The rehearsal dinner before your wedding will be fun, joyous and memorable for all involved. It takes place immediately after your wedding rehearsal, which is traditionally held the night before the wedding. Do you feel wedding butterflies yet? The dinner can be casual or formal, small or large, and is a wonderfully intimate time with your wedding party and all other ceremony participants to celebrate and prepare for your beautiful wedding day in New Jersey.

Who Hosts a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner?

Traditionally, the groom's family hosts the wedding rehearsal dinner (specifically the groom's mother). It is often held in their home or at a favorite local restaurant which can accommodate the number of people in your wedding party. By tradition, the groom's family hosts the dinner to give thanks and respect to the bride's family for their planning and preparation for the wedding.

A more modern and recent approach has been for both sides of the aisle to prepare for the New Jersey rehearsal dinner. This includes sharing the cost or splitting the planning duties. It's a great opportunity for each family to show how much they appreciate their loved one's choice and to extend love and luck to the couple.

Who's Invited to a New Jersey Rehearsal Dinner?

Who you invite depends entirely on personal choice, but generally includes those who will actually take active part in the wedding ceremony and reception. Informal invitations to the rehearsal and dinner are often sent a few days after your formal wedding invitations are mailed out. Invitees may include:

• The immediate families of the bride and groom
• Ushers
• Bridesmaids
• Best Man
• Maid of Honor
• Other Attendants
• Officiants
• Out-of-town guests
• Other close family and friends
• It is a thoughtful touch to include the spouses or significant others of those invited, as well.

Wedding Rehearsal Dress Code

There is no set dress code for a wedding rehearsal. Your range of options may include everything from super-casual to ultra-formal. A casual take on your chosen wedding theme is a popular choice, such as a beach-style luau with tiki torches or garden party featuring your wedding colors. There are no set rules as to color or theme, so many couples opt to have some fun with their rehearsal dinner fashions, choosing congeniality over formality. Remember that the wedding day will require a lot of clothing preparation for the entire party, so giving them an easy, fun dress code might be appreciated by your special, supportive guests.

A semi-formal sit-down dinner at the groom's family's favorite fine restaurant is another possibility. In this case, the bride might desire to wear her mother's wedding dress, her bridesmaids might dress in formal gowns such as past prom dresses, and the groom and his ushers wear suits and ties. The style of dress will ultimately be based upon your own unique New Jersey wedding vision. Dressing fancy and casual is the theme most commonly chosen for a rehearsal dinner. Tea-length dresses and suits are elegant and sophisticated, and will not extend each person's budget too far.

Is a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Required?

A wedding rehearsal dinner is never required, but it is in good taste, and makes for a great evening with those closest to the wedding couple. A New Jersey rehearsal dinner is a great way to say "thank you" ahead of time. Many couples are headed off to a blissful honeymoon after the reception, leaving little time for warm appreciation and gratitude!

Budgeting a Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

Intricate or simple, your wedding rehearsal dinner is mostly about spending time with your closest friends and family, and those who have helped you prepare for your wonderful New Jersey wedding. Keep this thought in mind and almost any wedding budget will accommodate a proper rehearsal dinner. Look to local venues such as fire halls, pubs, or American Legions, or even make it a potluck at home -- your loved ones won't mind one bit. In the Garden State, there are some beautiful botanical gardens and parks that would fit the occasion perfectly. Your rehearsal dinner guests will feel blessed to spend time with you in any setting, and honored that you've invited them to attend.