Rehearsal Dinner Timing: When To Expect The Wedding Eve Celebration

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding day, most often on a Friday. However, if your wedding day falls on a Sunday or a holiday, you can have your rehearsal dinner two nights before so that everyone has time to relax the night before the main event.

Rehearsal dinner is the night before the wedding

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding, most often on a Friday. The rehearsal itself usually takes place around 5:30 p.m. and typically lasts about 30 to 45 minutes. The dinner takes place immediately after the rehearsal, usually around 7 p.m.

If your wedding day falls on a Sunday or a holiday, you can have your rehearsal dinner two nights before, so that everyone has time to relax the night before the main event.

The rehearsal dinner guest list typically includes close family members and anyone participating in the wedding ceremony (including the officiant), plus their spouses or dates. It's also considerate to invite your out-of-town guests to the festivities. However, if you end up with a long list of people to include, you can keep costs down by serving only cocktails and hors d'oeuvres or desserts as opposed to a full meal.

If there is travel involved from the ceremony site to the rehearsal dinner, we always recommend leaving 20-30 minutes PLUS travel time in between the rehearsal ending and the time on the dinner invite. Remember that the time on your rehearsal dinner invite should be earlier than what time you’ll actually begin eating.

Dinner is usually around 7 p.m

The rehearsal dinner is usually held the day before the wedding and is the final pre-wedding event before the couple is married. It is traditionally a meal following the practice run of the wedding ceremony and takes place on the eve of the wedding day.

The dinner is usually around 7 p.m. For a Sunday or holiday wedding, you have more options, and some couples decide to hold the rehearsal dinner two nights before the wedding so that everyone has more time to relax and recuperate before the big day.

The rehearsal dinner guest list typically includes close family members and anyone participating in the wedding ceremony (including the officiant), plus their spouses or dates. It's also considerate to invite your out-of-town guests to the festivities. However, if you end up with a long list of people to include, you can keep costs down by serving only cocktails and hors d'oeuvres or desserts as opposed to a full meal.

If there is travel involved from the ceremony site to the rehearsal dinner, we always recommend leaving 20-30 minutes PLUS travel time in between the rehearsal ending and the time on the dinner invite. Remember that the time on your rehearsal dinner invite should be earlier than what time you’ll actually begin eating.

Rehearsal is typically held the day before

The rehearsal dinner is typically held the day before the wedding day. It is the final pre-wedding event before the couple is married. The rehearsal dinner is a meal following the practice run of the wedding ceremony.

The rehearsal dinner guest list typically includes close family members and anyone participating in the wedding ceremony, including the officiant, plus their spouses or dates. It is also considerate to invite out-of-town guests to the festivities. However, if you end up with a long list of people to include, you can keep costs down by serving only cocktails and hors d'oeuvres or desserts as opposed to a full meal.

The rehearsal dinner schedule is traditionally held the night before the wedding, most often on a Friday. Usually, the ceremony rehearsal begins around 5:30 p.m. and typically lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.

If your wedding day falls on a Sunday or a holiday, you can have your rehearsal dinner two nights before, so that everyone has time to relax the night before the main event. No matter whom you plan to invite or whether the dinner is more formal or casual, make sure to allow plenty of time for guests to enjoy themselves. You don’t want anyone to feel rushed at an event that’s meant to express gratitude and kick off the fun times. You want to be sure that everyone feels comfortable with each other before the stress of the big day.

If there is travel involved from the ceremony site to the rehearsal dinner, we always recommend leaving 20-30 minutes PLUS travel time in between the rehearsal ending and the time on the dinner invite. Remember that the time on your rehearsal dinner invite should be earlier than what time you’ll actually begin eating.

Dinner can be held two nights before

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding, but it can also be held two nights before the wedding. If your wedding day falls on a Sunday or a holiday, you can have your rehearsal dinner two nights before so that everyone has time to relax the night before the main event.

The dinner takes place immediately after the rehearsal, usually around 7 p.m. For a Sunday or holiday wedding, you have more options, and some couples decide to hold the rehearsal dinner two nights before the wedding so that everyone has more time to relax and recuperate before the big day.

The rehearsal dinner guest list typically includes close family members and anyone participating in the wedding ceremony (including the officiant), plus their spouses or dates. It's also considerate to invite your out-of-town guests to the festivities. However, if you end up with a long list of people to include, you can keep costs down by serving only cocktails and hors d'oeuvres or desserts as opposed to a full meal.

The rehearsal dinner schedule is traditionally held the night before the wedding, most often on a Friday. Usually, the ceremony rehearsal begins around 5:30 p.m. and typically lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.

If there is travel involved from the ceremony site to the rehearsal dinner, we always recommend leaving 20-30 minutes PLUS travel time in between the rehearsal ending and the time on the dinner invite. (Remember that the time on your rehearsal dinner invite should be earlier than what time you’ll actually begin eating.

Travel time should be considered

The rehearsal dinner is traditionally held the night before the wedding, most often on a Friday. The ceremony rehearsal begins around 5:30 p.m. and typically lasts about 30 to 45 minutes.

The rehearsal dinner usually follows directly after the rehearsal, which is typically held the day before the wedding day. If your rehearsal is not the day before, you can still have your dinner before the wedding day or after the rehearsal, as long as your important guests can still attend and will be in town.

If there is travel involved from the ceremony site to the rehearsal dinner, we always recommend leaving 20-30 minutes PLUS travel time in between the rehearsal ending and the time on the dinner invite. Remember that the time on your rehearsal dinner invite should be earlier than what time you’ll actually begin eating.

For a Sunday or holiday wedding, you have more options, and some couples decide to hold the rehearsal dinner two nights before the wedding so that everyone has more time to relax and recuperate before the big day.

No matter whom you plan to invite or whether the dinner is more formal or casual, make sure to allow plenty of time for guests to enjoy themselves. You don’t want anyone to feel rushed at an event that’s meant to express gratitude and kick off the fun times. You want to be sure that everyone feels comfortable with each other before the stress of the big day.

Frequently asked questions