Rehearsal dinner on New Year's Eve

sgiordano3

My fiance and I are planning to get married the Saturday after New Year's Eve so I thought it'd be fun to have our rehearsal dinner on New Year's. I've told a few people this and some are exciting and think it's a great idea while others, including my MOD, are annoyed that we would hold it on that night. Is there any etiquette about holding a rehearsal dinner on a holiday?

ericaandtom2012

Other than not being annoyed when people choose not to come, no there is no etiquette. You're choosing a holiday - people have traditions and likely won't want to give them up for your rehearsal dinner.  If you want everyone there, you should probably hold your rehearsal and RD on a different day.

LDubHawksFan

Are all of your vips living in the same town as the wedding?   Or are they going to have to travel on the Monday for your RD/ NYE party, then go back to work and travel back for the wedding on Sat?  I personally wouldn't like this because it is taking away from a holiday celebration where maybe I would have other plans. 

achiduck

Unless you were someone I normally spend NYE with I probably wouldn't go.

kmmssg

You aren't getting married until the 4th so I would be ticked to tie up my holiday plus the next weekend for the wedding.  I really don't think this is a good idea.  Is everyone local?  Does everyone want to give up their traditions/plans to attend a rehearsal 4 days early?

loca4pook

I would stay away from NYE for a couple of reasons

1) People will be annoyed most likely as it may interfere with plans. If they have kids that can't attend, it is very difficult to get babysitters on nye as well

2) getting into a restaurant for a rehearsal dinner will be difficult and probably extra expensive

3) If you are having some kinda ceremony that requires practice with "hired" people/church, they will be less than pleased (if they even agree to it anyhow), and you risk the possibility of having them charge you double time or something since it is a holiday.


I personally would avoid it at all costs...You want your wedding party happy and relaxed for your wedding not annoyed that they were forced to practive on NYE...I would do it the day before or another day


If you want to have some type of "party" with your wedding party on NYE cuz it might be fun, invite them to that...Then those who WANT to come will, but won't feel obligated as they wouild if it was the required rehearsal. I would make it not required or expected....just leads to lots of problems

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

Plenty of people DON'T like to go out on NYE because they don't want to deal with crowds or drunk drivers.

If this is going to be a really small RD and most people are okay with it, cool. But be warned that people might also indulge a bit more than usual on your dime, since they don't have to work the next day and it's a holiday! Also, it sounds like some people are NOT okay with this. How many are we talking about? Like, 3 out of 30 or more like 1/3 of the list?

QueerFemme

I wouldn't attend, unless I was in the wedding, and even then, I'd be pissy about it.

doublenn

When would your rehearsal be? It'd be really weird to me to have them on different days. If you're also having the rehearsal on NYE, I'd check with all my vendors first. I doubt my officiant and DOC would appreciate having to attend a rehearsal on NYE.

As part of the wedding, I'd be annoyed to give up my holiday, unless I would've spent it with you anyway.

lyndausvi

I would not be happy with a NYE RD.    If  I came I would expect excellent food, unlimited free top shelf booze and transportation to get me around.

My NYE are spent  eating great food, drinking mid-level to expensive champagne.  Normally I'm in the city so we can just walk around or take taxis.

banana468

Are a lot of your WP coming from OOT or are they local?
Will you spring for a top shelf RD that runs into the wee hours of the morning or at least a RD that is an all night party?

I feel like there may be serious logistical issues.   For example - NYD is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Catholic church so they run Mass on NYE and NYD.   That could be a scheduling issue.

Beyond that, many restaurants have completely different pricing on NYE than on any other day.   It's often much more expensive and sells out for the night vs. seating all night.

Plus, if you have OOT WP, you'd be asking them to take time off from work / incur travel expenses for close to a week.   That would be too much for me if you weren't local.

Summer2011Bride

I just would find it odd to have a rehearsal 3 days before the wedding. You wouldn't normally do that, so I don't think you should do it just to hold the RD on a holiday. Like someone else said, if the wedding was the very next day, I wouldn't be crazy about it, but would go. The wedding three days later? Nope. Not cancelling my NYE plans. I would honestly re-think it. Many people have standing plans and though they might skip them for the actual wedding or even the rehearsal the night before, I doubt many would be willing to do so in this circumstance.

RamonaFlowers

I got married on New Year's Day ... it never once occurred to me to have the RD on NYE.

We did the RD on 12/30. We kept it really small, and everybody was still able to go and do whatever they had planned for NYE without being inconvenienced by the wedding. Since you're not even getting married the next day, I have no idea why you would subject your RD guests to this unless they always spend NYE with you, anyway.

sparkles776

I agree with the PPs. May be fun for you and your FI, but I would be seriously upset. If I was in your bridal party I would have to come to the rehersal, but not dinner.

lauraanne9

No one will show up.

I had a hard enough time getting people to mine because it was after the rehearsal on a Friday night.  The wedding was the next day.

On NYE when you are getting married on the 4th, no one will come.