Top Unique Rehearsal Dinner Themes to Set the Tone for Your Wedding

With all the energy and hoopla poured into planning the wedding, the rehearsal dinner sometimes gets treated as an afterthought.

Failing to plan a special rehearsal dinner is a missed opportunity. Just like the night before Christmas, the rehearsal dinner is a special moment, buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

By selecting the perfect venue, menu, and theme, your rehearsal dinner can rise to meet the magic of the moment. 

If you’re struggling to come up with a unique rehearsal dinner theme or idea, here are a few of our faves:

Honeymoon Inspired

Wish you could bring your family and wedding party along on the honeymoon?

No?

Ok, didn’t think so.

But—for those of you who just can’t wait to get your toes in the warm sand, snow or wherever you’re headed, why not highlight the honeymoon destination, and use it as the theme of your rehearsal dinner?

You can serve food and drink traditionally found in that region, and have place cards that list fun facts about the area. 

Dress as if you’re already there (weather dependent of course!) and have a grand old time fully embracing everything that makes your honeymoon destination unique.

Throwback Theme

Pick a specific era and have everyone dress from that time. Take it one step further, and ask guests who were alive during that period to bring a photo of themselves from that time. Display the pics that everyone can see, like on a designated wall or their spot at the table.

You can serve food that was popular then, and play the music that dominated the charts.

Childhood Hits

A menu that contains both you and your fiancée’s favorite childhood comfort food is a really sweet idea. Pair that with a beloved childhood game, something everyone can participate in, like Pictionary.

You can include a few pics of you and your fiancée as kids, just for good measure, and bask in the nostalgic vibes.

Quiz Night

Everyone loves quiz night! Choosing that as the theme for the rehearsal dinner—with questions about you and your fiancée of course—is a guaranteed hit.

Create the questions using one of the many online resources, then coax one of your talented quick-witted friends into being the MC. 

Or, hire a real quizmaster.

Split guests into teams, and serve appetizers and traditional pub fare.

Don’t forget special prizes for the winning teams!

Local Landmarks

Ideally, the rehearsal dinner location should be near the wedding venue. Take a look at the region, and see if there are any landmarks or cool unique places to host the rehearsal dinner.

Maybe there’s a vintage bowling alley or farm with a restaurant attached.

If you live in an area that’s famous for something—such as crab, deep dish pizza, or the best Mexican food found outside of Mexico—treat your out of town guests to a bite of whatever special thing the area is known for.

Cultural Fare

Honor your roots: impress your guests with food that’s customary to you or your fiancée’s heritage.

Maybe there’s a particular restaurant you love, or a caterer that makes and delivers top notch meals.

Better yet, gather the culinary MVPs from your family and create something together. 

You can rent a venue to host the event or host it at someone’s home—with their permission of course.

Garden Party Brunch

Who says it has to be dinner? 

There’s a lot of flexibility within the rehearsal dinner, which means a brunch get together works perfectly.

Have a garden party theme with tea, finger sandwiches, and a platter of irresistibly colorful macaroons. Encourage people to dress the part; think of lovely summer dresses or slacks.

Set up lawn games like croquet, and enjoy the time spent outdoors in a lovely garden setting.

Segue to the Wedding

If you’ve picked a particular theme for your wedding day, you can use the rehearsal dinner to prime everyone for the theme. Choose something similar—something that ties to the wedding somehow.

For example, say your wedding theme is a specific era. In that case, the rehearsal dinner could be centered around an activity or dish that was popular during that time.

Conclusion:

One of the best parts about the rehearsal dinner is you get to share it with everyone you love, and choosing a theme is such a fun way to maximize the magic of the moment.

The night before your wedding is incredibly special: Don’t let the moment slip by without doing what you can to make it one for the books.