Last updated April 2026 · By the Paperlust team
AS FEATURED IN VOGUE AUSTRALIA · MARIE CLAIRE · SYDNEY MORNING HERALD · HARPER'S BAZAAR BRIDE
Rehearsal dinner invitations announce the small, pre-wedding gathering held the night before the ceremony - typically hosted by the groom's family, though modern couples often share or take on the cost themselves. Send 2 to 4 weeks ahead, only to the wedding party, immediate family, and out-of-town guests. Match the formality and design language of your main wedding suite for a cohesive feel.
The rehearsal dinner is the warm-up act for your biggest day - an intimate gathering the night before the ceremony where your inner circle eats, connects, and rehearses their roles. Rehearsal dinner invitations set the tone for that evening, giving guests the details they need while offering your closest people a preview of the style and warmth that defines your wedding weekend. Done well, they also function as a keepsake: a small, beautifully printed piece that your wedding party and family will hold onto long after the weekend is over.
What Are Rehearsal Dinner Invitations?
A rehearsal dinner invitation is a separate, smaller-format invite sent exclusively to the people attending your pre-wedding gathering. Unlike your main wedding invitations - which go to every guest on your list - rehearsal dinner invitations go only to those involved in or essential to the ceremony itself. Think of them as the VIP version: a thoughtful piece of stationery that signals intimacy and intention.
Rehearsal dinner invitations can be as formal or as relaxed as the event itself calls for. Many couples design them as a coordinating piece within their broader wedding stationery suite - sharing the same color palette, typeface, and paper stock as their main invitations. Others opt for something more casual that simply communicates the essential details.
Who Receives a Rehearsal Dinner Invitation?
The guest list for a rehearsal dinner is intentionally small. Standard invitees include:
- All members of the wedding party (and their partners)
- Both sets of parents and step-parents
- Grandparents of the couple
- Any child attendants (flower girls, ring bearers) and their parents
- Ceremony officiant and their partner
- Out-of-town guests who have traveled a significant distance
- Immediate siblings not already in the wedding party
Among Paperlust's 2025 rehearsal dinner invitation orders, the average order quantity was 32 cards - confirming the intimate, small-gathering nature of the event. Most couples need between 20 and 40 invitations, which keeps both cost and coordination manageable.
What Information Should Be Included?
A well-written rehearsal dinner invitation covers the following details:
- Host names - who is organizing or paying for the event
- Event name - "Rehearsal Dinner," "Pre-Wedding Dinner," or something more personal
- Date and day of the week - guests may be managing travel around the wedding
- Start time and estimated end time
- Venue name and full address
- RSVP details - phone, email, or a reply card with a response deadline
- Dress code (optional, but helpful for restaurant or formal venues)
- Parking or transport notes (optional)
Who Hosts the Rehearsal Dinner?
Traditionally, the groom's family hosts and pays for the rehearsal dinner. This convention dates back to an era of clear financial divisions in wedding planning - the bride's family covered the wedding itself, and the groom's family handled the evening before. In practice, that tradition is alive but flexible.
Today, many couples split hosting duties between both families, or simply organize the evening themselves. Some use the rehearsal dinner as an opportunity to host out-of-town family and friends who would otherwise feel disconnected from the wedding preparations. The hosting arrangement ultimately determines whose names appear at the top of the invitation - and the formality of the wording that follows.
Common hosting arrangements:
- Groom's family: Traditional; groom's parents listed as hosts at the top of the invitation
- Both families jointly: Both sets of parents listed; wording tends to be warmer and more inclusive
- The couple themselves: Increasingly common; wording shifts to first person ("We invite you to join us...")
- Close family friend or grandparent: Host names reflect the actual organizer
When to Send Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Rehearsal dinner invitations should be sent 2 to 4 weeks before the wedding date. Because the guest list is small and most invitees are already closely tracking the wedding, the required lead time is shorter than for main wedding invitations. That said, earlier is always better - particularly when some guests are traveling from out of state or overseas.
Timeline for Local vs. Destination Weddings
| Wedding Type | Send Invitations | RSVP Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Local or regional | 2-3 weeks before | 1 week before |
| Wedding with out-of-town guests | 3-4 weeks before | 10 days before |
| Destination wedding | 4-6 weeks before | 2 weeks before |
One practical note: if you are planning a destination wedding, many of your rehearsal dinner guests will be making travel arrangements months in advance. In that case, a brief mention on your wedding website can serve as an early placeholder while your printed invitations are in production at Paperlust - with designer proofs delivered within 1-2 business days of placing your order. Factor in print production and shipping time so that physical invitations arrive well before your RSVP deadline.
