You’ve spent months planning your wedding, paying attention to every detail from the specific pictures you want the photographer to take to the hors d’oeuvres that will be passed at the reception. How do you ensure it all goes according to plan? Rehearsing, of course!
The Day Before the Wedding
There are traditionally two events that occur the day before a wedding: The rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner.
The Rehearsal: With each wedding package, Legacy Stables and Events allows two hours for a rehearsal at the site on our estate where the wedding will take place. Rehearsals are generally scheduled 45 days in advance of the wedding. Typically, only the officiant and the wedding party attend the rehearsal. This time is set aside to go over the wedding ceremony and processional, so everyone gets a chance to practice and be familiar with what you will be doing in front of all the guests.
The Rehearsal Dinner: The wedding prep doesn’t stop at the rehearsal. The rehearsal dinner provides more time for the bridal couple to talk with the wedding party. It’s a good time to make sure everyone is aware of the wedding day schedule, especially what time they need to be at the venue. Write down any important information to hand out to the wedding party, with last-minute reminders. And you can make the event special by also presenting the wedding party with gifts from the bride and groom.
Planning Your Rehearsal Dinner
Of course, the rehearsal dinner is much more than just a time to run over last-minute details with the wedding party. It’s also a time to relax and have a little fun before the big day. Most of the time, the rehearsal dinner is more informal than the wedding reception. You don’t want to outshine the big day! But even still, a little planning can help make the rehearsal dinner an event that everyone enjoys. Here are a few things to consider as you plan the night before your wedding:
Who to Invite? Of course, you will invite the bridal party. It’s also customary to include the families of both members of the bridal couple. A lot of times, this is the first time these families will get together and have a chance to get to know each other. Many bridal couples also invite out-of-town guests, as a way to show hospitality to those who are traveling to attend the wedding.
Who Hosts? As with so many wedding traditions, there is the way things have always been done, but then there are plenty of people breaking with tradition and doing things in new ways. That includes who hosts the rehearsal dinner. Traditionally this event was hosted by the groom’s parents, but at Legacy Stables and Events, we’ve worked with couples who host it themselves or do a combination of hosts including parents of both families.
Where to Have the Dinner? There are plenty of options when it comes to places to have a rehearsal dinner. Local restaurants are a popular choice for hosting rehearsal dinners. Look for a restaurant that is close to the wedding site, preferably one that offers a private room to accommodate the wedding party. But nothing beats the convenience of having a rehearsal dinner at the same location as the ceremony. For bridal couples having a church ceremony, they might choose to have a potluck at the church fellowship hall. Weddings at an event venue can be arranged to book the site for the rehearsal dinner as well as the wedding and reception.
Advantages of Hosting the Rehearsal Dinner at Legacy Stables and Events
At Legacy Stables and Events, we understand the benefits of having a rehearsal dinner at the same location as the ceremony itself, and we pride ourselves on providing bridal couples with a beautiful venue and exceptional catering options to make the night a special one. We offer bridal couples:
Convenience. You’ve chosen Legacy Stables and Events as the venue for your wedding for a variety of reasons, and most likely the location was a top priority. Our estate is easily accessible from all parts of the Piedmont Triad and only minutes away from downtown Winston-Salem. So why leave to travel to a restaurant after everyone is here at the estate for the rehearsal? Having the rehearsal dinner at the same location is convenient for everyone, eliminating another drive and allowing dinner to be served without the travel in between.
A beautiful venue. We offer two beautiful options for hosting a rehearsal dinner, the Legacy House and the Carolina Room. At the Legacy House, tables and chairs are set up out on the patio in a farmhouse-type dinner setting. The benefits of this site are that you get to enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Piedmont North Carolina. Over at the Carolina room, you have the benefit of a prep kitchen with the space. It also has an indoor/outdoor option, as the adjoining patio decorated with string lights provides a nice contrast to the climate-controlled indoor space.
Catering options. Legacy Stables and Events is proud to work with two great chefs who have built sterling reputations in the Winston-Salem area, Chef Adam and Chef Gregory. They have worked to create a menu full of options for our bridal couples so that you can use our catering services for both the rehearsal dinner and the wedding reception and not repeat any of the items served. With a wide range of options, from pulled pork to beef tenderloin, mixed green salads, and gourmet macaroni and cheese, you can design a fabulous menu for the rehearsal dinner. We do require that groups of 50 or more hire a licensed caterer, but for smaller gatherings you can bring in your own food.
Legacy Stables and Events makes it easy to plan your rehearsal dinner with us. Let us know how many guests you expect, whether or not you will have a bar, and your interest in catering, and we can work with you to create a beautiful night for your friends and family. We can make this all part of one package for easy billing and communication, or work with separate parties for planning and paying, whatever works best for your situation.
If you’re interested in Legacy Stables and Events as a wedding venue, consider the benefits of being able to have the rehearsal dinner on-site as well. Our turn-key planning solutions help make it easy for you to create the wedding of your dreams.
