How to Send Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

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Family, bridal party members and out-of-town guests usually receive invitations to the rehearsal dinner. Rehearsal dinner invitations give guests information about the event. Whether you order rehearsal dinner invitations or make them at home, you will need to send the invitations to guests with enough time for you to collect responses.

Create a guest list. Work with your spouse-to-be and your rehearsal dinner hosts—often the groom’s parents—to create a guest list. You should invite any wedding participants who will attend the rehearsal—from the bridesmaids and groomsmen to the flower girl and reader. In addition, invite close family members. If your venue space and budget allows, you can also invite out-of-town guests so that they have something to do the night before your wedding.

Address the envelopes. You can address your rehearsal dinner invitation envelopes much like your wedding invitations—include the guests’ names on the first line (for example, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Hill) followed by their address and city, state and zip code on the following lines. Since rehearsal dinner invitations are less formal than wedding invitations, you can write the address by hand or print them on your home computer—there is no need for formal calligraphy.

Drop the invitations in the mail four to six weeks before the rehearsal dinner, whether you’re having your rehearsal dinner in the groom’s parents’ backyard or at an upscale restaurant. Send rehearsal dinner invitations after your wedding invitations, but with enough time to collect responses.