“Rehearsal Dinner Entertainment with Altared Weddings
Planning an entire Wedding Weekend for your family and guests? Well we’ve got the scoop on what’s trending in entertainment from our good friends and wedding experts at Altared Weddings and Events! If you want to know how to take your rehearsal dinner up a notch to start off your Wedding Weekend then keep on reading!
New Trends to Kick Off Your Wedding Weekend!
Rehearsal dinners have come a long way since our parents got married 25 or so years ago. In 1991, before the age of social media and instant connectivity, rehearsal dinners often represented the first time two families came together in earnest. While this can still be true, it is a lot easier to get to know your future in-laws, even if it does mean some Facebook stalking.
What this means for brides and grooms planning their rehearsal dinner is that some of the rigidity has fallen away making room for some real fun before the chaos of the wedding day really takes form. Rehearsal dinners are becoming events in their own right, and they are distinct from their matrimonial cousins because you really do have the freedom to do just about anything. Just like anything else in the planning process, you just have to decide what’s best for your friends and family. Here are a couple of places to start looking.
TRIVIA NIGHT
This is a great one for families who probably are meeting each other for the first time, or at the very least don’t know each other well. The set ups for these can range from the very basic (think working from your smartphone) to the completely customized. Even if you are renting a private space in a restaurant, this can provide an awesome way for your guests to interact without having the pressure of wading through the tediousness of small talk and forgotten names. You can find services that will bring out an MC, provide team buzzers, and may write personalized questions about the betrothed couple.
DANCE INSTRUCTION
Remember in middle school when the slow dance came on and everyone swayed? Let’s get everyone a little more prepared this time around. Bringing in a dance instructor that can effectively lead a group for an hour in a social dance like salsa, swing, or country-western can bring future family members together, but again with an activity to focus their energy in to. Keeping things to basic steps means that even those people with two left feet can get on the floor for an hour. Plus, as long as you have a skilled DJ for your wedding, it gives them some moves to practice the following night!
DINNER THEATER AND ESCAPE ROOMS
You heard right. This is a thing now. Have hired actors placed strategically in your rehearsal dinner and then let the fun begin. This is great for people who know each other really well, and are looking for something totally different. These kinds of activities involve a lot of chatter and interaction. Different troupes can offer different themes. Escape rooms are all over Austin these days, so if you don’t need to stay in one location then these can lead to a lot of fun and great stories for the next evening.
KARAOKE
Sometimes earning its reputation as a little rambunctious, karaoke is the ultimate in loud and hilarious fun. Find a karaoke bar locally, or reach out to entertainment companies that can bring these opportunities to you. It’s an added bonus if you can get the same DJ for both events, because it gives family and friends a chance to meet some of your favorite vendors.
Some of these ideas you may find are too casual for a formal affair, while others may suit outgoing personalities with greater ease. Just remember that the evening of the rehearsal dinner is when anticipation is pretty high, and having something to distract everyone from the bedlam or wedding preparations may be a welcomed respite. Happy Planning!”
Published on AWS blog