Greenvelope's rehearsal dinner invitation wording examples show how to name the hosts, explain who is invited, and give guests clear event details and RSVP instructions. The wording has one main job: make clear who is hosting, where to be, and how dressy to arrive. Below are copy-ready examples for common hosting arrangements and event formats, from formal parents-hosted dinners to combined welcome party evenings, with a rehearsal dinner invitation design paired to three of them.
What a Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Should Include
Most rehearsal dinner invitations cover six details: who is hosting, the guests of honor, the date and time, the venue with its address, the dress code or a tone cue, and how to reply with a deadline. Treat that as a working checklist rather than a rule; host names and attire guidance earn their place whenever they help guests, and a small dinner among family may not need either. Because rehearsal dinners usually take place the night before the wedding, add anything guests need for the sequence, like a note that the rehearsal itself precedes dinner for the wedding party.
The reply lines in the examples below assume a digital invitation, where guests answer through the invitation's built-in RSVP; on a printed card, add a phone number or email address for replies. The sample names, dates, venues, and addresses are placeholders, so replace every one of them with your own before sending.
Who Hosts and Pays for the Rehearsal Dinner?
Traditionally the groom's parents host the rehearsal dinner, and the invitation goes out in their names. Increasingly, couples host their own, both families co-host, or the evening folds into a wider welcome party. The host line names whoever is extending the invitation, and each version below works; choose the one that matches who is actually hosting.
By tradition, the hosts also cover the cost: the groom's parents in the classic arrangement, or the couple when they host themselves. Co-hosting families divide the cost however they agree, which may or may not mean evenly. The invitation does not need to reflect any of that; the host line simply tells guests who is inviting them. For the full picture behind the decision, including how the tradition has changed and what each arrangement means for the evening, see our guide to rehearsal dinner etiquette.
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording When Parents Host
When parents host, the classic wording stays in the third person, naming the hosts first and the couple as the guests of honor. Traditionally those hosts are the groom's parents, though either family can host:
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the rehearsal dinner honoring
Emma Whitfield and Jordan Lee
Friday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m.
The Lakeside Room at Cedar Grove
1 Vineyard Lane, Traverse City
Cocktail attire
Kindly reply by May 28
Pair the wording above with The Rehearsal by Vera Lim, a Greenvelope design whose serif type and gold foil arch suit a formal, third-person host line.
When both families host together, a shared host line names them both:
The Whitfield and Lee families
invite you to a rehearsal dinner
honoring Emma Whitfield and Jordan Lee
Friday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m.
The Lakeside Room at Cedar Grove
1 Vineyard Lane, Traverse City
Cocktail attire
Kindly reply by May 28
Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording When the Couple Hosts
Couples hosting their own dinner often write in the first person and sign with their names, which reads warmer and suits a relaxed venue. It is a choice, not a rule: a couple hosting a formal dinner can take the third person and host in their own names, opening with a line like "Emma Whitfield and Jordan Lee request the pleasure of your company at their rehearsal dinner," with the date and time, venue and address, dress code, and reply deadline following as in the examples above.
Before we say I do,
we would love to have you at our rehearsal dinner
Friday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m.
Harvest Table
44 Main Street, Traverse City
Dressy casual
Please reply by May 28
With love, Emma and Jordan
Pair the wording above with Fancy Free by Ashley Ottinger, a Greenvelope design that sets the text beside a photo of the couple, a natural fit when the couple is hosting.
Casual Rehearsal Dinner Invitation Wording
The example below opens with the food rather than a host line and turns the dress code into a friendly aside, while still covering the details guests need. Use it for a backyard barbecue, pizza night, or taco truck evening:
Tacos before the toasts!
Join Emma and Jordan for a casual rehearsal dinner
hosted by the Whitfield family
Friday, June 11 at 6 p.m.
The Whitfield backyard
9 Birch Lane, Traverse City
Come hungry and dress comfortably
RSVP by May 28
Pair the wording above with Simple Blocks by See That There, a Greenvelope design whose clean color block frame gives a casual dinner a modern, finished look.
Keep the reply on the invitation rather than a personal text thread, so every answer lands in one place. And if the evening is a true barbecue, Greenvelope's digital BBQ invitations lean all the way into the theme without giving up any of that.
Destination Wedding Rehearsal Dinner Wording
This example is written for a destination celebration where every wedding guest is invited to the rehearsal dinner, which some couples choose when nearly everyone has traveled. Plenty of destination dinners stay small instead; if yours does, use one of the versions above. If you are also hosting a welcome party, send a separate invitation to that guest list.
