The wedding rehearsal dinner is the opening ceremony to your marriage. This is when you close the door on your season of engagement and throw open the doors of your new life together! Hosting a rehearsal dinner serves as the transition into both your wedding and your marriage. At Emerson Fields, our couples enjoy the wedding venue for the entire 48 hour weekend. The rehearsal ceremony and dinner mark the beginning of that weekend of love, connection, family, and ultimately, marriage.

So how can you plan the best rehearsal dinner to kick start your wedding weekend? We are here to give you the full scoop!

Where should the rehearsal dinner take place?

Short answer…anywhere! At Emerson Fields, hosting your wedding rehearsal run-through and rehearsal dinner at the venue is included in your weekend rental. You can practice everything about the wedding ceremony in the exact location where you will say “I Do” the next day. Then, have a wonderful time socializing with family and friends and enjoy a wonderful meal together in the same location. Your rehearsal dinner can be on the back patio overlooking the lake, inside the temperature-controlled venue, out on the lawn, or under the shaded pavilion. Some couples choose to have the rehearsal dinner at a local restaurant. This is a great choice too if you want to take off any pressure from family or friends to serve or coordinate the dinner.

Emerson Fields can provide tables and chairs for your rehearsal dinner at the venue. Linens are not included in the rental and if any tables or chairs need to be moved those need to be done by you or your hosts.

Local Recommendations on Restaurants to Host Your Rehearsal Dinner

The Pear Tree has a large party room for your rehearsal dinner.
Ugo’s Pizzaland will deliver to Emerson Fields with a large preorder.
Raspberry’s BBQ has a room for dining in.
Koch’s General Store will deliver to the venue.
Noland’s Catering will cater, do a delivery drop off, or can host your dinner at their meeting room.
The Macon Comfort Inn has meeting rooms that can be utilized for welcome dinners if you’re lodging there.

Who hosts the wedding rehearsal dinner?

Traditionally, the groom’s parents host the wedding rehearsal dinner. Some families choose to follow tradition but often the couple themselves, other family members, or a combination will host the event. The same goes for footing the bill. Traditionally, the bride’s family pays for the wedding, and the groom’s parents take care of the rehearsal dinner. Nowadays it is typical for the couple to have a conversation about the budget for their wedding and decide how much they can finance, and then meet with parents about the combined wedding budget. With every family having different dynamics there is no hard and fast rule to hosting or financing the wedding celebrations. Have an open and honest conversation with all parties involved to ensure you have a stress and drama-free rehearsal dinner and wedding!

Who is invited to the rehearsal dinner?

The rehearsal dinner typically takes place immediately following your ceremony rehearsal walk-through at the wedding venue. There are a few people who need to make the list for both the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner: your officiant, wedding coordinator/planner, parents, wedding party, and immediate family members. You also may consider inviting the ring bearer or flower girl and their parents, extended close family members, friends not in the wedding party, or anyone who has traveled a long distance to attend the wedding. It’s up to you who to invite and how big to make your rehearsal dinner. Small and intimate or large and energetic - whatever suits your style!

Guests to your rehearsal dinner need to know they are invited and if their invitation includes a plus one. Send out a paper invitation or a digital invite at least four to six weeks before. Don’t forget to include the time of the ceremony rehearsal and location, time the dinner is scheduled to take place and where, and any dress code information.

What should we serve at the rehearsal dinner?

At Emerson Fields, we have an open catering policy! Whatever menu you can imagine is possible. For the rehearsal dinner at Emerson Fields, choose a professional caterer, restaurant, or have family members provide food. Our past couples have been super creative with their rehearsal dinner.

Here are a few menus couples chose for their rehearsal dinner:

Catered BBQ
Pizza Delivery
Taco Bar
Cajun Shrimp Boil
Koch’s General Store
Food Truck
Homemade Smoked Meat & Sides
Finger Foods and Appetizers
Breakfast for Dinner
D Rowes Restaurant
Chili’s Restaurant
Four Points Catering
A Catered Affair
Como Smoke and Fire
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Noland’s Catering

Is there anything else to do at the rehearsal dinner?

Yes! The possibilities are endless. Since our couples have the venue for the entire weekend we see family members and friends hanging out on the dock and patio, walking around the lake, and enjoying each other’s company before the big day. Here are a few more ideas of what you can do at the rehearsal dinner to make it an event.

Hire a photographer to take pictures at the rehearsal dinner
Give gifts to your wedding party or parents
Pass the mic around for toasts
Give any last-minute reminders about the wedding day
Hire a live musician or ask a family member or friend to entertain
Have a smores bar
Go fishing off the dock
Provide yard games on the lawn
Entertain with indoor board or card games
Have a fun theme night
Entertain with a karaoke night
Bring in grills for a backyard BBQ
Serve a groom’s cake
Serve a hot chocolate or coffee bar
Whatever you decide to do on the night before your wedding day, keep it short and sweet so you can get a restful night’s sleep!

These real wedding rehearsal photos at Emerson Fields were from the beautiful summer wedding of Jack and Callie Coorts, photographed by Ashley Ice Photography. Jack and Callie chose to hire Terra from Plan It Terra to coordinate and decorate for the rehearsal dinner. Their rehearsal dinner was catered and they shared toasts and gifts with family, gave personal gifts to each other in person, and had their photographer and videographer capture these fun, heartwarming moments.

Emerson Fields is a full wedding weekend experience! Couples enjoy the venue from noon on Friday to noon on Sunday. Emerson Fields provides one location with endless opportunities to decorate, practice your ceremony rehearsal, enjoy the rehearsal dinner with family and friends, host your big wedding day, and end with plenty of time for a goodbye brunch.

Interested in hosting your wedding weekend at Emerson Fields? We would love to meet you and discuss all the options for your beautiful day.

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02/18/2022 - Gabrielle Isom