Weddings can be complex. There are rules and procedures at every turn.

Planning a wedding is often a full time affair. Even rehearsal dinner etiquette can be rigorous. Knowing the ins and outs can be the difference between enjoyable and disastrous.

The rehearsal dinner is often hosted by the groom's parents. They plan it and organize. If the engaged insist on thanking the wedding party by hosting this themselves, they should make sure to explain it to the groom's folks. If the parents get very upset, keep them in the picture. Why take on more work when letting others manage it makes them happier?

The dinner should take place the day before the wedding, directly after the wedding rehearsal. That way there's no extra travel plans for people to consider. Don't hold it a long time before the wedding. That makes it harder for people to attend. There's no reason to make a wedding hard on anyone . The easier it is on the guests the better it will be for the bride and groom.

Of course, both the bride's and groom's immediate relatives are invited. Include close friends as well as the entire bridal party. Also invite the person who will deliver the wedding vows. Take care with these invitations. Failing to invite someone could lead to years of bad feelings, do you want that?

Include a social time before the dinner so people can relax and talk. Be aware of the pressure people face at a wedding, so lighten the mood. Make sure the dinner isn't out of whack with the cost of the remainder of the wedding. An extravagant wedding gets a extravagant rehearsal dinner. By the same token a budget wedding should have too fancy of a rehearsal dinnerA less expensive wedding warrants a less expensive rehearsal dinner. And don't keep people out too late the night before the big day.

The bride and groom toast all those helping to make the wedding wonderful. This includes both the bride's and groom's parents, and anyone else who has helped. The toast follows the main course and should be made by the bride and groom. The best man and maid of honor toasts are appropriate at the reception, not during the rehearsal dinner.

A pleasant rehearsal dinner can set the stage for a nice wedding. Pay attention to rehearsal dinner etiquette.

Evan