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You and your partner can design rehearsal dinner invitations that are full of personality and consistent with your printed wedding invitation and Save the Date. With our templates for rehearsal dinner invitations, you can easily create a cohesive look and feel while giving your invite its own unique flair! You can include it as an insert with your printed wedding invitation or send it as a standalone piece.
For many wedding couples, there is a seemingly endless list of to-dos. From picking your venue to deciding where to celebrate your honeymoon, you have a lot of events coming up—and plenty of choices to make. One thing that may not be on your radar quite yet is your rehearsal dinner invitation. These are typically sent to your nearest and dearest, and there is a lot that goes into writing and designing them.
In this guide, we will walk you through the initial stages of the planning process and how rehearsal dinner invitations factor into this fun (and yes, sometimes hectic) journey. Learn more about the appropriate wording for a rehearsal dinner invitation, examples of these templates and much more.
While planning your rehearsal dinner, it is understandable that you might have a lot of questions. To get you started on tackling this portion of your wedding planning, we are sharing our answers to frequently asked questions. From the proper etiquette to managing your guest list effectively, these are our pieces of advice for every aspect of your rehearsal dinner.
What is the rehearsal dinner?
In most cases, you will have a walk-through at your wedding venue the day before your special day—usually in the early or late afternoon. This is called the rehearsal. You will go through every step of your ceremony and have a chance to ask your planner, officiant and wedding party about anything prior to the real thing. To cap off the rehearsing experience, it is common to end this with a celebratory dinner. During this meal, some people might speak, including the hosts (traditionally, the groom’s parents), the wedding couple and any loved ones who want to offer a toast.
When is the rehearsal dinner held?
It is most common to host a rehearsal and the dinner that follows the day before your wedding. But if you want to practice everything earlier or plan to party as much as possible, you can host it a few days prior. Consider travel plans and your overall itinerary as you consider the best date. Additionally, a mid-week dinner reservation could cost less than a Friday or Saturday night booking.
What is the difference between a rehearsal dinner and a welcome party?
Rehearsal dinner invitations typically go out to your closest family members and wedding party, but a welcome party generally invites everyone attending your special day. In some cases, wedding couples opt to host a rehearsal dinner and then plan for a welcome party with all of their guests later that evening. You will need to find the right venue that could accommodate differently sized parties, or locate a place to meet up with everyone else that same night.
One other solution is to host a welcome party two days prior to your wedding, and then have a more intimate gathering for your rehearsal dinner the night before. Of course, if you do not want to limit the guest list and have the budget for it, you can send out rehearsal dinner invitations to everyone. In this case, the wording for a rehearsal dinner invitation could be something like, “Welcome dinner” or “Dinner & Drinks.” As an alternative, you could also pick a rehearsal dinner venue that is close to a local bar and tell the rest of your guests to meet you there later on in the evening.
Who pays for the rehearsal dinner?
The post-rehearsal celebration is traditionally hosted and paid for by the groom’s parents. That being said, any loved one can offer to host it, or you and your partner can organize and pay for it yourselves. In this day and age, you can truly do whatever you want and feel most comfortable with. Either way, you need rehearsal dinner invitations to get the word out, and you are more than welcome to weigh in on the design process. For even more insights, we will provide additional information about rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette later on.
What are rehearsal dinner invitations?
Printed or online rehearsal dinner invitations are notifications sent out to your family and friends about your rehearsal dinner. These include where and when the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner are happening, and any additional details your guests should know.
Which guests will receive rehearsal dinner invitations?
Your rehearsal dinner has a smaller guest list, and those who receive rehearsal dinner invites include your:
Parents and future parents-in-law
Sibling(s) and future sibling(s)-in-law
Wedding party, or bridesmaids and groomsmen, and their plus-ones
Officiant and his or her plus-one
This is a traditional list of who will receive your rehearsal dinner invites, but you can expand or limit the list. Your wedding is all about you, and you and your partner should feel happy and comfortable with any guest list. Whether you go big or small for this event, your rehearsal dinner invitations will be well-received by all of your guests if it has personalization and helpful details.
