Don’t Overspend on Your Rehearsal Dinner Celebration With These Tips
Are you worried about overspending on the rehearsal dinner? Feeling like the spending got out of control really fast and don’t know how to dial it back? Or, are you at the very beginning of planning the night before the wedding festivities and confused about how much things cost? We got your back! We’re sharing our best tips on how to avoid overspending on your wedding’s rehearsal dinner and welcome party. We’re going to break it all down, so stick with us!
Planning your wedding rehearsal dinner and the night before your wedding can be an exciting part of your journey, and as you know, if you’ve been here with us at Let’s Get Rehearsed. Or, if you’re the family of the couple getting married, such as the parents of the bride or groom, or just a really good friend, and in charge of planning the pre-wedding events for their wedding is a big responsibility - you’re setting the tone for the whole weekend, no pressure!
No matter who you are in the process, it’s a lot - and it can be a lot of money!
Photo Credit: Donna Von Bruening from this elegant tented rehearsal at home
Don't get stressed - get Let's Get Rehearsed’s FREE rehearsal dinner guide packed full of everything you need to plan a welcome party, from saving money to celebrating the night before the big day!
We’ve been in weddings for over 20 years and we’ve shared the rehearsal tips and advice from hundreds of different wedding pros about all things pre-wedding celebrations. But, there’s a big issue going on right now when it comes to weddings, an elephant in the room, if you will, and that’s money. We’re hearing from many recently married couples and newlyweds that they overspent on their wedding. Plain and simple, they spent more than they originally budgeted for or thought they were going to spend. They weren’t necessarily upset about it or regretful of their choices, but nonetheless they spent more on their wedding overall than they were intended from the start, and that includes the night before wedding events.
We don’t want this for you! We want you going into it with the knowledge you need to understand how much your rehearsal dinner will cost, and the tools to keep you on budget.
The rehearsal and welcome party pre-wedding events set the tone for the celebration to come, but they can also become a big source of financial stress, overwhelm, and confusion - if you’re not careful. Overspending can happen quickly when you’re trying to create a memorable experience, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
Here’s our best advice to help you make smart decisions and keep costs in check when it comes to your pre-wedding events! We want you to relax and have a good time, not stressed out and frustrated! It’s the night before the wedding, after all, this is the time to enjoy!
Get a Budget Rehearsal Spreadsheet
Before we get into it, let’s talk about the tools you need to alleviate stress from the start. Our "Budget Spreadsheet for the Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party" is an invaluable tool designed specifically for these pre-wedding events. We spent months and countless hours putting this together - just for you. Unlike other budget spreadsheets and trackers, ours is designed for the rehearsal and pre-wedding.
But, we couldn’t leave you in the lurch! As a special bonus, our rehearsal budget spreadsheet includes a wedding budget spreadsheet too. Yes, you get the rehearsal spreadsheet and a wedding spreadsheet! So many spreadsheets! (Don’t worry, we designed these to be very user-friendly for the non-techy types who hate spreadsheets!)
If you’re the couple planning your own rehearsal, which is quite common these days, you must, repeat must, understand your pre-wedding event spending within the context of your entire wedding budget. The rehearsal and welcome party cannot be just some add-on that you tack on at the last minute, or coming from a secret account off to the side. You need to plan for and budget for your pre-wedding events right along with your wedding!
In our "Budget Spreadsheet for the Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party" we included a spreadsheet for the wedding too, not just for the rehearsal. You get a 2 for 1! You can budget and track your spending for your rehearsal and your wedding at the same time in one spreadsheet.
Your spreadsheet allows you to organize, make a plan, and track all expenses for your rehearsal dinner and night-before-the-wedding activities. (We even included a bonus checklist to help you keep track of your tasks and to-dos!) From venue costs and catering to decor and transportation, it ensures nothing gets overlooked, helping you avoid unexpected costs and overspending on your pre-wedding - and your wedding!
How to Stay on Budget for Pre-Wedding Events
To help you plan unforgettable pre-wedding events while avoiding overspending, here are practical tips tailored to these specific celebrations:
1. Define Your Vision and Priorities
Before making any decisions, signing any contracts, or spending any money at all on the rehearsal or pre-wedding celebrations, decide what matters most to you about the night-before-the-wedding activities. Is it the food, the rehearsal itself, the flowers, the dessert, the music, or the chance to gather loved ones before the big day? There are no rights or wrongs here, it’s only what matters to you! Don’t stress too much here coming up with rehearsal priorities. You’re likely on decision overload with the wedding itself, so just give it a high-level overview and consider the few things that matter to you. Getting clear on your priorities will help spend wisely and stay on budget in the end, trust!