The Whitfield and Lee families
invite all wedding guests
to a rehearsal dinner and welcome evening
honoring Emma and Jordan
Thursday, October 7 at 7 p.m.
Casa Palma Terrace
[Street address], Playa del Carmen
Resort casual
Please reply by September 20
Guests are juggling travel, so plan for changes: Greenvelope's guest messaging sends a venue or timing update to everyone on the list at once.
Combined Rehearsal Dinner and Welcome Party Wording
When the dinner is for the wedding party and family and a welcome party follows for all wedding guests, the two events have different guest lists, so send two versions of the invitation.
For Guests Invited to Both Events
The Whitfield and Lee families
invite you to a rehearsal dinner
honoring Emma and Jordan
Friday, June 11 at 6 p.m.
followed by a welcome party for all wedding guests at 8:30 p.m.
The Lakeside Room at Cedar Grove
1 Vineyard Lane, Traverse City
Cocktail attire
Kindly reply for each event by May 28
For Guests Invited to the Welcome Party Only
The Whitfield and Lee families
invite you to a welcome party
honoring Emma and Jordan
Friday, June 11 at 8:30 p.m.
The Lakeside Room at Cedar Grove
1 Vineyard Lane, Traverse City
Cocktail attire
Kindly reply by May 28
Which version a guest receives is what decides what they are invited to, so send the dinner-and-party invitation to its own guest list and the welcome-party invitation to everyone else. On the two-event version, add an RSVP question asking whether the guest is coming to the dinner only, the welcome party only, or both. For the welcome party headcount, count the attendees who chose the welcome party only or both, leave the dinner-only replies out, and add the attendees who accepted the welcome-party-only invitation. Count people rather than submitted forms, since one reply can cover a couple or a family, and add the two totals yourself: the two mailings report separately.
Welcome Dinner vs. Rehearsal Dinner: What Is the Difference?
A rehearsal dinner follows the ceremony rehearsal and traditionally includes the wedding party, immediate family, and the officiant. A welcome dinner or welcome party includes a wider circle, often every traveling guest, and it does not require a ceremony rehearsal. On the invitation, the difference shows in who is addressed: a rehearsal dinner invitation goes to a named dinner list, while a welcome party invitation can open to all wedding guests. If your event is really a welcome dinner, call it that so no one wonders whether they were meant to be at a rehearsal. Our etiquette guide walks through how the two evenings differ in size, sequence, and hosting, if you are still deciding which one you are throwing.
Do You Need Rehearsal Dinner Invitations?
What every guest needs is a clear, direct invitation: the date and time, the address, and a way to reply by a certain date, with the host names and a dress code wherever those help. What carries it is up to you: for a dinner of ten relatives, a well-written email or group message can provide all the details guests need.
A designed invitation is the convenient version of the same thing. Printed or digital, it sets the style of the evening alongside the wedding stationery; a digital invitation with RSVP tracking also keeps replies, the running headcount, and reminders to non-responders in one place instead of scattered across texts. Both are a convenience, not a requirement. If you are deciding where to send yours from, our roundup of the best rehearsal dinner invitation platforms compares seven options, from digital invitation services to printed suites.
Who Gets Invited to the Rehearsal Dinner?
The traditional list is the wedding party and their partners, immediate family of both sides, the officiant and their partner, and any ceremony participants like readers. Out-of-town guests are the classic gray area: inviting them is a gracious custom, and it is also the reason many couples split the evening into a small dinner and a broad welcome party. Whatever you decide, the invitation list is the answer guests receive; nobody should have to ask whether they are included. On the invitation itself, name both partners when you know them, and write "and guest" for a true plus one, so the wording answers the question before it is asked. The judgment calls behind that list, out-of-town guests, children, and the rule that everyone at the rehearsal is invited to the dinner, are covered in our rehearsal dinner etiquette guide.
When to Send Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Send rehearsal dinner invitations 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding, after the wedding invitations themselves have gone out. A reply deadline about two weeks before the evening is a good general guide; move it earlier if the restaurant or caterer wants the final count sooner, since their deadline is the one that actually governs. For destination weddings, fold the details into the wedding week communications earlier, since guests are booking travel around the whole span. With Greenvelope, you can schedule the invitation in advance, send it by email or text, and set reminders that go only to guests who have not replied, which helps in the busy final month. For the reply side in full, from setting the deadline to the two nudges that recover non-responders, see our guide to how to collect RSVPs for a rehearsal dinner online.