How many rehearsal dinner invitations do you need to send?
This may seem straightforward, but many couples planning their wedding forget that you only need enough invitations per household. Just like your Save the Dates and formal invitations, you only need to send your rehearsal dinner invites to every household. For example, if your bridesmaid and her husband are invited to your rehearsal dinner, make sure to send one to their shared home and address both of them on the envelope—or in the email, if it is a digital invite. The only exception is if you have an adult sibling who is living at your parents’ house, for instance. In this case, your sibling should receive one invitation and your parents should get a separate one.
How do you know when to send rehearsal dinner invitations?
For a reference on rehearsal dinner invitations and when to send, you should do so about four weeks prior to the event. If you are planning a destination wedding, you will want to get this information out even sooner. And since rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette advises that all destination wedding guests should be included in this event, you should include this in your Save the Date. For example, write, “Save the Weekend” or “Save the Dates” to convey that guests should plan to spend several days celebrating. For rehearsal dinner invitations when to send is crucial because you need to give yourself and the host enough time to manage RSVPs and plan for the finalized guest count. In most cases, your closest family and friends will likely plan for this, but some might have difficult schedules that prevent them from making it in time for the rehearsal.
With these answers in your back pocket, we hope you feel more prepared to craft your very own rehearsal dinner invitations.
As you prepare to design your own rehearsal dinner invitations, you need to consider the etiquette behind the event itself. We have already gone over the rehearsal dinner invitations etiquette and how the groom’s family is known to pay for this event and all aspects related to it.
We also reviewed the basics of “who” should receive rehearsal dinner invitations, but there are some exceptions to the rule of bringing your nearest and dearest to the rehearsal. The rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette for destination weddings, for example, is that you should welcome every invited guest to the rehearsal or welcome party event. Since your guests are traveling a long way to celebrate you, this is a kind way to welcome and thank them for attending your celebration.
And unlike your wedding stationery, the rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette is a bit more relaxed. You can host anything from an elegant soiree to a casual backyard barbecue, and the rehearsal dinner invitations etiquette reminds hosts to reflect that vibe in the stationery. Have fun with it and get the immediate family and close friends excited about celebrating the wedding couple in a more intimate setting prior to the main event.
Whether you are following every guideline related to rehearsal dinner invitation etiquette or not, keeping these general rules in mind will hopefully help you plan this event. It is a primer for your wedding festivities and an awesome opportunity for your closest people to spend more time together.
Now that you have a better understanding of rehearsal dinner invitations etiquette, it is important to discuss the exact wording that should be used. To get started, let us reflect on one key aspect of rehearsal dinner invitation wording: who is hosting, exactly? If you are going the most traditional route and the groom’s family is footing the bill, consider working with the hosts on your rehearsal dinner invites. This is historically intended to give the mother of the groom an opportunity to contribute to the planning process, so this is another way to bring families together.
If the groom’s parents are hosting, then the rehearsal dinner invitation wording should start with: “Mr. and Mrs. John Smith invite you…” or “The Smith family invites you…” Even if the groom’s parents do not pay for this event, you can find alternatives. For instance, if both families are contributing, you could write “Together with their families, John and Jane invite you…” The beginning stage of determining the wording for a rehearsal dinner invitation is the host. From there, you can really get creative with your rehearsal dinner invite design.
You can simply make “Rehearsal Dinner” the main header, or you can think outside of the box. Some options for alternative wording for a rehearsal dinner invitation include:
“Before they say ‘I do’”
“Eat, drink, rehearse!”
“The night before”
“Kick it off”
“Please join us for dinner”
“Before ‘I do,’ a dinner with the wedding crew”
“Happily ever after starts soon”
If you host a welcome party in lieu of a more intimate gathering, you can use similar rehearsal dinner invitation wording. Have fun with it and prepare to get your guests ready for your epic wedding weekend.