Whether it’s a cozy rehearsal dinner with your closest family and wedding party, a small cocktail party with out-of-town wedding guests, or a super fun welcome party for all of your wedding guests, knowing your priorities will help you allocate your budget and spending effectively in the long run.
Pro Tip: If You’re Not the Couple
If you’re not the couple getting married, that’s OK. In this case, check in with the couple to find out what matters most to them. Once they have the larger items for their wedding locked down, such as date, venue, photography, etc., is a good time to bring up the rehearsal priorities conversation. Know that they will likely be overwhelmed with the wedding planning and suffering from decision fatigue. Your job is to get a few top priorities and you take it from there, Consider planning the rehearsal as your wedding gift to them. This is one less thing they have to do and you’re taking something major - but important - off their plate!
One major question to ask them right up front is how much communication they want with you when planning. Do they want to be kept informed every step of the way with every decision, or do they not care and just want you to run with it? Or something in between? Get clear on their priorities and their communication expectations, so everyone is on the same page and there are no hurt feelings, or worse, additional stress.
2. Understand the Costs in Your Area
This is a big one. Probably the biggest and best tip we can offer you on avoiding overspending on the rehearsal. Do your homework on how much vendors cost in the area where you want to host your pre-wedding celebration. How much is a venue? Food? Beverage? And so on down the list of rehearsal expenses.
You have to do your research on how much things cost in your area. Period. More importantly, you have to do this research before you spend anything and before you make a budget plan. How can you set a budget if you don’t know how much things cost?
It is meaningless to say that you’ll spend $5,000 on your rehearsal if you don’t even know what $5,000 gets you in your area. Just like with the wedding, prices vary wildly from city to city, region to region, and so on. How far your money goes in one area is totally different from another area.
And we don’t mean just online research. We mean actually speaking with the vendors who serve your area. You must call around or visit the vendors in the area where you want to host your rehearsal. What do they tell you about the prices in their area? What are their rates? What do they charge?
While online calculators and, even sites like Let’s Get Rehearsed, are so helpful with general planning advice, it is meaningless in a specific area with specific pricing details. We can tell you what to budget for, but we can tell you exactly what the dollar buys in your area.
So, before you set a budget, research venue and other vendor costs, such as flowers, food, decor, and more, in the location where you’ll be hosting the pre-wedding events and you’ll be well on your way to staying within your budget!
Photo credit: Carter Rose Photography from this intimate rehearsal in Colorado
Don't get stressed - get Let's Get Rehearsed’s FREE rehearsal dinner guide packed full of everything you need to plan a welcome party, from saving money to celebrating the night before the big day!
3. Avoid Percentage Budget Recommendations
The big box wedding planning sites love to give couples advice for wedding spending based on percentages. You should avoid this kind of advice at all costs - pun intended!
For example, they will tell you that your rehearsal budget should be 6% of your total wedding budget. Or, they will tell couples to expect to spend 10% of their wedding budget on the rehearsal.
But, what if someone else is paying for the rehearsal? Or what if you want to spend more - or less - on your rehearsal than the recommended percentage?
Arbitrarily picking a percent of the total is just that - arbitrary. It doesn’t help you stay on budget and avoid overspending, because it is a meaningless number. It doesn’t take into account personal priorities with the rehearsal and the wedding.
You’re much better off taking our other tips about first researching how much things cost in your area from venues to rentals to flowers to transportation, setting priorities, and setting a budget from that starting point, rather than picking a random percentage.
4. Avoid Average Pricing
The only price for your wedding rehearsal that matters is your price. It doesn’t matter what the average couple spends on their rehearsal.
The big box sites like to tell couples what the average couple spends on their rehearsal, as a means of helping them set a budget. Except that this is unhelpful. This kind of advice is misinformation at best, and disinformation at worst.
