It’s the dry run for your big day: The wedding rehearsal! The wedding rehearsal is your opportunity to work out all of the little kinks and make sure those who are involved with your big day know their role so everything will run smoothly.
As a thank you for the time of your closest friends and family — and as a way to officially kick off the wedding celebration — you need to host a rehearsal dinner. That means in addition to sending out wedding invitations, some people also need a rehearsal dinner invitation.
But what in the world do you put on rehearsal dinner invitations? Luckily, you can keep things pretty simple for invites to rehearsal dinners. The most important part is that you include all the necessary information for your guests.
We’ve come up with some great options that you can use on your invites to ensure the wording is just right.
In This Article
Narrow Down Your Rehearsal Dinner Guest List
You don’t want your rehearsal dinner mimicking the size of your reception dinner, so be sure to only send invites to these people:
- Immediate family members.
- Close-extended family (but don’t get carried away).
- Out-of-town guests (If you’re doing a destination wedding, don’t worry about this since everyone is technically from out of town).
- The wedding party plus their dates.
- Anyone participating in the ceremony, like a pastor or even a musician.
Required Information For Your Rehearsal Dinner Invitation
Your rehearsal dinner invitations can be as cute, funny or elegant as you desire, but if it’s missing the basics, they’re not going to be effective. Here’s what you need:
- The Happy Couple’s Name: This seems obvious, but don’t forget to mention who this rehearsal dinner is for.
- Name(s) of Guests Invited: Are you inviting just one person to the rehearsal dinner? Or can they bring plus ones? Be specific.
- Date & Time: The date is the easy one to include. Typically the rehearsal dinner is held one day prior to the wedding ceremony and reception. Include what time people should arrive for the rehearsal — not the dinner! So, if your cousin is a bridesmaid, let her know she needs to be at the wedding venue at 3 p.m. first and that dinner will follow afterward. Any guests who are flying in should know what time dinner or happy hour begins.
- Location: Are you celebrating at a restaurant or the venue where the reception is being held? Maybe it’s at someone’s house for a BBQ. Get a detailed address and make sure to include parking options if the location is in a bigger metropolitan city where parking can be tough to come by.
- Menu: While not necessary, it’s nice to include what’s available to eat. This could be as easy as including a link or QR code to a restaurant’s menu.
- RSVP: You probably know if your maid of honor is going to be at the rehearsal dinner, but what about other guests from out of town? Make sure to include a way for that guest to RSVP. The easiest way is to include a contact phone number or email address for that person to send their RSVP to via text or email.
- Name of Hosts: Who’s organizing this rehearsal dinner? Include their contact information so that the bride and groom aren’t bothered by little questions from guests as they plan their wedding. Typically this is the groom’s parents.
- Other: There are a few more things to consider adding to your rehearsal dinner invitation, including the dress code or style you prefer and the theme of the party,
Tips for Your Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Before we get into some sample rehearsal dinner invitation wording, here are some tips to keep those RSVP cards short and to the point, but also engaging:
- The Basics. Reference what’s above. Your rehearsal dinner invitations are worthless without the basics.
- Don’t be afraid to be casual. Even if you’re having a more formal wedding, you can relax a bit with the wording and theme of your rehearsal dinner.
- An electronic dinner invitation is ok, too. And it might make life easier when it comes to receiving an RSVP back.
- Give your guests enough notice. Your guests should receive their rehearsal dinner invitation at least six weeks in advance. Shoot for three months in advance if you can.
5 Examples of Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Not sure what to say in your rehearsal dinner invitation? Here are some ideas that can hopefully cure your writer’s block. Of course, each idea should be tailored to you and your future spouse, in addition to the rehearsal dinner location. Also make sure your invitations are designed in a way to accommodate a few sentences of text.
The Formal Rehearsal Dinner Invitation
Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield request your attendance for an exquisite rehearsal dinner honoring their son and his lovely bride at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 4, at Italiano Restaurant, 555 State St., Bushwick, New Hampshire. Please bring a guest if you desire. Please send your RSVP, including the name of your guest, via text message to the hosts, [name] to 555-555-5555 or via email [address].
Casual Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
After we do a run-through or two of [the couple’s] wedding on Friday, June 4, join us at Beers Brewery, [address] for good food, beer and conversation beginning at 5 p.m. Text (phone number) or email (address) us if you can make it. Also let us know if you’re bringing a guest to this rehearsal dinner. Cheers!
Creative Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Before we say ‘I do,’ we want to see you! Beginning at 5 p.m., you’re invited to our rehearsal dinner on Friday, June 4, at [restaurant], [address]. Text [number] or email [address] [name of hosts] your RSVP and if you plan to bring a guest with you. And yes… we really can’t wait to see you!
Short-And-To-The-Point Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
You’re invited to our wedding rehearsal dinner! The details:
- Couple’s name:
- Date:
- Time:
- Location:
- Name of Hosts:
- RSVP via text to [phone number] or email [address]
Romantic Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
The soon-to-be-wedded Mr. and Mrs. [Last Name] cordially invites you to a celebration of their love at 5 p.m. Friday, June 4, at [restaurant], [address], following the wedding rehearsal. Please send an RSVP for the wedding rehearsal dinner to the host of this celebration, [name], via text message [number] or e-mail [address].
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording Doesn’t Have to be Hard
As you can see, the best rehearsal dinner invitation wording is short and to the point. Rehearsal dinners are never as big as the reception, so we recommend not putting too much pressure on yourself to pen perfect rehearsal dinner invitations. Honestly, we would stress a little bit more about the overall guest list instead to ensure not too many people end up with invitations to the wedding rehearsal dinner.
If you’re still stuck, jot down some simple rehearsal dinner invitation wording and see how it looks on the design of your card. Once you see the rehearsal dinner wording on the invitation, it will make it both easier to edit as well as more creative or elegant.
Frequently Asked Questions About Your Invitations
Do you still have some rehearsal dinner questions? We love to help future brides with invitation etiquette!
Do I need separate wedding rehearsal invitations?
If someone is invited to both the rehearsal dinner and (obviously) the wedding reception, they should receive a separate wedding invitation and rehearsal dinner invite.
Do I invite my friends to the rehearsal dinner?
While we love our friends, not everyone can make the cut. Keep your guest list to a minimum.
Does the style and tone of my wedding invitation have to match the rehearsal dinner invites?
Not at all! This is your love story and you can tell it however you want! Planning this type of event is hard enough, so don’t worry about little things like tone and style.