In addition to referencing the hosts and coming up with a cute tagline (or just “Rehearsal Dinner”), you need to feature the essential details on your rehearsal dinner invitations. This part of the rehearsal dinner invitation wording includes the venue, time and date. Plus, you should end it with a note about when and how to RSVP. In most cases that will include the host’s name and a phone number or email address. As an alternative, you can also set up a RSVP wedding website, which can efficiently collect that information for you.
To give you an idea of what to expect from rehearsal dinner invitation templates, the Bliss & Bone lineup is full of examples to inspire your customization process. Here are few of the themes and suggestions for rehearsal dinner invites:
Classic rehearsal dinner invitations template: You can never go wrong with a classic design. The Aaron template is straightforward-yet-perfect, with a unique font for the “Rehearsal Dinner” text and a simple, all-caps serif font for the details. This classic rehearsal dinner invite is just one of many available online.
Beach rehearsal dinner invitations template: If you are hosting a tropical wedding, a beach-inspired fete would work well for your rehearsal dinner invitations. The Brando rehearsal dinner invitation features a subtle tropical print of oversize leaves and shadows.
Rustic rehearsal dinner invitations template: For a cozy and romantic style, look for rehearsal dinner invitation templates that feature muted tones of oranges, pinks, reds and purples. The Raitha rehearsal dinner invitations design has a gorgeous floral background with a deep raspberry color.
Garden rehearsal dinner invitations template: When in doubt, go with a floral design. There is a wide-ranging list of opportunities at Bliss & Bone, and one idea is the Tess rehearsal dinner invitation. With a tasteful yellow floral accent, these are super chic rehearsal dinner invitations that lean on bold greenery and florals.
Boho rehearsal dinner invitations template: A bohemian wedding theme is a perennial favorite among wedding couples, and many gravitate toward boho rehearsal dinner invitation templates like the Farrah option. These online rehearsal dinner invites come with a deckle edge for a vintage-romantic vibe, and the carefully placed shadows add a touch of whimsy too.
Forest rehearsal dinner invitations template: Getting married in the woods? Match the aesthetic with inspired rehearsal dinner invitations, like the Annabeth style. With pine cones and deeper tones, there is a moody feel to it that works perfectly with a winter or mountain wedding in the woods.
Modern-minimalist rehearsal dinner invitations: Keep it simple with a text-only, super chic design. The Brie printed rehearsal dinner invitations feature grays and browns with a white font that mixes all-caps and italics.
Black and white rehearsal dinner invitations: Another modern style that is a perennial favorite is black and white, and the Bradford rehearsal dinner invitations are the perfect example. The classic black paper with a crisp and bold white font will do the trick, and it should coordinate with almost any stationery suite collection.
Colorful rehearsal dinner invitations: Want to emphasize pops of color in your rehearsal dinner invitations? If so, we highly recommend the Cameron design. The original template for these rehearsal dinner invitations includes a lime green paper with white lettering. You will also notice that this one includes a unique wedding logo, which we will explain further later on in this guide.
These are just a handful of the many rehearsal dinner invitations you can choose from. At Bliss & Bone, we create custom designs for all of your stationery needs, in the hopes of helping you manage every invitation, website and more for your wedding.
We love any opportunity to customize and personalize, and that includes coming up with the best ideas for rehearsal dinner invitations. These are fairly simple pieces of stationery—but they don’t necessarily have to be. Talk it through with your partner and see if any of these suggestions feel right for your rehearsal dinner invitations.
Feature a quote or lyric. Set your rehearsal dinner invitations apart by bringing in a meaningful, romantic quote or lyric to set the tone. There are so many out there to choose from, but this will add a sweet touch to your rehearsal dinner invitations.
Add in a photo. Photo rehearsal wedding invitations are the most simple way to personalize your stationery suite. You can include a photo from your engagement shoot, or any image that you absolutely love. Another idea is to include a photo from your event’s venue for your rehearsal dinner invites. This can provide context for your guests and show them more about what to expect during your wedding festivities.
