Rehearsal dinner before rehearsal?

espitmvp

I'm looking for some advice/feedback on the idea of having an early dinner due to the rehearsal event being a fairly late evening time. The rehearsal time can not be changed (the venue only gave this one available time period). The dinner would not be able to start until at least 8:30 or later. In trying to not keep everyone out too late before wedding day - would it seem appropriate to hold an early dinner befre the rehearsal (about 4:30 to account for plenty of time to eat and socialize). I know tradition indicates that it should be afterwards - but before seems okay...????

MrsWalters2Be

If thats the only time slot they have open... I dont see many other options, short of holding it the night before your original rehearsal night... or maybe do the rehearsal during the day, and then an early dinner?

MeridenBride

Sure you can! I don't see why not. I wouldn't want to keep my people up late either.

amwilli5

I was thinking the same thing a few months ago.  We can't have our rehearsal until 7:30 or do it 3 days before the wedding.  We opted to take 7:30 and do dinner at 5 so as to keep everyone eating at a normal time and plenty of time for everyone to get some sleep. Timing can't always be perfect. Dinner before rehearsal has been done before and it will be done again.

juliane81

I think that's OK, we're actually doing a rehearsal luncheon before the rehearsal, so people have their evening free.

sjnsjnsjn

I think that's a great idea.  You don't want too late of a dinner the night before your wedding - hangover/exhaustion/indigestion and all...

[Deleted User]

Yes, you can definitely do that. We almost did that as well bc we are in a similar situation. We can't start the church rehearsal until 6:30pm and by the time it is over, we won't be eating until 8pm. I didn't want a big heavy meal (and staying out so late before the wedding) so we opted to do finger food, appetizer type food with some carving stations w/meat so people can make sandwiches, etc. It was a compromise, I guess bc I really wanted it after, but was willing to settle with it before if it ended up being too late. Good luck

BlondeBride123

We are actually having a pre-rehearsal bbq, held the weekend before.  We are getting married on a Friday evening and our venue will do our walk through on the Wednesday evening before.  I am certain my WP would be more than willing to attend that night, but out of respect for their time, we opted to have a pool party/ bbq where everyone can spend the day relaxing and won't feel so rushed.  Sure it is a little untraditional, but our WP and their families are all for it!

ogress

We are having the rehersal dinner the night before the rehersal. Our venue is too far away from My furture mother-in-law's house , where we want our rehersal dinner, so we decided to make it a day earlier. That way we can just relax the night before, and get a good night sleep.