Invitation Wording·10 min read
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording: 30+ Examples
Find 30+ rehearsal dinner invitation wording examples for formal, casual, parents-hosted and destination weddings, with etiquette and RSVP tips.
By Aurelia Editorial Team · Wedding stationery & planning guides
Published
The rehearsal is the run-through of the ceremony; the rehearsal dinner is the meal afterwards for the people who took part. It is mainly a US custom. In the UK and at many weddings abroad, couples hold a welcome dinner or drinks the night before instead, so you will find those versions here too. If you are planning several events, a wedding website keeps the public schedule in one place.
What Should a Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Say?
- Who is hosting: the couple, one or both sets of parents, or another relative.
- Who the dinner celebrates: the couple’s names, and usually a mention of the wedding.
- The date, start time and venue, with the full address.
- The dress code, especially if it differs from the wedding.
- How and when to reply, and whether a partner is included.
Traditional Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Formal wording names the hosts first and uses full sentences rather than abbreviations. Five versions:
Together with their families, Olivia and James invite you to join them for an intimate rehearsal dinner on Friday 18 June at 7pm at The Garden House. Kindly reply by 1 June.
Mr and Mrs Richard Bennett request the pleasure of your company at a rehearsal dinner in honour of Charlotte Hughes and William Bennett Friday 10 September at half past seven The Library, Hambleton Hall, Rutland Kindly reply to Margaret Bennett by 20 August
Dr and Mrs Andrew Clarke invite you to dinner on the eve of the wedding of their daughter Sophie to Alexander Ward Friday 4 June at 7.30pm The Private Dining Room, The Ivy, Edinburgh Lounge suits
Grace Taylor and Mateo Ruiz invite you to a rehearsal dinner following the ceremony rehearsal Friday 24 September at 7pm Brasserie Zédel, London Please reply by 1 September
The Morgan and Patel families invite you to celebrate Emily and Rohan at a rehearsal dinner on the eve of their wedding Friday 15 October at 7pm The Old Granary, Cambridge Kindly reply by 25 September
In the US, honorifics usually take a full stop (“Mr. and Mrs.”); in the UK they do not. Our UK vs US wedding invitation etiquette guide explains the other differences.
Casual Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Rehearsal dinners are usually less formal than the wedding, so the wording can relax. Six ideas:
Before the big day, a smaller one. Join Lucy and Ben for dinner after the rehearsal Friday 9 July, 7pm, at The Plough, Great Munden Let us know by 20 June
Long tables, fairy lights and far too much food. Hannah and Josh would love you to join them for a garden supper the night before the wedding Friday 6 August, 7pm · Mum and Dad’s garden, 14 Orchard Lane, Ledbury Bring a jumper for later
Dinner is on us. Isla and Sam invite you to a rehearsal dinner at Dishoom Kensington, Friday 21 May, 7.30pm Smart casual · Reply to Isla by 5 May
Rehearse, then pizza. Chloe and Marcus invite you to a wood-fired pizza night straight after the rehearsal Friday 13 August, 6.30pm, in the barn at Hollow Farm Jeans welcome
We practise the vows at 5. The barbecue starts at 6.30. Join Megan and Alex at the lake house Friday 30 July · Shorts and sandals encouraged
One last pint as fiancés. Join Ella and George for supper at The Bell, Aldworth Friday 17 September from 7pm Nothing fancy, just good company
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording by Host
Who hosts changes the opening line. For the full range of host lines, including divorced parents and remembering a parent who has died, see our wedding invitation wording for hosts.
From the groom’s parents
In US tradition the groom’s family hosts the rehearsal dinner while the bride’s family hosts the wedding. Many families now share the cost, but the custom still shapes the wording.
Tom’s mum and dad, Sarah and Paul Fletcher, would love you to join them for dinner the night before Tom and Amira’s wedding. Friday 11 June, 7pm, at The Swan, Lavenham Please let Sarah know by 21 May
From the bride’s parents
Before we give her away, we’d like to feed you. Join Helen and Mark Davies for dinner in honour of Jessica and Owen Friday 27 August, 7pm, at our home in Henley Reply to Helen by 6 August
From both families
Anna and David Lee and Fiona and Callum Ross invite you to dinner to celebrate Mia and Jamie Friday 1 October, 7pm, at The Pig, Brockenhurst Kindly reply by 10 September
From the couple
You’ve helped us get here. Let us buy you dinner. Zoe and Nathan invite you to a rehearsal dinner Friday 4 June, 7.30pm, at Ottolenghi Spitalfields Reply by 15 May
Michael and Simon Grant invite you to a dinner in honour of their son Leo and his fiancé Adam Price Friday 20 August at 7pm · The Boathouse, Oxford
Rehearsal Dinner Wording for Special Situations
Ciao from Tuscany! Join Ava and Luca for dinner after the rehearsal Friday 17 September at 8pm, on the terrace at Villa Le Fontanelle Transport leaves the hotel at 7.30pm Please reply by 1 August
You’ve come a long way. Let’s eat together. Ruby and Finn invite everyone to a welcome dinner the evening before the wedding Friday 2 July, 7pm, at the Beach Club, Deià Come as you are
Drinks the night before Arrived early? Join Harriet and Jack for a drink at The Lygon Arms, Broadway Friday 23 July from 6pm All wedding guests welcome
Nicola and Ryan invite you to a rehearsal dinner Friday 8 October, 7.30pm, at Gaucho, Manchester This is an adults-only evening, and a list of local babysitters is on our website.