When it comes to wedding budgets and spending average is just an average. (And most times the average is inaccurate, but that’s another post for another day!) It is over a large group of people who you have no idea what their priorities are, how many guests were invited, if they included their gifts or transportation or outfits in the total, and most importantly where these events are being held.
What if the couple doesn’t host a rehearsal dinner or a welcome party? Or what if they invite all the wedding guests? Or only do a small dinner for the wedding party?
What one couple spends comes down to their priorities (see previous tip on the importance of priorities when it comes to spending), and is totally different from area to area. No one is right or wrong in their spending choices. They are personal choices that you don’t have to explain or justify to anyone.
However, relying on average pricing does not help you set a budget, and it definitely doesn’t help you if you’re trying not to spend outside of that budget.
5. Choose the Right Venue
Look for a rehearsal venue that aligns with not only your vision but also your budget. If you want to keep costs down and avoid overspending, the venue is one of the first places to look. The venue, food, and drink will likely be some of your biggest expenditures for the rehearsal dinner and welcome party.
The rehearsal is typically a smaller, more relaxed event compared to a traditional or formal wedding, so you can use this to your budget benefit and pick a more casual setting or low-key venue. Maybe it’s not at the same location as the wedding itself, maybe it’s off property if you’re at a resort, or in the town or city at the couple’s favorite restaurant, or somewhere totally opposite of the wedding day. Non-traditional venues can often cost less and provide a more personal touch, which is what you’re looking for in a rehearsal anyway.
If you’re trying to keep costs down, consider restaurants with private dining rooms, local parks, or even a friend’s backyard. (Be warned about at-home events though. Make sure you go in eyes-wide-open and do your research because events at home are not always cheaper. Again, this is another post for another day!)
6. Limit Your Guest Count
You’ve likely heard this before when it comes to wedding planning, but one of the easiest ways to reduce costs is to reduce your guest list. More guests mean more of everything, like tables, chairs, food, and decor, which means more money.
Your rehearsal dinner and night-before-the-wedding celebrations don’t have to include everyone on your wedding guest list. Focus on inviting your wedding party, immediate family, and close friends. A smaller group means lower costs and a more intimate atmosphere, which is the whole goal of the night before the wedding anyway!
If you’re trying to cut down on costs and keep spending in check, luckily for you, the rehearsal dinner traditionally doesn’t include all wedding guests - unless you want it to!
For more, if you do decide to increase your head count, be sure to check out our Rehearsal Dinner Guest List Organizer & RSVP Tracker.
7. Simplify Everything
The whole idea of the rehearsal and dinner and welcome party is to gather everyone before the wedding. Ultimately, it’s to rehearse or go over the run of show for the wedding so everyone knows where to be and what to do at the ceremony. After the rehearsing part, it’s also a chance for everyone to gather and take some pressure off the next day. That’s it. It’s not about outshining the wedding or creating a mini-me version of your wedding.
It’s truly about rehearsing and then gathering. Done.
If you’re looking to stay on budget and not spend more than intended, simplify everything for the rehearsal dinner and welcome party. Let your night before be a simple low-key gathering with simple details, simple invites, a simple guest list, a simple menu, simple decor, and so on with “simple” being the theme.
Simple for the rehearsal dinner can be a rehearsing followed by a pizza party with digital invitations. (You do need to send some sort of invitation thought, even it is via e-mail or text. Guests need to know and feel invited, and they need the details!) Casual is on trend for the rehearsal dinner and welcome parties as a counterpoint to the wedding day, so lean into it and let it help your budget too!
It can truly just be a rehearsal and that’s it. Everything else beyond rehearsing is a bonus, and it’s not expected.
6. DIY Thoughtfully
If you enjoy being hands-on, consider DIY projects for your pre-wedding events as a way of staying within your budget, such as creating simple centerpieces, making your own invitations or table numbers, creating signage, or putting together welcome gift bags for out-of-town guests. Focus on projects that are manageable and won’t add unnecessary stress to your pre-wedding schedule.
For more on DIY and decor specifically, check out our tips on How To DIY Your Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Flowers.
At Let’s Get Rehearsed, we have an entire collection of rehearsal-specific printables, and digital downloads that are perfect for those looking to save money on their rehearsal. Whether you want to print out your invitations at home, or send them via email, or if you want to print out gift tags for your favors, or make your own seating chart, or table numbers - we have you covered in the Let’s Get Rehearsed shop.
