time to talk to everyone there, we wanted a relaxed feel. Not to be rushed by some waitress. So we OPT to have it there. I'm not 100% sure how much all of it will cost. My FI & his mom are paying for it. So i'm guessing around $500-$800.
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  • jemmini6jemmini6 member
    5 Love Its Name Dropper First Comment First Anniversary
    edited December 2011
    We will probably be doing a very casual RD at our house, we will probably order from a local restaurant or something.  We will probably have less than 20 people (just BP and immediate family).  I really don't want to spend more than $250 on the RD.  We are already paying for more than half the wedding ourselves, so having an inexpensive RD is a must.
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  • Leah&JPLeah&JP
    Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Our wedding will be around $10k and we are thinking the rehearsal dinner will be around $900.  We are just going to a local Mexican restraunt with around 30 people.
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  • hannahbrown2hannahbrown2 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We are having our Rehearsal Dinner catered at the church.  We are planning on about 25 people, but it more show up, it won't be as much of a big deal.  Also, we have a lot of people from out of town and then they won't have to navigate around the city.  
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  • starlite21lstarlite21l member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Comment Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    We are having a laid back BBQ style RD in my parents backyard.  Our wedding will be much more formal the following evening.  I liked the idea of everyone letting loose the night before playing some games and having some fun before putting on their dresses and suits the next day.  Our wedding will be about $20,000 and I am hoping to spend about $500 on the RD.
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  • mehgan11mehgan11
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    FI and I are paying for RD, since budget is very tight we are using the churches kitchen and my mom and I are making all the food and supplying drinks for WP and Immediate Family.  VEry simple and not much spent
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