Where should we hold the dinner? The rehearsal dinner should be held near the ceremony site. It’s considerate and fun to vary the dinner options from the wedding meal — such as offering steak or sea- food if you’re having an Italian menu at your reception — so guests can have different ex- periences! Where you decide to have the rehearsal dinner depends on the budget of whoever is throwing it, who is in attend- ance, and what kind of party the host envisions. What takes place at the rehearsal dinner? Traditionally, the Best Man offers a toast to the soon-to-be spouses. The groom then follows with a toast to his bride and her parents. The bride may follow with a toast to her groom and his family, but it is not common. You should make sure that all guests are introduced to one another, either by formal introductions or mingling. A special touch would be to introduce your wedding party and say something personal about each one, like how you met or why you asked them to be in your wedding. Keep in mind, though, that this party is meant to be thrown to honor you and your fiancé. If you’d rather have a more relaxed and casual atmosphere with no formal speeches, that’s not required! The rehearsal dinner is a great time to relax with your family and friends without worrying too much about tradition. ❤ Pre-Wedding parties are a great way to introduce your fiancé to friends and family who haven’t already met him or her. Keep the Bride’s Interests in Mind The Maid/Matron-of-Honor and bridal party should ask themselves one impor- tant question when planning the festiv- ities: What would the bride really want? Get the Guest List from the Bride The bride doesn’t have many responsi- bilities when it comes to planning the bachelorette party. Just be sure to get a guest list from her of people she’ll feel comfortable “letting loose” with — soror- ity sisters? Yes! Her boss? Probably not. Timing is Everything The bachelorette party should be on an evening close to the big day, but it defi- nitely should not fall on the night before the wedding. The bride probably doesn’t envision hungover bridesmaids or walking down the aisle nauseous on her wedding day. Consider scheduling it for the weekend before the big day, instead. Take Budget into Account While it’s important to take the bride’s vision into ac- count, the host(s) should also consider the budget of the girls who are attending. If you’ll be staying overnight somewhere, going to dinner,and/orrentingtransportation,be sure to include the price when extending an invite. Don’t Underestimate the Element of Surprise Given all the planning the bride and groom have put into the details of their wedding, it’s safe to say it’d be a wel- comed surprise to not have to make de- cisions for another event! Ask the bride to trust you to know her expectations, and then take the reins! ❤ Planning a Bachelorette Party to Remember READ MORE AT TODAYSBRIDE.COM TODAY’S BRIDE | 41