We always like to give a note of caution about do-it-yourself projects for your wedding and your pre-wedding celebrations. DIY doesn’t necessarily cost less money, and it definitely takes more time than hiring a professional. Our best advice is to only take on a DIY project if that’s your thing. If you’re excited about it or you just like being crafty and creative, go for the DIY project..
Don’t DIY because you feel like you have to do it to keep up with others, or meet an (unrealistic) expectation of what a rehearsal dinner “should” be. Take the win here in that rehearsal dinners are by nature supposed to be more chill than the wedding day. You’re better off skipping the thing altogether, instead of stressing yourself out with a DIY project that isn’t bringing you joy.
Photo credit: Lin Pernille Photo + Video from this simple, rustic rehearsal in New York
Don't get stressed - get Let's Get Rehearsed’s FREE rehearsal dinner guide packed full of everything you need to plan a welcome party, from saving money to celebrating the night before the big day!
7. Bundle Services
If you’re looking to avoid overspending on your rehearsal dinner and pre-wedding activities, you can consider bundling services with the wedding vendors or professionals being used for the wedding day. Using the same vendors, such as photographer, planner, florist, venue, and more, for your wedding day, can sometimes, not always, save a bit of money and reduce your overall spending.
Ask if they offer a discount for bundling services or a special rate for the whole weekend. For example, your wedding photographer might provide a special rate for handling the rehearsal dinner as well. Or the wedding planner might be able to help to support your rehearsal dinner prep included in their total fee.
Additionally, working with professional vendors for your rehearsal will help you stay on budget because they will be able to provide you the same type of guidance and service that they would with a wedding. You can work with them a leverage their experience to help you set a realistic budget and then stick to it. Wedding pros are great at advice and can help you know where to save and splurge to get the most out of your budget!
When it comes to catering and flowers, you will have hard costs that you can’t get around, nor should you try, but you might be able to combine services and make a whole weekend out of it. You will still be spending money on the weekend itself, the work won’t be free, but you might be able to combine the rehearsal dinner into a package along with the wedding day to help yourself stay on budget and avoid overspending.
8. Track Your Spending
Once you get into it, and maybe even before you realize it, spending can get out of control really fast with the pre-wedding parties. Before you know it, you’ve signed contracts, paid deposits, you’re writing checks left and right, spending here, spending there, putting this on the credit card and that. At a certain point, you might even just stop paying attention and just keep spending! We definitely don’t want this for you! We want you to stay on budget and not overspend, unless you want to, of course.
One of the best ways to keep the rehearsal dinner spending in check is to track every expense. This way you know what is going where and how much. Every time you make a payment no matter the size, keep track of it. When you don’t keep track, you have no idea where the spending is going, and when you get to the end you have no idea where the money went and why. Plus it’s hard to see where you need to save money, or could maybe splurge a little bit. This is overwhelming and frustrating all at the same time!
This is one of the main reasons that we created the "Budget Spreadsheet for the Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party" In addition to the spreadsheet part to help you plan your budget, we also made room for you to keep track of all expenses in one place. So you can quickly see what you budgeted and what you actually spent on-the-go with any device that works for you.
Having a clear overview of your spending will help you stay accountable and adjust as needed to avoid overspending. Be sure to include all expenses - big and small - together in one spot, and this will help you keep your budget in line and not overspend - without you knowing where all the money went!
Keep It Personal & Meaningful
Remember, your pre-wedding events - whether that’s a small casual dinner with just the wedding party or a full-on rager with all of your wedding guests - are about celebrating your upcoming wedding with those closest to you. Focus on creating meaningful experience that will help you best relax and stay calm the night before your big day!
With careful planning, doing your research ahead of time, and using the right tools throughout the planning, you can host a rehearsal dinner and night-before-the-wedding events that are both memorable and on budget. The key is to prioritize what matters most to you, research costs early in the area where you want to host your rehearsal, avoid percentages and average costs like the plague, and use our handy-dandy resource the "Budget Spreadsheet for the Rehearsal Dinner & Welcome Party" to stay on track.
Consider this your invite to check out more of Let’s Get Rehearsed for more tips and tools to help you plan stress-free,pre-wedding celebrations.
Here’s to a wonderful on-budget start to your wedding festivities!
About Let’s Get Rehearsed!
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