Rehearsal Dinner opinions???

missysue83

FH and I are having a very small ceremony and reception. We were considering doing pizza at our house after the rehearsal for our immediate family/closest friends to spend time together before the wedding and to save $. Well, his parents, sister and bil were here this weekend...it was torture! I love his mom to pieces, but when his sister is around, it's all about her and her husband. She expects everything from us and is super demanding (before it was everything from fh, but now I'm included in this, I guess). I am dreading his sister here for our wedding because of how his mom acts and am second guessing having everyone at our house. I know it will stress me out and want to avoid that the night before my wedding. Any ideas of inexpensive alternatives for a rehearsal dinner/get together? TIA!!

ginadog

For the night before, we're also doing a pizza party as well.  It's not a rehearsal dinner (no bridal party), but rather a welcome dinner for our destination wedding.

I am going to rent a pavilion in at a town park in Jackson, WY; then have Mountain High Pizza Pie deliever pizzas to the park.  It's a really cool park with a climbing wall and alpine slide right at the base of the mountains.

Pizza parties are just fine!  Add a cooler of canned drinks.

I looked into a sit down restauarnt with a private room, but the pizza option was more affordable.

DramaGeek

We did pizza at our venue.  Is that an option?  A friend of mine's RD was at a local park, so there's another thought.

missysue83

I think RD at the venue is an option, and fh family will be staying there (bed and breakfast), but I was trying to avoid the long drive home after eating and drinking for everyone else. It might just have to do. I'll look into the park idea too, maybe I can find something in the middle!

Loopyseven

Yeah, there was absolutely no way I was hosting anyone at my house the weekend of the wedding. It was as if wedding threw up there.  I like the park idea, or at the venue idea. We had ours at an italian restaurant and no one got wasted, so I wouldn't worry about people needing to drive home after drinking.  They are all adults and can make their own transportation and alcohol decisions.

RaptorSLH

Our local sit-down Italian restaurants sell pizza that isn't that much more expensive than take out, and doesn't requre me to clean up afterwards.

Kate61487

We actually planned to have my brother's rehearsal dinner at the local bowling alley a few years back (ended up going a different route), but they had good, cheap pizza, and then entertainment was sort of right there.  We also frequently have family get togethers at our local pizza place in the back room; it's a little more expensive than at home b/c you're paying for drinks, but not awful.

You've definitely got some options; no need to have everyone at your place.

PinkRoseAcct

My mother belongs to the ladies auxilury at a volunteer fire house, and we're having the RD there.  Around here, fire houses often rent out the hall for parties like RD - can you check into that?

missysue83

Thanks girls! You've given me some great ideas! ;-)