See paper weights and print methods in person - we'll send you sample cards across our most-ordered formats. Sample packs ship within 1 business day.
Order Sample PackCoordinating Rehearsal Invites with Your Main Suite
The most visually polished rehearsal dinner invitations feel like a natural extension of your main wedding invitation suite. Coordinating the two pieces means carrying the same design language across both - typeface, color palette, illustration motifs, and paper finish - so that your full body of wedding stationery reads as a cohesive, considered collection.
Even a subtle nod to your main suite creates a sense of intention. If your invitations feature letterpress printing on Wild Cotton paper, a rehearsal dinner invite in the same paper stock with a matching script typeface immediately signals quality and care - before a single word is read.
At Paperlust you receive 15% off when ordering three or more card types together, which makes bundling your rehearsal dinner invitations with your main suite, dinner menus, and place cards both practical and cost-effective.
Choosing the Right Format and Size
Rehearsal dinner invitations are typically smaller than main wedding invitations. Common formats include:
- 4.25" x 5.5" (A2): A clean, compact card - popular for casual or restaurant-based rehearsal dinners
- 5" x 7": The same size as many wedding invitations - ideal if you want a fully cohesive suite
- 4" x 6": Postcard-style - works well for informal gatherings or outdoor events
If you're hosting at a venue with a welcome area, a coordinating printed welcome sign in the same design language pulls the room together beautifully and carries your stationery style all the way through to the evening itself.
Wording Examples for Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Your wording should reflect both the formality of the event and the relationship between the hosts and their guests. A private dining room at a hotel restaurant calls for different language than a backyard barbecue. Use these templates as a starting point - then adapt names, venue, and personal details to suit your evening.
Formal Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Best suited to a hotel private dining room, upscale restaurant, or any formal sit-down dinner:
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hartley
request the pleasure of your company
at the rehearsal dinner honoring
Emily and James
Friday, the fourteenth of November
at half past seven in the evening
The Dining Room at The Windsor
111 Spring Street
Kindly reply by the first of November
robert@example.com
Casual Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Perfect for a backyard gathering, relaxed dinner party, or casual restaurant booking:
The Hartley family invites you to join us
the evening before Emily and James tie the knot
Rehearsal Dinner
Friday, November 14th
7:30 PM
The Hartley Residence
42 Maple Avenue, South Yarra
RSVP to Sarah at 0400 000 000 by November 1 - we'd love to know you're coming!
Restaurant Venue Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
Useful when guests need venue-specific details like parking, dress code, or a note about a shared set menu:
Please join us for dinner
the night before our wedding
Emily & James
Friday, November 14 • 7:30 PM
Lucia Restaurant • 22 Collins Street
Dinner is on us. Smart casual.
Parking available on Spring Street.
RSVP by November 1
emily@example.com
Rehearsal Invitation Print Methods at Paperlust
Paperlust offers five print methods for rehearsal dinner invitations. Because order quantities are typically small - most couples order between 20 and 45 cards - every method remains practical and affordable at this scale. Paperlust's independent Australian and international artists have designed 500+ exclusive collections, so you will find a design that coordinates naturally with your main suite regardless of the aesthetic you're working with: classic, modern, botanical, celestial, or minimalist.
- Digital print: Full-color inkjet printing on premium stocks including Matte, Linen, Metallic, Kraft, Blush, and Cotton. The most affordable option, from $2.04 per card, and ideal if you want maximum design flexibility or a fast turnaround.
- Flat foil: Mirror-bright metallic accents in gold, rose gold, silver, copper, and more - applied without a custom die, so there's no deboss impression. A great way to add a touch of glamour to a coordinating rehearsal piece without the cost of foil stamping.
- Foil stamp: A custom metallic die is pressed into the card, leaving both a mirror-bright foil finish and a beautiful debossed impression. Minimum order 50. Perfect if you want a tactile, luxurious result that matches a foil stamped main suite.
- Letterpress: Ink pressed deeply into 300gsm or 600gsm Wild Cotton paper for a handcrafted, heritage feel. The most luxurious print method in the range - ideal for formal rehearsal dinners or couples whose main suite is already letterpress printed.
- Metallic print: Subtle metallic pigment achieved at a 5th imaging station - less mirror-bright than foil, but more refined than standard digital. A cost-effective way to add warmth and sheen without going to full foil.
All orders include free white envelopes and a designer proof delivered within 1-2 business days. Two rounds of edits are included at no extra charge, and every order is backed by Paperlust's 100% happiness guarantee. You can also browse save the dates alongside rehearsal dinner designs to compare how different print methods behave across the same design language - then order a sample pack to see paper stocks in person before committing.
