A rehearsal dinner can cost as little as $10 to $30 per person for a simple affair held in the host's home. Examples include an Italian-themed event with lasagna and Chianti, a back-yard cookout with burgers, a pizza party or a cocktail party. TheKnot.com[1] offers a list of casual rehearsal dinner ideas.
A typical rehearsal dinner can cost $30 to $70 per person for a simple meal and drinks in a private room at a casual restaurant. Examples include an event centered on local cuisine -- seafood in Maine, barbecue in Texas, pizza in Chicago -- or an ethnic celebration -- an Indian feast or Chinese or Vietnamese food served family style -- a sushi party, or, if the bride and groom prefer to have the night before the wedding to themselves, a luncheon at a botanical garden. Some restaurants charge a small room rental fee and do not charge for use of flatware and stemware. Brides.com[2] offers ideas.
An elaborate rehearsal dinner can cost $70 to $250 per person and even higher. Ideas include a catered meal at a reception hall or a multi-course meal in a high-end restaurant or upscale hotel. Michelinguide.com provides lists of starred restaurants in New York City and in the San Francisco area. And Epicurious.com[3] gives its take on the top 50 restaurants in the United States.
A rehearsal dinner provides an opportunity for the bride's and groom's close family members, along with the wedding party and their spouses, to socialize, eat and toast the couple before the wedding day. It also gives the bride and groom a chance to present gifts to their parents and members of the wedding party.
TheKnot.com[4] has a guide to rehearsal dinner basics.
Additional costs:
Decorations are an important cost to figure in. Many hosts order floral arrangements for tables, which can cost $20 to $50 each. Less expensive or do-it-yourself decorations, such fun, framed photographs of the couple, are also an option for $15 or less each.
Discounts:
Sometimes it is possible to get a discount on rehearsal dinner invitations if they are purchased along with the wedding invitations. For a casual event, it is also acceptable to use a site such as Evite.com[5] for e-mail invitations.
Shopping for a rehearsal dinner:
The first step to planning a rehearsal dinner is making the guest list. Brides.com[6] has a guide to planning a rehearsal dinner.
Brides.com[7] offers a list of creative rehearsal dinner ideas for hosts on a budget.
10 Quick and Inexpensive Home Makeover Projects To Do While At Home You may not be able to host the large family gathering for the holidays, but there are still many ways to pick up items curbside to spruce up your indoor space for your everyday enjoyment and to bring a more festive spirit. || Posted December 30 2020
10 Key Ways to Prepare for Extreme Snow Forecasters are predicting a true nor'easter will hit the eastern and central states with rain, thunderstorms, ice, snow and high winds over the Thanksgiving weekend. It's crucial to plan ahead, before bad weather hits. || Posted November 26 2013
CostHelper is based in Silicon Valley and provides consumers with unbiased price information about thousands of goods and services. Our writers are experienced journalists who adhere to our strict editorial ethics policy.
CostHelper Community
Radiologist Fee Paid: 350.00 Any radiologist reading your mammogram will be at least $350. They have 11-13 years of training after high school before they begin work. If they are not board certified, watch out. Most are and it beats getting cancer... [more]
DIY Ceiling Paid: 50.00 We bought a house with a cheap paint job. The ceilings were sprayed the same color as the walls. During COVID I painted the ceilings and a bathroom. A 120 square foot room took me about 4 hours (2 coats)... [more]
DIY vs Installed Small Deck Paid: 3000.00 We paid $1300 for materials and $1700 for labor on a 100 square foot composite deck plus a redwood gate. It took 30 hours, done last year. My husband built a 100 sf heart redwood deck for about $1000 in materials in 2019... [more]
Colposcopy with biopsy Paid: 756.00 This service was wayy to expensive in my opinion. For a 20-25 minute total visit I had to pay out of pocked 756 - 187 to OBGYN, 229 to pathologist, then 340$ for facility fee or the hospital. I don't even know what that charge was for... [more]
Bilateral Diagnostic Mammogram and Third Mammogram Paid: 1389.66 My 2021 bill, still in shock! Weill Cornell, in-network provider, billed my insurance $908 for a bilateral diagnostic mammogram, and $712 for a third mammogram one breast... [more]
shoulder mri Paid: 8000.00 Seriously, 8K for an MRI before all the secret insurance kicks in. I was stuck with a 1200 bill and my insurance is pretty good. This is insane for a 20 minute procedure with no nurse assistance... [more]