Rehearsal Dinner Ideas
Chances are that you have planned
a formal or informal, but probably not casual, wedding. After
all the hard work, stress, fuss, craziness, sniping, snarling,
hair-pulling, threats, tears, screaming and general chaos, it’s
a really good idea to have a NO STRESS ALLOWED rehearsal. Meaning…do
what you’re supposed to do to make sure that everyone knows
their parts and then go do something FUN! This does not include
bar hopping--think you feel sick now? Try your wedding day with
a hangover. If you’re going to drink…please!…keep
it in moderation.
No, what I mean by FUN is do
something other than a formal sit-down dinner. The following depicts
great ways for everyone to let their hair down and de-stress before
the big event:
1) Repeat
-- DON’T do the formal sit-down dinner (unless you really
want to). You’re gonna stress. Plan a big cookout (weather
permitting) at a local park or a relative’s backyard. Have
it potluck style and just kick back and RELAX. Play some yard
games or board games. Play games that require physical activity
and concentration or board games that require concentration (like
Trivial Pursuit). Both will help you sleep if you are both mentally
and/or physically tired. Just go easy on the alcohol…if
you want to know why, go back and read the first paragraph again.
2) Go
bowling. You’d be amazed how much fun you
can have and what a great stress reliever this is. Knocking the
heck out of a bunch of pins may be just what you need after all
that planning. If you’ve just had a manicure, you may want
to re-think this unless your nail technician has already been
put on alert status.
3) Go
miniature golfing. Same principle…whacking
the heck out of a ball will make you feel better. Plus, concentrating
that hard on something else will ease the wedding out of your
head for a little while.
4) Go
to a movie. A light comedy or action thriller
without too much gore. Watching a movie with a big tub of popcorn
and getting involved in the plot is relaxing and removes reality
for a little while. Great way to de-stress.
5) If
your wedding budget didn’t allow for you to go anywhere,
when you send out your invitations, invite everyone back to the
house for some light refreshments. Doesn’t
have to be anything fancy…some munchies and finger sandwiches
and beverages. You can insert a note to those you want to invite
that the only requirement is to come prepared to share their favorite
story about the bride or groom. Invite them to bring pictures
or anything that provoked a favorite memory to share as well.
While the whole point of a
rehearsal is for everyone to know exactly where they stand and
what they do the day of the wedding, there’s no reason that
it has to be kept as formal as the wedding itself. You’ve
probably been planning for months. Some light-hearted fun the
night before may be just what you need to calm down before that
good night’s sleep you’re going to need. The vast
majority of brides and grooms sleep terribly the night before
their weddings. Finding a way to do something calming and restful
can be the best sleep tonic for you both.
