Rehearsal Dinner anyone??

2010Bride2be

So, let's talk Rehearsal Dinners. Our wedding is in August, so I'm praying for awesome weather that weekend. One of the locations I'm thinking of for our rehearsal dinner is a restaurant called Bahama Breeze (www.bahamabreeze.com). I went onto their website and they do offer lunch/dinner party packages. Then I wrote out the number of people coming to our rehearsal dinner...Its like 35 people! Which calculates out to about $1500 for the rehearsal dinner alone! Is this normal?

What are you ladies doing for your rehearsal dinners?

shesheduke

I have not decided if we are doing a restaurant or just doing a bbq. we are having our wedding in September but I can tell you we wont be spending $1500 they can forget about that. They will have something to eat, a little to drink and the groom cake that I am getting for FI. They will eat like champs and drink like lushes at the wedding.

ellone400

that seems high to me we are just having someone cater. we have aout 30 for rehersal dinner total including everything is 360.00

msapril0730

I have about the same amount of ppl coming to my RD and it averaged out to about $1500. That price included a buffet dinner and house wine, beer, and soft drinks

wheatney22

We're not doing one since we're having 2 ceremonies. The first one (traditional nigerian ceremony) is on the Friday night and hosted by my parents. The other one is Saturday is being paid for by FI and I.

FI's parents are doing a morning after brunch though and they're hosting that one.

2010Bride2be

I'm going to have to think on this some more. The price doesn't even include any alcohol! And we already decided that we were'nt paying for drinks at the RD because our guests our getting a 5 hour open bar for the reception, so they can pay for their own drinks for one night. But $1500 seems a bit steep. I'm going to have to look into some more options.

hatroopes

We will probably just have something at my parent's house - more like a welcome reception since we have a lot of out-of-town guests. My mom and sisters will cook, no alcohol! We will spend nothing close to $1500!

A&M_Abyss

FI's parents are taking care of that.They mentioned doing it at an Italian restaurant so hopefully it'll turn out fine

missheaven1999

$1500?? for rehersal dinner?? Oh Noooo!! There are about 30 ppl in my party & we're going to a resturant named Cheddar's in Houston. My peeps are getting a maximum of $15 on their meal. We will provide about 5 different appitizers but the alcohol will be on them!! So the max im spending is $500, if that much!! Im only paying for the wedding party, not all their kids, friends & spouses..

2010Bride2be

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_african-american-weddings_rehearsal-dinner-anyone?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:400Discussion:ccadb3fa-b417-4218-9bf4-12be1bc12ec7Post:0d6d03c4-e4ed-4c30-a7bc-d5e37ee32c08">Re: Rehearsal Dinner anyone??</a>:
[QUOTE]$1500?? for rehersal dinner?? Oh Noooo!! There are about 30 ppl in my party & we're going to a resturant named Cheddar's in Houston. My peeps are getting a maximum of $15 on their meal. We will provide about 5 different appitizers but the alcohol will be on them!! So the max im spending is $500, if that much!!<strong> Im only paying for the wedding party, not all their kids, friends & spouses..
</strong>Posted by missheaven1999[/QUOTE]

See...I was under the impression that we had to include the spouses/SO's of the wedding party at the rehearsal dinner.

2010Bride2be

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/cultural-wedding-boards_african-american-weddings_rehearsal-dinner-anyone?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Cultural Wedding BoardsForum:400Discussion:ccadb3fa-b417-4218-9bf4-12be1bc12ec7Post:f56338bd-2df2-4949-a84d-db3313752c4b">Re: Rehearsal Dinner anyone??</a>:
[QUOTE]FI's parents are taking care of that.They mentioned doing it at an Italian restaurant so hopefully it'll turn out fine =)
Posted by A&M_Abyss[/QUOTE]

I wish we had this option. However, Fi's father is deceased and his mother certainly cannot afford to host on on her retirement income, so we're footing the bill on this one.

sharonda1981

We are on a serious budget so his mom is cooking. She has a huge basement set up like a club and always does big parties. So she is decorating it in a formal way, with centerpieces and cooking a big soul food dinner. My bridal party is 16, so it will just be us, significant others and both side parents.

wallacje

$1500 seems a little high, that's $42 a person, Yikes.  We aren't doing one, our ceremony will be 25 minutes max so no need to waste money, but if we were I think $30 is the most I would pay per person, but we are also getting married in Vegas, if we were at home $15-$20 is all I would be paying.  I was also under the impression that you would pay for the SO's not their kids though, but I'm not really sure.

sweetjess2011

Bahama Breeze is good I like it there!

Since were doing a Vegas wedding were not having a rehearsal dinner nothing to rehearse. We will be doing a big home party before hand tho. Most likey having a BBQ, drinks and sweets.

A celebration/gathering.

JloveB

no rehearsal dinner but a welcome party for all, probably do a bbq at one of my family members house that thrusday...(they don't know it yet but I will make them pick straws...it will happen...lol)

I am trying to get most guest to fly into denver and drive to apsen (which is 3 hours away ) so all the things WR except for the wedding and the reception will take place in denver.

banks69

We had our RD at DH's mom's house - she has what I call a "party" house because she has this huge living and dining room that could fit at least 30 people comfortably.  DH did the cooking so we may have spent a total of about $150 - $200 for about 30 people.  Since we only had a BM and MOH our dinner was really an introduction of the two families.

desi2002

my venue is a resturant, so after the rehersal, we are gonna eat there. its affordable, so they're paying. (im paying for enough!!)

happe2gether

We will be having a RD, FI's parents offered to cover the costs.  I will say that the $1500 you are referring to is probably their standard contract minimal obligation to get a private room.  I'd say shop around.  BB is a good restaurant but there should be another option.