Consider an alternative medium. While paper invites are the most traditional, online rehearsal dinner invitations are a more unique, cost-effective option for couples. You could even create a rehearsal dinner invite using a short film or clip of the two of you. This is one of the parts of your wedding that is all about you and your own preferences and style.
We could go on and on about how to make your rehearsal dinner invitations totally your own. The most important thing to remember is to be authentic and provide guests with a window into your incredibly special relationship.
While there are a variety of rehearsal dinner invitation ideas out there, the two primary offerings are printed and online. At Bliss & Bone, we have created both types of rehearsal dinner invitation templates, so you can personalize a cohesive stationery suite. Below, we will break down the key differences between choosing printed or online rehearsal dinner invitations.
Overall experience: Do you want guests to check their mail and have your rehearsal dinner invite in their mailbox? Or would you prefer to immediately send your rehearsal dinner invitations via email? While paper rehearsal dinner invites are more traditional, digital versions are becoming more and more popular and accepted by etiquette experts. Even EmilyPost.com tells wedding couples that “handwritten, phoned or emailed” options would follow rehearsal dinner invitations etiquette. Just make sure to include an address with clear directions on your welcome party or rehearsal dinner invite!
Cost: Of course, printed and online rehearsal dinner invitations are vastly different when it comes to pricing. The average cost of wedding stationery is $530, according to a recent study by The Knot, but we would argue that is on the lower end for printed invitations. Meanwhile, a digital rehearsal wedding invite should cost less than one dollar per invite. We will go into more detail about this subject later on in this guide.
RSVPs: How you receive your rehearsal dinner invitations also factors into the paper versus digital decision. You can send out paper rehearsal dinner invites and include an RSVP card, or you could provide a link, which guests can visit to submit their responses. Another option is to email your guests online rehearsal dinner invites with a link to RSVP directly.
Eco-friendly concerns: For many couples, it is important to reduce their carbon footprint. If you want to reduce the amount of paper used, online rehearsal dinner invites might be your best bet. But if you want the best of both worlds, you could create a paper rehearsal dinner invite with a note about digitally submitting RSVPs.
Whichever route you go for your rehearsal dinner invitations, Bliss & Bone is here to support your efforts. Our curated designs are perfect for practically any type of event, and there are digital and printed rehearsal dinner invitation ideas to inspire your upcoming celebration stationery.
It is easy to understand that online rehearsal dinner invites will cost less than printed ones. Based on a 2021 study by The Knot, couples spent an average of $2,300 for the rehearsal dinner, in total. And for destination weddings, the overall cost was closer to $3,700.
For rehearsal dinner invitations, in particular, let’s look at the cost of wedding invites. For digitally printed invites, it should cost about $700 to $1,200 for a set of 100. This is the minimum you should expect, as extras like embossing, engraving or other more premium printing options could hike up prices. And as we mentioned, keeping your rehearsal dinner invitations digital will significantly decrease your costs—to about $1 per invite.
For more information about Bliss & Bone’s online rehearsal dinner invites, our offerings start at $0.90 each for 10 or more. And for printed rehearsal dinner invitations, you can expect to pay $257.50 for 25 one-ply cards. One benefit of our rehearsal dinner invitations builder is that you can see pricing in real time, allowing you to quickly and easily understand how much you can expect to pay at the end of your design process.
If you find the templates for your rehearsal dinner invite that you really love, you need to customize it to your liking. The setup for online and print rehearsal dinner invitations is slightly different, but here is how it should work:
Building Printed Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Choose the best rehearsal dinner invitation design and click on it.
Follow the guided process and review the real-time pricing. In the Bliss & Bone builder, for example, you can change up colors, fonts and add imagery.
