rehearsal dinner?!

[MrsMcs]

since I'm having a DW, i was wondering if it's necessary to have a rehearsal dinner at all? i mean since we're getting married on the beach rather than in a church what exactly is there to rehearse?! is anybody skipping this tradition or do you think I should have one?? also, I'm thinking of not giving out programs on my wedding day....are they needed for a destination wedding?! I feel like I wouldn't know what details to put on there until after meeting with a wedding coordinator once we get to the resort

[Yari]

Generally a DW has no rules, so you can make your own traditions.

 

I am personally going to have a rehearsal dinner and programs. There are a lot of girls on the forum who are not. Don't feel pressured to have a RD or do programs...do what you and your FI want.

[starchild]

We didn't have a rehearsal dinner for the wedding party because we didn't have a rehearsal (we had a welcome dinner for all guests but that is not at all necessry). We did programs because I wanted fans for the heat & it wasn't much more $$ to combine the two.

 

I agree with Yari, totally make it your own and only do what you really want to do. Anything goes

[Hartyt509]

I'm not having one, tradition goes out of the window when you are doing a DW anyway. I'm not sure its a tradition when I live anyway you lot have a lot of different ones to us lol

[Copita]

We're having a rehearsal but not a formal rehearsal dinner. We may have lunch afterward, since it's an an all-inclusive resort. But nothing formal.

I'm also not doing programs. People will just throw them away.

[Maura]

we are doing a short rehearsal (because we have a few americans in the wedding party who arent familiar with mexican wedding customs), but no rehearsal dinner. we are doing programs only because we want all the guests unfamiliar with our traditions to be able to follow along.

[Karen]

If you don't do a rehearsal dinner, the wedding police will get ya! lol. Just kidding. Definiately do what you want and what is a good fit for you, your FI, and your budget. I love the idea of everyone meeting up for welcome drinks in lieu of a rehearsal dinner. Everyone gets to meet and mingle. If you are at an AI, just pick a bar to meet up at and there you go! No extra costs. There is usually at least one bar at the resort which isn't as busy as the other ones. Meet at that one for a more privacy.

[kellywinter1]

I agree with every one else, you should do what you want! I don't think I will be doing a rehersal dinner, I would rather do a welcome dinner. We may do a fun excursion with our bridal party (that is if we even have one). I also will not be doing a program. I like you would have no idea what to include in it until after I met with the WC. Plus I don't plan on having a long or detailed ceremony. But I say go for whatever you a most comfortable with!

[Sandra E.]

We didn't have an official rehearsal. We handed out a layout for the wedding party on how they were walking down the aisle and standing. Afterwards we had a rehearsal dinner with all of the guests. We loved spending time with everyone, it was great!

[MoonPalacePookie]

We're having a rehearsal cocktail party, just drinks and desserts by the pool. It will be more of a mix of a welcome and a rehearsal dinner (minus the dinner and the rehearsal). We're not doing programs, just little tags on our palm fans that say welcome to our wedding on one side and thank you for attending on the back. I love the idea of mixing traditions and my personal ideas, that's the great thing about a DW.