For in-depth wording advice and etiquette notes, read the full rehearsal dinner invitation guide on the Paperlust blog.
Choosing the Right Finish for Your Event Style
| Event Style | Recommended Print Method | Paper |
|---|---|---|
| Black-tie / formal restaurant | Letterpress or Foil Stamp | Wild Cotton 600gsm |
| Elegant but relaxed | Flat Foil or Metallic Print | 380gsm Premium or Linen |
| Casual backyard / rustic | Digital Print | Kraft or Cotton |
| Bohemian / garden party | Digital Print or White Ink | Vellum or Colour Stock |
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation FAQs
Traditionally, the groom's family hosts and pays for the rehearsal dinner - a convention rooted in the historical division of wedding costs where the bride's family covered the main wedding and the groom's family took responsibility for the evening before. Today this tradition is flexible. Many couples host jointly with both families, or organize and pay for the dinner themselves. The names on the invitation reflect whoever is acting as host: if the groom's parents are organizing and paying, their names appear at the top; if the couple is hosting, the invitation reads in first person.
Rehearsal dinner invitations should arrive 2 to 4 weeks before the wedding. For local or regional weddings, 2-3 weeks is typically sufficient since most guests are already tracking the wedding date closely. For weddings with a significant number of out-of-town guests, aim for 3-4 weeks. For destination weddings where guests are making extended travel arrangements, sending 4-6 weeks in advance is safest - and a note on your wedding website can serve as an early placeholder while your printed invitations are in production.
Rehearsal dinner invitations go to a small, curated guest list: the full wedding party and their partners, both sets of parents and any step-parents, grandparents, siblings not already in the wedding party, the ceremony officiant and their partner, child attendants and their parents, and out-of-town guests who have traveled a significant distance. Most rehearsal dinners include 15 to 40 guests - the average Paperlust rehearsal dinner invitation order is 32 cards, confirming this is genuinely a small and intimate gathering.
Matching is not required, but it is widely recommended. A coordinating rehearsal dinner invitation - one that shares the same color palette, typeface, and paper stock as your main suite - creates a cohesive body of stationery that feels intentional and polished. It also signals to guests the level of formality they can expect at the dinner. At Paperlust, you can order rehearsal dinner invitations and main wedding invitations together to ensure a perfect design match, and you will receive a 15% discount when ordering three or more card types.
A rehearsal dinner invitation should include: the host names, the event name, the date and day of the week, the start time, the venue name and full address, and RSVP details including a response deadline. Optional additions include dress code (particularly helpful for restaurant venues), parking or transport notes, and a brief note about the format of the evening such as a seated dinner or cocktail reception.
Printed rehearsal dinner invitations are not strictly required - some couples communicate details by text, email, or through their wedding website. However, a printed invitation serves a purpose beyond logistics: it marks the evening as a meaningful, considered event rather than an afterthought. For formal weddings and larger rehearsal dinners, a printed invitation is strongly recommended. For small, casual gatherings with a tight-knit guest list, a digital communication is acceptable.
The formality of your rehearsal dinner invitation should mirror the formality of the event itself. A black-tie dinner at a hotel restaurant calls for formal invitation wording and an elevated print method like letterpress or foil stamp. A casual backyard gathering suits relaxed, first-person wording in digital print. As a general rule, match or slightly underplay the formality of your main wedding invitations, since the rehearsal dinner is inherently a more intimate and relaxed gathering than the wedding itself.
Yes, and for most rehearsal dinners an RSVP is strongly recommended - particularly if you are booking a private dining room at a restaurant or catering a fixed menu. The simplest approach is to include an email address or phone number directly on the invitation alongside a response deadline. For more formal dinners, a separate reply card matching the invitation design is a polished option. Because the guest list is small, a verbal or text RSVP is also commonly accepted.
Most rehearsal dinners have between 15 and 40 guests, with the average falling around 25-30. This reflects the intentionally intimate nature of the gathering - it is not a second wedding, but a smaller, more personal event for the people most closely involved in your day. The average Paperlust rehearsal dinner invitation order is 32 cards - a useful benchmark when estimating how many to order. Always add a small buffer of 5-10 extra for last-minute additions or keepsakes.
Including an attire suggestion is optional but thoughtful, particularly when guests may not know what to expect from the venue. A brief line like "Smart casual" or "Cocktail attire" removes any guesswork and helps guests feel confident and comfortable. For formal restaurant dinners, noting the dress code is especially helpful. If the event is casual - a backyard gathering among close friends and family - you can skip the dress code note entirely, as most guests will dress appropriately based on context.
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