Add to your invitation suite and select the type of envelope and inserts you might need. If you want a physical RSVP card, for example, make sure to request that. If you want addresses printed on your rehearsal dinner invitations, you will need to add in each guest or household’s details.
Pay for your rehearsal dinner invitations and wait for the designer to send back a proof. With our orders, you can expect to hear back within three business days.
Review and approve the proof for your rehearsal dinner invitation. Your purchase may come with several rounds of free proofs, and you can pay extra for more. Work with your designer to ensure that you create the best possible rehearsal dinner invitations for your celebration.
Receive your finalized rehearsal dinner invites in the mail, typically 12 to 15 business days later.
Send out your rehearsal dinner invites and get excited for those RSVPs to start rolling in!
Building Digital Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Select your favorite digital rehearsal dinner invitation design and click on it.
Follow the steps in the online builder and add in the text, colors and more. For couples creating their rehearsal dinner invitations through Bliss & Bone, you can even add in three-dimensional objects, shadows and more here.
Upload the final guest list and include their email addresses. This may involve some outreach, but you will likely have this information from when you sent out Save the Dates.
Pay for your rehearsal dinner invites and send them to your loved ones. Within seconds, your guests will have those adorable rehearsal dinner invites in their inboxes.
Start tracking responses for your rehearsal dinner invites online and plan out the rest of the event based on that final guest count.
As you already know, there are so many items on your list in the leadup to your wedding celebration. As you go through this list of to-dos for before and after your rehearsal wedding invitation designing, make sure everything is in order.
Talk about your budget with your partner and other stakeholders. Meet with your significant other and any loved ones who have offered to pay for your wedding, and discuss how much you plan to spend on every vendor. For stationery, you want to keep a note of all of the items you will need, including your wow-worthy rehearsal dinner invitations.
Hire a professional wedding planner. This is a highly recommended step, especially for busy couples overwhelmed by the planning process. An experienced pro can guide you through it all, and keep everything (and everyone!) in check. Your planner can also share advice and the best vendors for all things, including your rehearsal dinner invites.
Book your venue and set your date. There are so many places to get married, from your parents’ backyard to a luxury resort. Wherever you decide, make sure you are happy with the area and dates that are available. If possible, walk through these venues before deciding on “the one.” From there, ensure that they have your dream date available and seal the deal by submitting your deposit. You can also inquire about hosting your rehearsal dinner there, which could potentially help cut costs.
Design your wedding website. You can customize your own wedding website, which will serve as your information hub. Add photos, details about the dress code or plus-ones, the wedding party lineup—whatever you want! This is a great place for up-to-date information that your guests can easily access. Plus, you can include a link to your registry here too.
Send out your Save the Dates. When you have finalized the “where and when,” it is time to let your guests know. With your wedding website complete, you can share the most important heads up and include a link for even more details. Consider your overall wedding theme and other design ideas when you select the best Save the Date and wedding website templates. These should be sent six to 12 months before your wedding day, and maybe even earlier if it is a destination wedding.
Explore potential rehearsal dinner venues and make a reservation. If you cannot host your rehearsal dinner at your wedding venue, or simply want to celebrate at a nearby spot, explore other places in the area. From restaurants to gardens, there are so many different rehearsal dinner spots to choose from. Because there will likely be more people invited than a typical dinner reservation, you will want to work with the venue’s coordinator to hash out all of the details.
Personalize and send formal wedding invitations. About six to eight weeks prior to your main event, you should send guests your formal wedding invites. These should include details about your upcoming celebration and include information about how to RSVP. You should also let guests know that they should reply with a “yes” or “no” about two to three weeks prior to the wedding. This way, you can finalize the guest list and start mapping out your seating chart.
Customize your own rehearsal wedding invitations. Your rehearsal wedding invitations will not be included in your formal invite, but they should be sent about a month before. The invited guests will probably know this is happening, but a formal rehearsal dinner invitation is great to make it official. Your rehearsal dinner invitation design can match the rest of your stationery suite, or you can go in a totally different direction with it. Consider the venue and vibe and then start personalizing your own one-of-a-kind rehearsal dinner invitations.
