Ask The Celebration Advisor: I'm planning the rehearsal dinner with my fiancee and we are not sure who should be invited. We need to give the caterer and banquet hall a head count but can't because we don't know who to invite. Who do we invite?
The Celebration Advisor: Unfortunately for your caterer, there is no magic number of guests at the rehearsal dinner. Fortunately, there are a few hard and fast wedding etiquette rules that will help you narrow that number down for your vendors. First, your wedding party and their dates/families are definitely invited to the rehearsal dinner. This includes the bridesmaids, groomsmen, maid of honor, best man and their respective dates. Unless otherwise specified, families are usually accepted. Most of the time this is an adult-only gathering but that preference is completely yours.
Out of town guests are often invited to the rehearsal dinner also. This gives them a chance to visit with the bride and groom before the ceremony. Since there is no time after the wedding and little time on the day of, this is a great chance to keep out of town guests from feeling slighted.
Aside from the wedding party and guests, most couples want their parents and grandparents there. Immediate family is a definite if they are available to attend.
Rehearsal dinners can be anywhere from 5-50 people. Just keep in mind that, according to traditional wedding etiquette, the people invited to the wedding rehearsal will always include:
- Parents, grandparents and other immediate family
- Out of town guests (if applicable)
- The wedding party (bridesmaids, groomsmen, etc,)
Have a great time and don't forget to come back to Wedding And Party Network to share your engagement party photos with us!
