Rehearsal Dinners - Why to have one and how to throw one

Rehearsal dinners usually take place after the wedding rehearsal, normally held the day before the actual wedding ceremony. Although the rehearsal dinner is not a "required" wedding event, they're a great way to get everyone who is involved with the wedding a chance to meet one another and to relax before the wedding takes place.

Traditionally, the rehearsal dinner is hosted by the grooms parents, although anyone can play host such as the bride's parents, or a close family member or friend. Regardless of who hosts, you want to make sure that they are involved with the planning process, such as where the event will be held or what will be served for dinner.

The guest list normally includes the bride and groom, their parents and the entire wedding party. Other guests often included are the grandparents, the dates of the wedding party, the Clergy person who will be performing the ceremony and their guest, other members of the family not in the wedding party and out-of-town guests. You may need to check the size of your rehearsal dinner budget to see if these other guests can be accommodated to stay within your budget.

Many brides question if it is necessary to send out invitations to the rehearsal dinner or not. Normally a phone call is sufficient, but some brides opt to make their own invitations and send them out through the mail. If you decide to send out invitations and aren't sure what to say, try the following wording:

Please Join us for a Rehersal Dinner
in Honor of (Bride's Name) and (Groom's Name)
at (this location)
at (this time)

RSVP: (Hosts Name) at (phone number)

The next step is to figure out is where to have the rehearsal dinner. Some popular rehearsal dinner places include a private room at a restaurant, a private club, a BBQ, a small room at your reception site or a private home. Things to keep in mind; if you are having a rehearsal, choose someplace close by to hold the dinner so people won't have to drive all over to get there. Also keep in mind that if you inviting any out of town guests, that you provide them with a very good map of how to get the dinner and back to their hotel (or where ever they are staying). A good option is to carpool so they won't get lost.

Wondering what to have for dinner? That is entirely up to you and the host; you can have a formal dinner or a more relaxed meal. Many brides decide to have a more informal rehearsal dinner, to keep everyone relaxed for the wedding activities that are coming up. Right before dinner is served, the host will usually say a few words and give a toast to the bride and groom, and often a few other toasts will be given as well.

This is also the perfect time to give the wedding party and the parents their gifts. The bride and groom will usually say a few words before handing them out; they generally will thank everyone for being in the wedding party as well as say a few other heartfelt words.

The Rehearsal Dinner is a great way to have a relaxing time with your bridal party and is usually the kickoff to the wedding festivities soon to come.

Last Minute Travel Ideas

Making a decision to go to a distant place for a vacation without previous planning can be quite difficult. The last minute travel ideas mentioned in this article will help you to a great extent. Read on to know more.

The general perception about vacations, distant travels or picnics, is that we need to plan for them at least a few weeks in advance, for their complete success. However, there can arise a situation in which all the members of your family or all your friends have a holiday on a particular day, or simply just don't have any kind of important work. At this point, you can always consider the idea of going to a vacation spot which you all like to spend some quality time together and relax. This can help all of you to get some much needed recreation from your daily routine activities. Given below are some last minute travel ideas for weekends and other sudden occasions, which will make your journey a successful and a memorable one.

How to Plan a Trip at the Last Moment

Last Minute Travel Ideas: Decide the Location Quickly!
While planning last minute vacation ideas, it is important that your group takes the decision of 'where to go' quickly. You can ask all the members of the group to give their inputs fast and ask them to justify their thoughts. One member of your group should be the group leader who will quickly note down all the suggestions on a piece of paper and start the thinking process. Since you do not have much time, you should not keep fighting with each other. Instead, you should finalize that place which is easier for all of you to visit and the travel expense is in your budget. It is better to finalize a place which you know well because if not done so, you will have to spend a lot of time here and there searching for things. The ideal places can be your farmhouse, a famous park, a hill station etc. More on travel tips.

Last Minute Travel Ideas: Decide 'How to Go' Quickly
While you are planning for the last minute vacation ideas, you need to decide the mode of transport to reach the place where you all wish to go early. Since you are planning for your holiday late, there might not be enough time to book tickets for trains, buses or your air tickets. You may even find it difficult to get a transport car from transport companies a the last moment since there is a chance of their vehicles being pre-occupied. The best way is to go by driving the car of any of your group member. By doing this, you will not only be able to save time in reaching the spot, but you will not feel the journey to be boring.

Last Minute Travel Ideas: Decide What You Wish to Carry
Since you do not have much time, you should keep the 'things to be carried' minimum. However, you should carry essential things for your comfortable stay at the holiday destination. You should carry the basic things like your clothes and things for your personal entertainment like laptops, iPods, voice recorders, mobile phones, chess board, cards, etc. Pack all the things in a big bag and keep it in your car. Do not forget to carry your credit cards or debit cards and cash money for making purchases at the vacation place. You should also carry some eatables and cold drinks for consumption while you are driving.

Hopefully, the above mentioned last minute travel ideas will help you while you are planing a trip all of a sudden. 'Presence of mind' is the quality you require to make your last minute vacation ideas successful. Have fun!