We have outlined everything you need to do with regard to your rehearsal dinner invitations and the other key items that make up the rest of your stationery suite. In addition to these, you want to decide on decor, what you and your partner are wearing, what your attire requirements are for your wedding party and guests and other vendors. Once you decide on your venue, you can seek out DJs or bands, catering companies, officiants and more in the nearby area. From there, you and your planner can organize the best timeline for your wedding.
While you can be as creative as possible with your rehearsal dinner invitations, an easy way to do it is by selecting an option within a set collection. Bliss & Bone has a variety of custom collections that include templates for wedding websites, Save the Dates, formal invitations, rehearsal dinner invitations, wedding menus and more.
By shopping an entire collection, you can guarantee cohesion and balance among all of the items in your stationery suite. The most detail-oriented, efficient couples will choose a suite that creates a throughline for all wedding-related items and events. There are a wide range of collection options, and we have highlighted a few of our favorites from Bliss & Bone:
Aspen: This mountain wedding-themed suite has everything you need for your woodsy celebration—with a modern twist. Combining a marbling pattern in the website template and rehearsal dinner invitation (among others within this collection), the Aspen also features modern elements like dimensional leaves and rocks.
Cameron: If you love a pop of color, the orange and pink Cameron lineup is all you really need. The bright palette is consistent through it all, from the Save the Date to rehearsal dinner invite. We could see this going well for any event in a warm climate, like Hawaii or Southern California.
Farrah: Ideal for the modern boho wedding of your dreams, the Farrah Suite includes tasteful touches like a blanket and a muted color palette. We also love how the Save the Date and digital rehearsal dinner invitations have a deckle edge.
Imogen: For a tropical, beachside wedding, there are few options that are better than the Imogen invitation suite. With oversized leaves and a green and sand-colored palette, this will transport your guests to the island where you are saying, “I do.” Keep in mind that this suite only accommodates digital rehearsal wedding invites.
Samantha: A garden-inspired fête would be incomplete without the Samantha templates. Delicate florals and greenery are consistent through the set, from the yellow and green palette in the wedding invitation to the coordinating rehearsal dinner invites. Similar to the Imogen design, the Samantha rehearsal dinner invite is only available in a digital format.
Vince: We love any opportunity to include an adorable photo of you and your partner, and the Vince design does just that. Both the photo Save the Date and rehearsal dinner invite template include a space where you can add a photo. It should be noted that this particular collection only comes with templates for a Save the Date, formal invitation and rehearsal dinner invite.
Willow: Love the idea of a tropical vibe, but don’t want to feature bright colors? The Willow design has thoughtfully placed palm frond shadows that reflect your general theme with a gray and white color palette. Note that these collection items are only available for online templates.
You can explore these collections, and several others, as you confirm your desired designs and aesthetic. From modern-minimalist to classic templates, Bliss & Bone makes it easier than ever to create a custom set that is totally authentic to you, your partner and your relationship. Once you have narrowed it down, you can find the best Save the Dates, rehearsal dinner invitations, wedding menus and more that fit your personal style.
In addition to stationery items like rehearsal wedding invitations, you can also customize logos and monograms to feature on every piece. These may include your and your partner’s first names, your new shared last name, your wedding date and even a graphic. You can work with a Bliss & Bone designer to create the perfect personalized addition, and then make sure to add it on everything—including your rehearsal wedding invites!
Now that you have learned more about rehearsal dinner invitations, and other aspects of your wedding, you should feel empowered to make your own. You can explore templates for rehearsal dinner invites, plus Save the Dates and other stationery, at Bliss & Bone. We are here to help you craft the best possible rehearsal dinner invites and other necessary stationery items, and we are only an email away. To learn more, visit us online or drop us a line at hello@blissandbone.com. We cannot wait to provide you with all the tools to make the best rehearsal dinner invites possible.