rehearsal dinner

bakersduzin

Happy Thursday ladies! I just booked my rehearsal dinner venue, and that got me wondering - who are you all inviting to your rehearsal dinner? Just bridal party/parents/readers? Other family? Significant others of the bridal party? I've only been to one rehearsal dinner, and it was just the bride & groom, both sets of parents, the bridal party (no dates though), and the readers. I'm not really sure if that's the norm or not.

cgyvhu

We're inviting parents, my grandparents, bridal party, readers, the minister, and any of those people's significant others.

Etiquette standards say significant others of the bridal party have to be invited, fyi.  Just like inviting someone to a wedding without their H/FI/BF is rude, it's the same with a rehearsal.  That said, I know not everyone does it.

gurrlballa10

I wish I could say ours is going to be just WP/SO, officiant, and parents, but since we aren't paying for it, we didn't really get a say.  So, it looks like it's going to be everyone I listed, PLUS all OOT guests, which will equal right around 70 people.  It's absurd, I know, but not a hill I am willing to die on. 

em01092

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_april-2012-weddings_rehearsal-dinner?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:05427f07-4ba2-44d6-9271-99a7af1ee5c0Discussion:f5a45829-b7cf-450e-9fcd-1516a419389bPost:f0b6a796-df5c-43a1-9580-ce2800497239">Re: rehearsal dinner</a>:
[QUOTE]I don't understand why I have to invite those not in the wedding party to the rehearsal dinner??? I wasn't planning on it but now I may have to change that
Posted by inhisname2010[/QUOTE]

<div>Etiquette says only close family and their SOs (parents, siblings, grandparents, perhaps aunts and uncles if you are close...), WP members (also include ushers, soloists, readers, candle lighters, anyone <em>participating</em> in the wedding) and their SOs, and the officiant are the only ones who MUST be invited. </div><div>
</div><div>Some say, why invite the SOs of these people? It's rude to split up couples, as they are a social unit. I would say if you are doing a<strong> very</strong> casual RD, like just snacks or cake and punch or something in the same room as the rehearsal, then you could get away with not inviting them, but still. </div><div>
</div><div>OOT family/guests do not have to be invited, but it is a nice gesture. So it boils down to who is paying for the wedding and/or RD and what they want to do. </div>