Weddings aren’t simple. There are rules and procedures at every turn. Families preparing for a wedding often receive a crash course in party planning and guest accommodations. Even rehearsal dinner etiquette can be rigorous. Understand the rules can make all the difference and lead to success and fun.

The groom’s parents get the task of running the rehearsal dinner. Leave the details to them. For couples who prefer to host the dinner themselves as a thanks to the families and wedding guests, make sure to explain the reasoning to the grooms parents so as not to insult them. If the groom’s parents insist, let them do it. Why not let people take on extra work when they insist?

The dinner should take place the day before the wedding, directly after the wedding rehearsal. This ensures that all the guests and family are in town, available to attend. It’s very bad form to hold the rehearsal dinner too far in advance of the wedding. It potentially excludes some people. Avoid hurting people’s feelings or making their attendance more difficult. Happy guests make for a better wedding.

Make sure to invite the immediate relatives on both sides of the wedding. The entire bridal party, each with a guest, should also be asked to attend along with any other friends and family the bride and groom would like to have at the dinner. The preacher or whoever officiates the wedding, offers the vows, should also be invited. Don’t be too hasty when it comes to planning the invites. Aunt Myrtle may be a little loud, but is a whole life of anger worth the snub?

Include a social time before the dinner so people can relax and talk. Be aware of the pressure people face at a wedding, so lighten the mood. Make sure the dinner isn’t out of whack with the cost of the remainder of the wedding. An extravagant wedding gets a extravagant rehearsal dinner. By the same token a budget wedding should have too fancy of a rehearsal dinnerA less expensive wedding warrants a less expensive rehearsal dinner. And don’t keep people out too late the night before the big day.

Toasts go to all the people helping with the wedding. Don’t forget both sets of parents. This toast takes place after the main meal, delivered by the couple to be. Other toasts, for example the best man’s toast, happen at the reception.

Don’t ruin a nice wedding by stepping on toes at the rehearsal dinner. Pay attention to rehearsal dinner etiquette.