This is the dinner where you both take the time to toast those special people in your wedding party. To give out gifts that say Thank you for standing up in my wedding, and for helping make your dream wedding come true.

One other main purpose for the rehearsal dinner is for the two families o get to know each other better and enjoy each other's company. This is only the start of these two families joining together once your married, it will be up to you both to continue to bring them together.

The wedding rehearsal dinner is one of the most significant events to occur before the big day itself. The importance of the rehearsal dinner originates from the fact that it is probably the last time all the members of the wedding parties from both families will be together before the wedding ceremony. With this in mind, many brides and grooms take this excellent opportunity to thank all the members of the wedding party for their help and support throughout the planning process. Some of the people in attendance at the rehearsal dinner will have undoubtedly contributed to the wedding planning more than others, both running countless errands and providing much needed emotional support. While you may wish to single out certain members for special praise, your maid of honor and best man for example, make sure you do take the time to thank everyone as well, not least your parents.

While the wedding rehearsal dinner has traditionally been a small intimate gathering of close friends and relatives of the bride and groom, more and more often nowadays couples are choosing to extend their rehearsal dinner guest list beyond this. So, as far as etiquette goes who should you invite? The entire wedding party is a must, if they are going to be taking part in the wedding ceremony they should be invited along to the rehearsal dinner like the ushers, readers and even the person doing the survice. Your wedding party will should be present at the ceremony rehearsal. As rehearsal dinners take place shortly after the ceremony rehearsal, more often than not the same day, it makes sense to invite everyone at the ceremony rehearsal along to the dinner. On top of this, members of your wedding party will probably have put a lot of effort into the planning, for example your maid of honor and bridesmaids will have organized and attended your bridal shower and bachelorette party, the best man and groomsmen will have planned the bachelor event. Use the rehearsal dinner as an opportunity to thank them for all the time and effort they have put in.

The location for your wedding rehearsal dinner largely depends upon how many guests will be present. The size of your wedding party and the size of your actual wedding tend to be the controlling factors here. Common locations for rehearsal dinners are local restaurants. This is usually a popular choice rehearsal dinners with a larger guest list. Alternatively, the rehearsal dinner may be hosted at someone's home. Wedding rehearsal dinners held at home tend to be smaller affairs as it can be difficult to cater for large numbers. If you feel you can cater for large numbers, then it is perfectly acceptable to host a larger rehearsal dinner at home. Similarly, if you are having a small rehearsal dinner but fancy eating out, that is not a problem either.

What is the invitation etiquette for a rehearsal dinner? Again this is mostly dependent on the size of your guest list. It is always a good idea to send out invitations if you are inviting a lot of people, whereas you may be able to simple give your guests a quick phone call if you are having a smaller scale event. While the size of your rehearsal dinner is the major determinant here, formality also plays a role. Generally invitations are sent out for a formal rehearsal dinner, large or small. Informal rehearsal dinners tend not to have invitations, but the aforementioned size should be a consideration.

Rehearsal dinner etiquette may seem complicated but it does not have to be. Remember it is an opportunity to thank those who have helped you along your journey towards marriage and a final occasion to bring both families together prior to your wedding day. Enjoy the event and look forward to your wedding.

For the youngest attendants, the ring bearer and the flower girl, you may want to get them a special gift for standing up in your wedding. A perfect idea would be a storybook about what you would like them to do for you. Here are two books to look for:

The Ring Bearer's Big Day

Our Little Flower Girl

If you can not find them, I am sure you can find others on Google.

They are written in easy-to-read text for children to enjoy, and will answer their many questions.

Thank you!

It is customary for the bride and groom to be, to show their gratitude to all the people who will make their wedding day special

Weddings today feature a lot of peple who have roles that go beyond the traditional, like interior decorators and musical soloists. It's important to remember to thank everyone who contributes to the celebration in some way.

Thank you gifts should be something thoughtful and enduring. Avoid fad or gag gifts. These gifts should be presented at a pre-wedding occasion, like the rehearsal dinner.

Crafting personalized remarks is a nice way to call attention to the unique tasks of each wedding participant. Don't simply pass the gifts out in one fell swoop. Stand up to thank that person by name in front of everyone by tell them what this person did for you. This way the gift will have more meaning through a personal message.

Don't let thank you gifts be forgotten. Start thinking of gift ideas early on and plan for any extra time for engraving or other personalization.

When selecting gifts for groomsmen, think about a gift they would like but probably wouldn't buy themselves. This can be cuff links, a fine watch, money clip, or a high quality wallet. Feel free to splurge a little more on the best man.

Traditional gifts for the bridesmaids are different types of jewelry. Monogrammed stationery, a spa treatment, or another pampering sesion. As you have with the best man, feel free to bestow a little more thanks on the maid of honor with a more lavish gift.

Younger bridal party members can get a similar gift, but one in scale with their ages.

Many couples choose to make a financial donation to their house of workship for the clergy. Additional tipping or monetary gifts for musicians, alter boys/girls, etc. can also be a thoughtful gesture for a church wedding.

A donation toward an officiant's vestments may also be appreciated for doing the services.

The coule may choose to bestow a gift on their parents, which can be especially meaningful if the parents are taking care of the financial responsibility of the wedding. Jewelry or fine gifts in similar scope to that of the bridal party are good ideas. Consider engraved picture frames that can house a wedding portrait down the road.

Readers, soloists, ushers, ect. can be given a small token of your appreciation, like a gift card or a personalized memento.