Cheap Rehearsal Dinner Ideas: Affordable Wedding Rehearsals

By the time you’ve planned and paid for all your wedding expenses, your budget’s probably getting a bit tight. But there’s one last thing to pay for - your wedding rehearsal and dinner afterwards.

Sometimes the groom’s family will offer to pay for the rehearsal dinner, but many couples plan and pay for it themselves. If you’re paying yourselves, don’t worry, there’s lots of cheap rehearsal dinner ideas that are easy, delicious and fun.

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How to Save Money on Your Rehearsal Dinner

Keep the guest list small.
Book your dinner at a fun (and cheap) restaurant.
Plan your wedding rehearsal dinner at home.
Find cheap catering for your rehearsal dinner food.
DIY your rehearsal dinner food.

Keep the Guest List Small

You need to invite your bridal party, including the flower girl, ring bearer and their parents. Plus your own parents and siblings. If the officiant is attending your rehearsal, they should be invited, too.

Some rehearsal dinner etiquette says you should invite out of town guests, as well. If you’ve got the budget, it’s a nice gesture. But it’s not required. If you need to save money, keep your guest list as small as possible.

Book Your Dinner at a Fun (and Cheap) Restaurant

Sometimes finding a cheap but fun restaurant can cost less than you’d expect. Look for a Mexican restaurant with delicious margaritas. A pizza place with a wood burning oven. Or an Italian restaurant with make your own pasta stations. Your guests will enjoy a unique and delicious meal. And you’ll enjoy staying on budget.

Plan Your Wedding Rehearsal Dinner at Home

By planning your dinner at home, you can serve any type of food that fits your budget. You can find cheap catering, or order delivery from your favorite restaurant. If you like to cook, you can even DIY the meal.

As well as the food, you’ll save on drinks by planning an at home rehearsal dinner. You can shop the sales for soft drinks and water. Pick up your favorite wine from Trader Joe’s. It’ll be a lot cheaper than ordering drinks at a restaurant.

If there’s enough space for your entire guest list, you can plan a dinner party in your house. If you need more space, you can always plan a casual, backyard rehearsal dinner. If you don’t have a backyard, consider a local park, beach or garden.

Find Cheap Catering For Your Rehearsal Dinner Food

Traditional dinner catering can get expensive. If you’d like to have catered food, ask about the different options for cheaper food. Many caterers offer inexpensive food like taco bars or barbecue burgers.

You could also check your favorite restaurant for catering options. Many restaurant offer family sized dishes of their best selling meals. You can order ahead to have it delivered in time for your rehearsal dinner.

DIY Your Rehearsal Dinner Food

Cooking your own rehearsal dinner food can help keep costs down. Just make sure to do the math first. You’ll still need to buy your ingredients and drinks. Plus any dishes and decorations.

If you decide to DIY, make sure you have enough storage space for all your food. Keeping your food at the right temperature is critical. For a great guide, download the Wedding Food Safety Infographic from the USDA.

Backyard Rehearsal Dinner Ideas

A backyard rehearsal dinner is a great way to have a casual, inexpensive and fun party. You can choose any type of food to serve your guests. You’ll be able to set up your tables and decor whenever you’re ready. The venue is free and you won’t need a reservation!

Easy Food Ideas For Your Backyard Rehearsal:

Pizza Party
DIY Taco Bar
BBQ Burger Bar

Pizza Party Rehearsal Dinner

Who doesn’t love pizza? Choose your favorite pizza place and put in an order for an inexpensive rehearsal dinner. Save money by buying your beer, wine and soft drinks ahead of time at your local big box store. If you want desserts, you can pick up some brownies, cupcakes or donuts, too.

How Many Pizzas Should You Order For a Rehearsal Dinner?

As a rule of thumb, you should order 3 slices for each adult and 2 slices for each child. Most large pizzas have 10 slices per pie, so it’s easy to do the math. For 19 adults and 2 children:

(19 x 3) + (2 x 2) = 61 slices of pizza

What Kind of Pizzas Should You Order?

If your guest list is small enough, you can ask people what their favorite toppings are. Or you can order an assortment that’s guaranteed to please everyone.