Just us, the night before. A quiet family supper for Laura and Ethan Friday 25 June, 7pm, at Gran’s Immediate family only, so please keep it between us
Rehearsal at 5pm at St Mary’s, then drinks at The Crown at 6.30pm. Wedding party and readers, this one’s for you. Grace and Oliver
For the wording of the wedding invitation itself abroad, see destination wedding invitation wording.
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Text Message Examples
A text, WhatsApp or email is perfectly acceptable for a rehearsal dinner, especially for a small group.
Subject: Rehearsal dinner, Friday 18 June Dear Aunt Catherine and Uncle Peter, James and I would love you to join us for dinner after the rehearsal on Friday 18 June at 7pm at The Garden House, Cheltenham. Dress is smart casual. Could you let us know by 1 June? With love, Olivia
Rehearsal dinner Fri 7pm at The Plough. We’d love you there! Can you let me know by Sunday?
Wedding party! Rehearsal is Friday at 5pm sharp at the church, then dinner at Cote at 7. Partners very welcome. Thumbs up if you’re in.
Hi both! Dinner after the rehearsal is Friday at 7.30pm at The Swan. This one is just for family and the wedding party, so please keep it between us. Everything else for the weekend is on our website: [your website link]
See you Friday! Rehearsal 5pm at St Mary’s, dinner 7pm at The Swan (two minutes’ walk). Parking at the back of the pub.
Rehearsal Dinner RSVP Wording
A rehearsal dinner rarely has a reply card. Give a name, a phone number or email and a date about two weeks before the wedding.
Kindly reply to Margaret Bennett by 20 August margaret@example.com · 07700 900123
Let us know by Sunday 6 June so we can confirm numbers with the restaurant.
Our rehearsal dinner is a small gathering for the wedding party and family, and we’re so glad you’re part of it.
Please let us know of any dietary requirements or allergies when you reply.
When to Send Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Send them three to six weeks before the wedding, after the main invitations have gone out, so nobody who is not invited sees one first. For a destination wedding, send them with or soon after the wedding invitation, because guests may need to book an extra night. Our wedding invitation wording guide covers the main invitation, and the wedding weekend itinerary shows how the dinner fits around the other events.
How to Add Rehearsal Dinner Details to Your Wedding Website
Think about who will read it first. A wedding website is shared with every guest, and the RSVP usually covers the wedding as a whole, so a dinner for a smaller group needs a little care. There are three sensible options:
- If the dinner is open to everyone, such as a welcome dinner for all guests, list it on the schedule like any other event.
- If it is private, keep it off the public schedule and send the details by personal message, email or WhatsApp to the people invited.
- If you do list it, label it clearly, for example “Rehearsal dinner, for the wedding party and family”, so other guests do not feel left out or turn up.
In every case, collect replies for the dinner directly, by message or email, rather than through the wedding RSVP. You can add the main events, venues and map links on the site, and browse destination templates if the weekend is abroad.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who hosts a rehearsal dinner?
- In the US, traditionally the groom’s parents. Today it is often the couple, both families together or whoever offers. In the UK there is no fixed rule, and many couples host a welcome dinner or drinks themselves.
- Does the rehearsal dinner need a separate invitation?
- Yes, because only some guests are invited. It can be a printed card, an email or a message, but it should not be part of the main wedding invitation.
- Who should be invited to the rehearsal dinner?
- The couple, the wedding party and their partners, parents and close family, the officiant and anyone with a role in the ceremony, such as readers. At destination weddings some couples invite all guests.
- Can rehearsal dinner invitations be sent by text?
- Yes. A text, WhatsApp or email is fine for a casual dinner or a small group. For a formal dinner hosted by parents, a printed card or a well-worded email feels more fitting.
- Should the rehearsal dinner dress code be included?
- Yes, if it is different from the wedding or if the venue has rules. A short line such as “smart casual” or “lounge suits” saves guests from guessing.
Planning the welcome drinks, the wedding and the brunch too? Plan every wedding event in one beautiful place with a wedding website your guests can open from one link.
Part of our invitation wording guides. Start with Wedding Invitation Wording: Examples for Every Kind of Celebration, or see every guide on this topic.
