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July 2012 Weddings
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Help! Rehearsal dinner budget ?

rmarrourmarrou member
First Comment
in July 2012 Weddings

Please give me your advice...
My parents are paying for the entire wedding, so my F and I decided to pay for the rehearsal dinner.  His parents offered to help cover some of the cost for it.  My ? is do we pay for 25 people's alcohol?  Or do we just pay for 2 drinks per person?  Or none at all?  What is the etiquette on this? 
PS we are broke and the dinner is next week!

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Re: Help! Rehearsal dinner budget ?

  • tealeyedangeltealeyedangel
    First Comment
    Nix the Alcohol, or put it as each person can pay for their own drinks if they want it. are you doing the dinner at a resturant or are you going to have it catered in? 
    My Rehearsal dinner WAS going to be us grilling for everyone...and now we are under a burn ban so no grills are allowed either...which is stupid...so we are having to replan it....
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  • lvisserslvissers
    First Anniversary First Comment
    I would pay for whatever you can afford. Paying for 2 drinks is completely reasonable and would be appreciated by your guests I'm sure. I went to a rehearsal dinner before where they limited us to 2 drinks, and it wasn't weird. Iif you're on a budget, don't open it up to open bar. If you really can't pay for any drinks, then I wouldn't worry about that either. Most people won't be drinking a ton anyways. I'm sure your wedding is open bar the following night and no one will complain!
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  • Nati05Nati05 member
    First Comment First Anniversary
    I have no idea what the etiquette is, but I probably wouldn't pay for alcohol. It's a dinner, night before the wedding... you know, it's not completely necessary. If someone would like some, they can order. I don't know much about RDs but I wouldn't expect my alcohol to be paid for too.
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  • rmarrourmarrou member
    First Comment
    We are going to a restaurant.  I thnk I might just say dinner +1 drink...
    sorry for your issue!!!!
    n Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_help-rehearsal-dinner-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:48b5a02e-fde0-44fb-9513-b05670239774Post:c6215495-0166-4ae8-9e0b-a824da2fb4ef">Re: Help! Rehearsal dinner budget ?</a>:
    [QUOTE]Nix the Alcohol, or put it as each person can pay for their own drinks if they want it. are you doing the dinner at a resturant or are you going to have it catered in?  My Rehearsal dinner WAS going to be us grilling for everyone...and now we are under a burn ban so no grills are allowed either...which is stupid...so we are having to replan it....
    Posted by tealeyedangel[/QUOTE]
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  • mrsmoxiemrsmoxie member
    First Comment
    I have never been to a RD and expected an open bar. I'd say just nix it, especially if you guys have a strict budget. My caterer told me that people will just be plenty happy with a free meal!

    Oh my gosh...  I never thought of a burn ban! I'm sure there is one here, and we are grilling for our RD, too. But that's still in a few weeks. Surely we'd get rain by then? I don't know, Subway or Jimmy Johns are always my back up caterer, everyone loves sandwhiches!
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  • MeaganR12MeaganR12
    First Comment
    Totally depends on your circle of friends/family. We're hosting drinks at ours. But we've been to plenty of rehearsal dinners in the past few years where we had to pay for drinks and I didn't mind.
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  • rmarrourmarrou member
    First Comment
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_help-rehearsal-dinner-budget?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:48b5a02e-fde0-44fb-9513-b05670239774Post:ca654d24-5094-44be-a572-90b987f4fb05">Help! Rehearsal dinner budget ?</a>: Thanks for all your quick respsonses!  I feel better about it, thanks!
    [QUOTE]Please give me your advice... My parents are paying for the entire wedding, so my F and I decided to pay for the rehearsal dinner.  His parents offered to help cover some of the cost for it.  My ? is do we pay for 25 people's alcohol?  Or do we just pay for 2 drinks per person?  Or none at all?  What is the etiquette on this?  PS we are broke and the dinner is next week!
    Posted by rmarrou[/QUOTE]
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  • knjorgensenknjorgensen member
    First Comment
    If you can't afford open bar, then I'd say don't do it, but... keep in mind, most people are not going to get blitzed the night before the wedding anyway because they're a part of the wedding. I plan on having 1 glass of wine the night before.
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  • tealeyedangeltealeyedangel
    First Comment
    I will agree with others, if you can afford the drinks then I would put a price cap on the drinks...most people the night before won't really be drinking....Mine is a BYOB (the RD not the wedding lol) 
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  • ILoveToRobotILoveToRobot member
    First Anniversary First Comment
    I think the proper etiquette says no drink tickets. You either serve open beer/wine, open bar or nothing.

    That being said it's a rehearsal and like PP said people aren't going to be getting trashed. In my family rehearsal dinners are usually fully hosted with an open bar or beer/wine. In FI's family they are acustomed to cash bars and drink tickets. To each their own. Our rehearsal dinner will have 2 drink tickets per person and if anyone wants more they can go find the bar. If it's common in  your circle to do drink tickets then do it but if it's not then you might rethink it. BUT DO NOT host more than what you can afford. Alcohol isn't THAT important.
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  • Melissa.hyltonMelissa.hylton
    First Comment
    edited June 2012
    I would have them pay for their own booze. You should only pay for dinner. 
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  • dramaqueen91087dramaqueen91087
    First Comment
    Do what you can afford. My Uncle is paying and he gave us a strict budget. But he also insisted that beer/wine be included. Wine is very important to him so thats what we did. But I wouldn't side eye a no-alchohal event either.

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  • dawnleanna1dawnleanna1
    First Comment
    edited June 2012
    We are hosting our RD as well and we are not paying for alcohol. I know we won't be drinking a ton that night and if our guests wish to drink it will be available for them to purchase.
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  • mekiakoomekiakoo member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    I'd not worry too much about providing alcohol, really. There will be a lot provided on the wedding day on the very next day anyway!

    If you want- you could do maybe 2 bottles of wine per table or something like that?

    It also depends on how people in your area usually do things like this. I wouldn't be offended if I had to pay for my own alcohol, I'm more than happy to have a glass of water.
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