Rehearsal Dinner - What to Expect for 1st Time Groomsmen

We formed this company based on providing guys with a place to go for help with things leading up to their wedding! We use this blog to provide resources for guys, grooms, groomsmen, and more to help them feel confident in the many moving parts of a wedding plan. 

Today, we are here to give you a guide for a groomsmen rehearsal dinner, where a dinner is hosted for the wedding party and close family after the wedding ceremony rehearsal. The dinner is a very important representation of a thank you to everyone who participates in it, and makes sure it works well for the real thing. In this blog, we are going to break down your rehearsal dinner and what to expect for groomsmen doing it for the first time.

What to Wear to The Dinner Rehearsal 

The best thing to do first is to ask the groom/bride what's best to wear. Typically, you most likely would want to dress in a way that is more formal than casual, but not as formal as the wedding itself. A nice suit for the groomsmen is the proper way to dress. If it works for the venue in what the bride/groom has planned, then that also works appropriately. If it’s a casual deal or something outside, you can still dress down a bit (if it’s ok with the bosses) but you should look presentable and prove that you’re clean cut and ready for the event. 

How to Act at The Dinner Rehearsal 

Dinner rehearsal etiquette is very important to follow, and we can’t recommend it enough that it be followed all the way through. You don’t want to embarrass the man to be before the wedding even starts. Everyone will be a little tight, you can bring a good vibe, but behave and listen to what you’re told. You want to be on time, focused, behave well, especially if you are given the mic to speak, and then finally, don’t get wasted. Having a sip is totally fine, but to get sloppy would be a nightmare. Just have fun! That’s all you can ask of yourself to do. 

Bring Nothing But Good Vibes 

The good vibes are all that dinner rehearsal needs! Bring that fun and vibrant energy that you see in all weddings. Help out when you think you can, even if you say you aren’t needed, it shows you’re happy and ready for that good time. Maybe try and put yourself out there as far as invigorating the early hype and cheer so that others follow along. 

If the wedding has a good theme to it, whether based on the cultural background of the family or otherwise, then embrace it. Embracing something is a lot more fun than faking it, showing you don’t care as much.

Practice for Game Day - Prepare for the Big Day

There is a way that you can take some time to prepare yourself for the big day. It doesn’t matter if it’s going through the motions of when and where you’re supposed to be or if you need to prepare a speech in advance and practice how you’re going to say it. Practicing any of this doesn’t hurt and only helps you. Practice like you play! This way the event goes off smoothly and everyone can enjoy the reception without being upset or laughing about the ceremony going awry.

GIFTS!

Something that might come out of this rehearsal dinner is the wedding party gifts being given out. It’s not a mandatory thing to do, but brides and grooms typically give them out if they feel compelled. Our gifts on the Stag Pack website are filled with many different kinds of combinations and gift types for you to give out. Everything from raffle packs, zippo lighters, solo gifts with one or two items, and then the gift pack sets filled with multiple things. No matter what you pick, we know you’ll choose right, because if you don’t, then oh boy… It’s not a rehearsal dinner until someone gives out a gift so awkward it makes the marriage look like the easy part.