Margherita Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza
Veggie Pizza
The Works

Sample Budget For a Pizza Party Rehearsal Dinner

This budget is based on 19 adults and two kids. The guest list includes the couple, the officiant, 2 sets of parents, 4 bridesmaids, 4 groomsmen, the flower girl, the ring bearer and the kids’ parents.

The prices are rounded up, but yours might be a bit different, depending on where you live. Find the best prices by shopping ahead. You can pick up your veggie tray, desserts and soft drinks at a big box store instead of ordering them from the restaurant.

$105 Pizzas ($15 x 7 pizzas)
$20 Veggie tray with dip
$25 Case of soft drinks
$10 Case of bottled water
$20 Case of beer
$60 Wine ($15 x 4 bottles)
$25 Desserts
$50 Invitations
$50 Decorations
Grand Total $365

How to Save Money on a Pizza Party Rehearsal Dinner:

Order Pickup Instead of Delivery

Ask someone to stop on the way home and pick up the pizzas. Give them a list, so they can check the order. You’ll save on delivery fees. Plus, you won’t need to wait around wondering where your driver is.

Order the Largest Size the Restaurant Offers

By ordering one king size pizza instead of two larges, you’ll pay less per slice. If you’re choosing the same toppings for most of the pizzas, you can save money by ordering the bigger sizes.

Look For Coupons and Sales

Lots of restaurants offer weekly deals and coupons. Watch your mailbox, or search online for local specials in the weeks before your rehearsal dinner.

DIY Taco Bar Rehearsal Dinner

A taco bar is easy to DIY, and fun for your guests to make their own plates. You can cook the fillings ahead of time, then serve them in crock pots to keep them warm. The ingredients are inexpensive, so you can offer a full buffet for your guests. Choose your favorites from the list, and create a custom shopping list.

Shopping List For a DIY Taco Bar:

Flour tortillas
Hard shells
Taco Seasoning
Ground beef
Chicken
Refried beans
Black beans
Pinto beans
Shredded cheese
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Radishes
Onions
Peppers
Avocados
Mild, medium or hot sauce
Salsa or pico de gallo
Sour cream
Guacamole
Jalapeños
Black olives
Parsley
Cilantro
Limes

Sample Budget For a DIY Taco Bar Rehearsal Dinner

This budget is based on the same guest list as above - 19 adults and two kids.

$175 Ingredients for your taco bar
$25 Case of soft drinks
$10 Case of bottled water
$20 Case of beer
$60 Wine ($15 x 4 bottles)
$25 Desserts
$50 Invitations
$50 Decorations
Grand Total $415

DIY BBQ Rehearsal Dinner

If you’re planning a backyard rehearsal dinner, BBQ is a great choice for your food. If you’d like to use a theme, you can find tons of invitations and decorations with an I Do BBQ theme.

If you’ve got a small budget for your food, stick to burgers, buns and toppings. Plus a few side dishes.

If you’ve got some wiggle room in your budget, you could add hot dogs or sausages. Then round out the menu with some corn on the cob, coleslaw or salads.

Shopping List For a DIY Burger Bar

Hamburgers
Veggie burgers
Sausages
Hot dogs
Kaiser buns
Ciabatta buns
Onion rolls
Brioche buns
Cheese
Bacon
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Pickles
Onions
Condiments
Corn on the cob
Mixed green salad
Coleslaw
Potato salad
Pasta salad

Sample Budget For a DIY Burger Bar Rehearsal Dinner

This budget is based on the same guest list as the previous examples: 19 adults and two kids.

$225 Ingredients for your burger bar
$25 Case of soft drinks
$10 Case of bottled water
$20 Case of beer
$60 Wine ($15 x 4 bottles)
$25 Desserts
$50 Invitations
$50 Decorations
Grand Total $465

Italian Rehearsal Dinner at a Restaurant

If you want to host a cheap rehearsal dinner, but not at home, you can choose an inexpensive restaurant. Italian restaurants are a great choice for a group. Find one that offers a set menu, that you can book ahead. You can usually offer your guests their choice of pasta, plus salads and garlic bread.

Sample Budget For an Italian Restaurant Rehearsal Dinner