Rehearsal night is a long-standing tradition, but in the same way that weddings have morphed over the years, know that you have choices even for your Rehearsal Dinner night as well. Embracing the fact that you DO have options means that you can script even this day as you like depending of course, on budget, time, and vision.
As venue owners, we saw a need to offer a package to our brides for this extra event. We started initially with an Add-On for a “Rehearsal Dinner Event Package” which allowed the couple to secure the venue for a 5 hour event. This package alone was a God-send to so many. No need to have to secure another place or venue for a rehearsal dinner event. No need in traveling back and forth into town to do a rehearsal then back into town for a dinner. This package secured the bride’s ability to know she could rehearse. This saved her time from shuttling back and forth. Spending another evening at the farm was always a good thing. Having the event here instead of a noisy restaurant in time, allowed not only great ambiance but it was a quieter setting to mingle and chat with your closest family and friends.
As time passed, we converted and renovated my mother’s house (a.k.a. Mimi’s Guest House) into a lodging facility. At this point, we created an event better rehearsal dinner package option, our 2-Day Add-On which includes the same 5-hour Friday night event but it also includes lodging at both of our lodging houses (Mimi’s Guest House and the Vintage Farmhouse) for Friday night and for Saturday night. We introduced this package several years ago (2017) and it has ben an instant hit to the point that most of our weddings include this package once they hear about all of the benefits to it
Couples and their lodging friends come to the farm at 3 p.m. on Friday. Each house can accommodate up to 8 guests. They have 2 full hours to fully unpack, settle in, and prep for Rehearsal Dinner Night. Barn opens at 5 p.m. From 5 p.m. to 5:30, this is a great time to unload anything to the barn that has been brought for wedding day; photos, decor, plates, water bottles, sign-in stuff, beer/wine, etc. Having all of this out of the vehicles and situated in the barn is a huge task that is now done! With the wedding party usually here as lodging guests and parents johnny on the spot to arrive, then rehearsal can begin without the chaos of all other eventual guests. Rehearsal usually begins at 5:30 and lasts until the bride feels confident.
While you are rehearsing, your bartender and your caterer are setting up and finalizing their preparations. Around 6 p.m is a good time for your “broader guest list” to begin arriving. This way, it avoids the chaos of all guests arriving at the same time, all guests wanting to greet the bride and groom, etc. then trying to whisk away the bridal party for rehearsal becomes an art of “herding cats” as they say. By segregating these two groups early on, does make it so much easier to get the rehearsal done quickly and effeciently. With the bulk of your rehearsal dinner guest arriving at 6 or so, the bartender will be set up and ready to be serving. Appetizers will make this an even better “meet and greet” time but either way, the caterer will likely appreciate a bit more time to get everything laid out for dinner.