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Last Updated on January 22, 2016 by
This rehearsal dinner discussion is sponsored by Target and Social Chorus but all opinions expressed here are my own.
Yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 17 year anniversary. I seriously cannot believe it has been that long since we got married. I still remember the stress of planning the wedding, finding a dress, picking a menu, and trying to not spend a fortune. My husband and I were pretty broke when we got married and while my parents were paying for most of the wedding, they didn't have a lot of money either. That meant a second hand wedding dress and a photographer that was actually a police crime scene photographer who did weddings on the side! Don't laugh...he seriously did an awesome job and was very inexpensive! The one thing that was not in the budget at all was a fancy rehearsal dinner. But, just because we couldn't afford a fancy restaurant didn't mean we didn't have a rehearsal dinner at all. We decided to invite our friends and family over to the house the night before the wedding and do something low key right from our own kitchen. The best thing about hosting your rehearsal dinner at your house instead of a fancy restaurant? If you spend you money on pretty plates and napkins you get to KEEP them for the rest of your lives! Money spent at a restaurant? GONE! With the wonderful array of items in the Target Wedding Catalog, you can deck your house out in beauty and style and enjoy your purchases for years to come. Here are a few other suggestions for hosting your rehearsal dinner at home:
How to have an Elegant Rehearsal Dinner at Home
1. Keep the guest list small: You don't need to invite everyone who is going to your wedding. Members of the bridal party, a few special out of town guests, and the immediate family of the bride and groom. This will make it easier on you and a more intimate setting for chatting.
2. You don't have to cook yourself: Many restaurants will cater your dinner and even grocery store trays of subs work well if you aren't looking for something formal. Invest in a few elegant dishes, napkins, and candle holders to add a bit of ambiance. Simple white dishes like the ones I found in the Target Wedding catalog can be elegant for a party but still practical for every day use. The Threshold 16-piece dinnerware set in white has 4 each of mugs, salad/dessert plates, dinner plates and cereal/salad bowls. A few sets of these will serve your guests in style and you can use them at your dinner table for years to come. Invest in table cloths and napkins with simple colors so that if you change your kitchen decor over time, they will still match.
3. Ask people to bring chairs: This may seem a bit odd but it is hard to find enough seating sometimes if you don't usually entertain crowds. This works particularly well if you are making this an indoor/outdoor event. It isn't easy to stand and eat so make sure you also have a selection of small tables to put things on.
4. If you prefer to cook for your own rehearsal dinner, consider making a girlfriend's afternoon of fun. Have everyone bring over knives, cutting boards and anything else you might need to create a gourmet feast for your rehearsal dinner guests. Spending some of your hard earned money on high quality knives like the Henckels Premio knife set in the Target Wedding catalog is a great decision. This set contains every knife you need for your kitchen. There are 13 knives and a set of shears, all made from stainless steel. You will be cooking in style for years after your rehearsal dinner if you invest in a set of Henckels knives. They also have a great selection of individual specialty knives that come in handy during food preparation. I loved the Tomodachi 4 inch tomato knife that I purchased from Target. It made creating my Caprese Salad incredibly easy. This makes an elegant but simple appetizer for your guests.
5. Make sure you have enough containers to store leftovers: One thing I love about rehearsal dinners from home is that you get to keep all the leftover food! If you have your rehearsal dinner at a restaurant, you throw a lot of food away. That is a serious waste of money AND perfectly good food. So, invest in some freezer to table glass storage containers like the ones from Pyrex featured in the Target Wedding catalog and throw all your leftovers in the freezer. Trust me, you will be happy to have leftovers to dig into when you get back from your honeymoon exhausted and up to your elbows in thank you notes. The Pyrex 19 Piece Bake and Store Set has everything you need to bake delicious desserts for your guests and store you leftovers after they leave!
I absolutely love the rehearsal dinner...it is probably my favorite 'party' of the entire wedding event. It is a relaxing yet fun time to celebrate your upcoming vows with the people that mean the most to you. A couple months ago I wrote about the Target wedding theme which is Be Yourself, Together. It represents the idea that two unique people can join together while still celebrating their unique individual personalities. By hosting your rehearsal dinner at home, you BOTH get a say in what your decor and menu will be. It will represent your own personal tastes, not that of the restaurant you choose to host your party at. If you are planning a rehearsal dinner, consider looking into the Target Wedding Registry and having your special event in your own home for a more personal touch. If you want more ideas about how Target can help you plan your wedding just follow #TargetWedding on Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook!
Content and/or other value provided by our partner, Target.
The Giveaway
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This rehearsal dinner discussion is sponsored by Target and Social Chorus but all opinions expressed here are my own.
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician at Good Pill Pharmacy. She has two college aged kids, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She earned her BS in Microbiology at the University of New Hampshire but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging and freelance writing full time. You can learn more about her HERE.
Cheryl F.
My favorite product is the Threshold 16 Piece Barbury Earthenware Dinnerware Set because it's neutral and will go with anything casual or elegant.
