What do we think of this idea?

[So_happy]

Okay. Trying to do a rehearsal dinner as an afterthought is NEVER a good idea!! I have no idea why we didn''t budget for it AT ALL but we didn''t so now here we are trying to pull together a nice get together for THIRTY people (yikes...that''s a THIRD of my guestlist) on a dime. Well, close to a dime anyway

Our options? 1)Have it at our home: can''t, not enough space

, 2)Have it at someone else''s home: can''t, don''t know anyone well enough here yet to ask such a large and personal favor, 3)Have it at a restaurant: this one MAY have to work but it would be at least $300 as they have a minimum to use the private room, or 4)Have it outdoors somewhere where picnics/gatherings are allowed: probably the best of the 4 as it could be very nice and hopefully inexpensive.

So, going with choice #4 for now, we thought of doing catered bagged lunches and asking them to bring a chair or two from home. We can then plop down at this nice state park (has a beach too) nearby and maybe even bring our badmitton set etc for a little sporty fun. Another option would be to make the sandwiches and sides ourselves but not sure about timing on that one. I wouldn''t want to make them 3 hours before they''ll be eaten to find they''ve gotten soggy

Does this sound as nice as it looks in my head? My group are all young-ish (mid/late 20''s-barely 30''s) and then our moms (also very casual folks) and may enjoy this but I am concerned for some reason they''ll think it''s tacky or just not what they''d expect. This freaks me out a bit

. We could offer them a sandwich choice and even a side and drink choice, put them in pretty bags and even bring some type of homemade dessert for afterwards so I think it could work but wanted to see if y''all see something I don''t that would NOT work.............

 

[swingirl]

The reheasal dinner is usually for your attendants, parents, etc. anyone that had to show up at the rehearsal to make your special day run smoothly. It''s a favor to you, so asking them to haul their own chairs is tacky, not to mention eating a sandwich on their laps and cleaning up after themselves. But you know your friends and family and this level of casualness might be acceptable. Of course, if you go to a park what happens if the weather is lousy?

 

[akw94]

I think having something at the park is a fine idea, especially if you think the guests don''t mind the more casual experience. Not sure how I feel about the bag lunch though. Is there an area to grill at this park? Maybe you could grill. If not, I''d probably cater foods from elsewhere if you don''t want to cook. Or maybe you could bring different salads, have a meat/cheese tray, veggie tray, fruit tray or something like that or pre-cook skewers of meat and veggies and bring that. Also, I''d have a cooler w/drinks (lemonade, fruit punch, pop, water, etc...) and you could have bags of chips and a variety of desserts. I think homemade desserts are great. Maybe some brownies, cookies and a cake.
I''m not too sure about asking everyone to bring chairs. What if someone doesn''t have outside chairs? Is there an area of the park that has picnic tables? I do agree w/Swinggirl about having a backup if it rains. Some parks have covered areas too.

 

[akw94]

After I finished typing, I thought of my brother. He''s a great cook and is helping for my RD and shower. You mentioned you''re worried about food going bad. I can ask him of some ideas of things to make where it would be ok if the food sat for a bit. Or could you keep it refrigerated during the rehearsal and then run home and pick it up before the rehearsal lunch?

I''m sure there''s a way to make it work!

 

[labbielove]

i love the idea of a park/casual RD,
with games,etc.

if you have a shelter or a lodge in case of bad weather-
and also, it''s just me, but would discourage you from making the food yourself.
really- do you want to be doing that the day before the wedding?
check into catering options- we have a local bbq place that does amazing pulled pork and all the fixings for not a whole lot more than a boxed lunch with sandwiches. Check out restaurants near you for catering options- and not just sit down places- even Boston Market, Moe''s SW Mexican Grill, etc. We''re doing Mexican for our RD because we love it, and as a bonus is relatively inexpensive, and fun!

then, you could bring coolers with the beverages to save on that (buying beer/soda on sale)

just a thought- but i would not be happy about having to bring my own chairs to an RD.

also, does your ceremony venue have a spot you could use? could be worth asking. we overlooked the obvious with that one, and are able to host the RD at the same site, different building, for a $100 rental fee.

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 7/5/2007 3:01:33 PM
Author:So_happy
Okay. Trying to do a rehearsal dinner as an afterthought is NEVER a good idea!! I have no idea why we didn''t budget for it AT ALL but we didn''t so now here we are trying to pull together a nice get together for THIRTY people (yikes...that''s a THIRD of my guestlist) on a dime. Well, close to a dime anyway

Our options? 1)Have it at our home: can''t, not enough space

, 2)Have it at someone else''s home: can''t, don''t know anyone well enough here yet to ask such a large and personal favor, 3)Have it at a restaurant: this one MAY have to work but it would be at least $300 as they have a minimum to use the private room, or 4)Have it outdoors somewhere where picnics/gatherings are allowed: probably the best of the 4 as it could be very nice and hopefully inexpensive.

So, going with choice #4 for now, we thought of doing catered bagged lunches and asking them to bring a chair or two from home. We can then plop down at this nice state park (has a beach too) nearby and maybe even bring our badmitton set etc for a little sporty fun. Another option would be to make the sandwiches and sides ourselves but not sure about timing on that one. I wouldn''t want to make them 3 hours before they''ll be eaten to find they''ve gotten soggy

Does this sound as nice as it looks in my head? My group are all young-ish (mid/late 20''s-barely 30''s) and then our moms (also very casual folks) and may enjoy this but I am concerned for some reason they''ll think it''s tacky or just not what they''d expect. This freaks me out a bit

. We could offer them a sandwich choice and even a side and drink choice, put them in pretty bags and even bring some type of homemade dessert for afterwards so I think it could work but wanted to see if y''all see something I don''t that would NOT work.............

Hi!

Is there a Famous Dave''s near you? It''s a BBQ restaurant and there''s one in Manchester, NH. I know you''re in RI, so I wondered if this restaurant chain was in southern New England as well. Anyway, my FI really wants to do a BBQ RD and we''re looking at a state park in NH right on the ocean and having Famous Dave''s cater it. We have no idea how much this will cost and we have even less of an idea of what we''ll do if it''s raining, but we''re at least thinking about this as an option.

If we invite everyone to our RD as we''re thinking, our list could be between 50-60. That''s HUGE for a RD, but I really want to thank our OOT family for coming, and I happen to have a big extended family. We''re going to TRY to cut it down a bit if possible.

So I''m not even sure I answered your question but I wanted to mention Famous Dave''s and let you know one thing we''re considering.

 

[FireGoddess]

A friend of mine had her rehearsal dinner as a lunch at a park BUT she had it catered (bbq) and there were tables and benches there that she had reserved. That could be a lower cost option that wouldn''t impose on the guests you are trying to ''thank'' by having the dinner in the first place.

 

[So_happy]

Thank you, everyone, for your responses. I''m happy to be able to bounce ideas off of folks before executing them. My FI keeps telling me that our group is so casual and "no worries" that I worry for nothing, but I wonder how I''d feel if I''d been invited to a BBQ but I needed to bring my own chair. What if I didn''t have one at the time? (my beach chairs are always falling apart). I''d have to buy one which isn''t the hugest crime of all time because if I don''t have one, well, I probably need one anyway.........but it''s more about the reason for buying it I guess.

But all is welll now as I did find a place where we can have it. It is a great space at a fabulous local restaruant that has fantastic but totally affordable food and we can have pizza and nachos if we want or go italian or greek or whatever. Totally great news for us!

Mostly, the RD planning is now put to BED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am way too happy about that particularly as I hate it when wedding tasks "loom" about and never seem to resolve