Matching the Invitation to the Wedding
The rehearsal dinner invitation can coordinate with the wedding suite or take its own direction; let the atmosphere of the dinner decide. A formal dinner before a black tie wedding suits a matching suite, while a backyard dinner before the same wedding can take a lighter look. Greenvelope's rehearsal dinner collection includes designs by independent artists in styles from formal to casual. The three designs paired with the wording examples above are a starting point; every Greenvelope rehearsal dinner template, each credited to its artist, is in the rehearsal dinner design collection. If the wedding suite itself is still being chosen, our guide to the best sites for elegant wedding invitations maps the formal end of that spectrum, and couples planning the full sequence can browse wedding invitations and save the dates in the same session and work from one address book for every mailing.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a rehearsal dinner invitation say?
Name the hosts and the couple being honored, then give the date and time, the venue and address, the dress code, and how and when to reply. A small family dinner can drop the formal host line or the dress code if neither adds anything, but the date, place, and reply instructions always stay.
Who traditionally hosts the rehearsal dinner?
Traditionally the groom's parents host. Today the couple often hosts, both families co-host, or the dinner becomes part of a wider welcome party. The host line should name whoever is actually extending the invitation.
Who pays for the rehearsal dinner?
Traditionally the hosts pay, which in the classic arrangement means the groom's parents. When the couple hosts, they usually cover it, and co-hosting families divide the cost however they agree. The invitation does not need to say who pays; the host line only identifies who is extending the invitation.
How do you word a rehearsal dinner invitation when the parents host?
Name the parents in the third person, as in "Mr. and Mrs. Alan Whitfield request the pleasure of your company at the rehearsal dinner honoring Emma Whitfield and Jordan Lee," then give the date and time, venue and address, dress code, and reply deadline. When both families host, use a shared line such as "The Whitfield and Lee families invite you to a rehearsal dinner."
How do you word a rehearsal dinner invitation when the couple hosts?
Many couples write in the first person and sign with their names, as in "Before we say I do, we would love to have you at our rehearsal dinner," closing with "With love, Emma and Jordan." Third-person wording works equally well for a formal dinner, as in "Emma Whitfield and Jordan Lee request the pleasure of your company at their rehearsal dinner." Either way, include the date and time, venue and address, dress code, and reply deadline.
Who gets invited to the rehearsal dinner?
The traditional list is the wedding party and their partners, immediate family of both sides, the officiant and their partner, and ceremony participants such as readers. Inviting out-of-town guests is a gracious option, and many couples include them through a separate welcome party instead.
How do you word a rehearsal dinner invitation with a plus one?
Name both partners when you know them, and write "and guest" when the invitee may bring someone. Partners of the wedding party are traditionally included by default. In Greenvelope, who may bring a guest is set per contact in the plus one settings rather than by the wording alone, and you can collect or require the additional guest's name there.
When should rehearsal dinner invitations go out?
Send them 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding, after the wedding invitations have gone out. A reply deadline about two weeks before the dinner works as a general guide; set it earlier if the venue needs the final count sooner. Reminders to guests who have not replied help in the busy final month.
Do you need rehearsal dinner invitations?
Guests need a clear invitation with the date, time, and address and a way to reply, plus the host names and a dress code where those help. A separate printed card or designed digital invitation is optional for a small dinner, where a direct email or message can carry the same details. A printed or digital design sets the style of the evening, and a digital invitation with RSVP tracking also keeps replies and the headcount in one place.
Should the rehearsal dinner invitation match the wedding invitation?
It can, but it does not have to. A coordinated design reads as one continuous celebration, and a distinct design signals a different tone for the evening; choose whichever reflects the atmosphere of the dinner.
Does the officiant get invited to the rehearsal dinner?
Yes. The officiant and their partner are part of the traditional rehearsal dinner list, along with the wedding party and immediate family. If the officiant is traveling for the wedding, the invitation is also a practical way to confirm their evening.
What is the difference between a welcome dinner and a rehearsal dinner?
A rehearsal dinner follows the ceremony rehearsal and usually includes the wedding party, immediate family, and the officiant. A welcome dinner or welcome party invites a wider circle, often every traveling guest, and does not require a ceremony rehearsal. Name the event on the invitation so guests know which one they are attending.
How do you word a combined rehearsal dinner and welcome party invitation?
Send two versions: one listing the dinner and the welcome party with a start time for each, and a welcome-party-only version for everyone else. Which version a guest receives is what decides what they are invited to. On the two-event version, an RSVP question asking about the dinner only, the welcome party only, or both gives you a count for each part. For the welcome party total, count the people who chose the welcome party or both, then add the people who accepted the welcome-party-only invitation.