Mami2jcn
I like the Sunbeam Panini Maker. It's very practical!
Janet W.
My favorite is the Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - Sketch because it's very elegant looking.
Cynthia G
Correelle dinner set
stephanie
i would love the Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set
Lisa Brown
I like the Threshold 16 Piece Wellsbridge Dinnerware Set in Aqua because it would look fantastic as a dinner setting.
Elena
I like the Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set because it looks nice
Angie Agerter
The Riedel Vivant White Wine Glasses Set of 4 because I think even if you don't have wine in them, just using water or juice adds a whole elegance to a dinner.
Natalie
I would love the Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set to use for an elegant dinner
Jessie C.
Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - Sketch would be perfect for a fancy dinner, I like the classic and simple design.
Cheryl Abdelnour
I love the Keurig K75 Single Cup Coffee Maker - Platinum. Every dinner party needs a good cup of coffee.
Ivana Jankovic
I love Threshold™ Barbury 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - Cream because it's so elegant.
tina reynolds
I love the look of the Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set I also love the kitcenaid mixer to make the preparty treats
Cathy Shaw
The Nespresso Pixie Expresso machine would be superbly elegant for such a dinner!
Julie Wood
I would need to stand mixer to make the cake and make some of the wedding appetizers to save money.
Emilie Proctor
The Keurig K75 Single Cup Coffee Maker - coffee makes everything better!
BeckyM
I like the Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - Sketch because they look funky and modern.
D Schmidt
Visited and I like Riedel Vivant White Wine Glasses Set of 4 because they are such a classic design.
Cynthia C
I would like to serve a fancy dinner on the Threshold™ 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - White
Suzanne K
the Hamilton Beach food processor because it would really make salad prep super easy as well as a bunch of other dishes!
livivua
I like the Riedel Vivant Champagne Flutes
Lauren @ Mom Home Guide
Nice giveaway! I like the Threshold™ 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - White
$59.99. It could be made fancy or everyday, depending on how you dress it up.
Rebecca Graham
The Keurig because everyone likes coffee.
latanya
KitchenAid 3.5 Cup Food Chopper to help with my food prep
Candice
I love the Keurig K65 Special Edition Home Brewing System because I think it'd be great to brew everyone their favorite beverage.
beth shepherd
Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set because it is very nice and something i would have liked
christine burd
I like the corolle 16 piece dinnerware set-sketch because it has an elegant look
Cynthia R
like the Nespresso Pixie Espresso Machine Bundle, great for dinner coffee/desert break
Robert
I like the Henckels Premio Knife Set. They look great, and chances are they'll outlast the marriage.
Susan DeVaux
A Keurig!
Rita M
Riedel Vivant White Wine Glasses
Helga
I like the Kitchenaid mixer because it has so many uses.
kim
My favorite product for a fancy dinner would be Riedel Vivant Red Wine Glasses Set of 4
Michelle Weaver
keurig maker so we can have coffee
Rusti
The Threshold Barbury dinnerware set.
Jessamine D.
I really like the Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set. 🙂
Jessamine D.
I like the Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set. 🙂
Barbara Montag
Fancy dinner - I like the Oneida Jo Ann 45 Piece Set Silver.
Thank you.
Jessica Snow
I think the Sodastream White Source Soda Maker.
Thanks for the giveaway! =)
rebecca boster
I absolutely love this dining set! fun buy classy 🙂 Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set
thanks, bekki
Daniel M
the kitchenaid mixer
Jill Myrick
My favorite is the Threshold 16 Piece Wellsbridge Dinnerware Set in Brick.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
Susan Smith
I like the Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set
Valerie S
The Corelle 16 Piece Dinnerware Set is very nice looking.
Priscilla S.
I like the Threshold 16 Piece Wellsbridge Dinnerware Set.
Jennifer Reed
From Target's Wedding Catalog I like the Riedel Vivant Champagne Flutes for a fancy party.
Lisa Garner
I like the Threshold™ Barbury 16 Piece Dinnerware Set - Cream set because it makes for a elegant but non tradition table setting for a special rehearsal dinner.
Rebecca Peters
I like the kitchenaid mixer
Amanda Sakovitz
i like the Oneida Jo Ann 45 Piece Set
Mya Murphy
Personally, I don't do elegant dinners, but I would choose the Threshold™ 16 Piece Carnigan Field Stoneware Dinnerware Set.. looks wonderful!!
Tom Lester
I want the Keurig coffee maker so I can make coffee for all my guests
Tanya White
I choose the Hamilton Beach Bowl Scraper Food Processor
Roxann
I like the Corelle 16 Piece Round Dinnerware Set - Roses because I think they look classy.
Thomas Murphy
I like the Tiered Pedestal Serving Plates - Set of 3 for serving desserts.
laurie
I like the Sunbeam Heritage Series Stand Mixer
CharityS
KitchenAid Stainless Steel Blade Coffee Grinder - 4-oz.