Rules for planning rehearsal dinners in today's modern times is not as simple as it once was when it was just handed over to the future in-laws. Today's couples are faced with divorce and very busy family schedules. Brandon and I are one of those couples that have financial support from his family, but they do not have the time to help with the planning. We didn't let it stress us out...we just talked about the type of dinner we wanted and went for it!
You may remember back from my first blog that Brandon and I LOVE Mexican food and even celebrated at a Mexican restaurant the night we got engaged. So when the rehearsal dinner brainstorming session began to find a relaxed and affordable menu a Fiesta was at the top of our list! Who doesn't love chips and salsa, tacos and margaritas?!
We started searching for a rehearsal dinner spot in Lexington that would let us bring in our own caterer and alcohol. That is not an easy task! Luckily, I stumbled upon The Limestone Club downtown Lexington only one block from The Carrick House where our wedding (and rehearsal) will be. The Limestone Club is a shotgun style building that is open and very casually elegant. Tables and chairs are included in the price of the rental and they have many other add-ons you can take advantage of like linen service and bartenders. They also have an iPod dock for your use as well. Best of all...you can bring in any caterer and alcohol you like! It is all very affordable.
We started doing research on what kind of catering we could do and checked into Qdoba. For around $8.00 a person you can have chips, salsa, queso dip and a hot taco or burrito bar! YUM! We are also going to have my personal fave...a margarita bar and Mexican beer bar (Corona, Dos Equis)!
To get ideas for decor, I went to the old standby, Google, and searched "Fiesta Rehearsal Dinner". This is where I found our invitations and color inspiration! I found the invitation below and immediately contacted the owner of the Empress Stationery blog to get pricing and information. This was exactly what I was looking for! We are going to use aqua linens on the tables and make DIY tissue paper pom-poms for the table decor. These are all over Etsy if you do not want to DIY:)
And last but certainly not least...rehearsal dinner attire! After having such a hard time choosing bridesmaid dresses, my rehearsal dinner dress came pretty easily. One of Twirl's designers, Thread, came out with a new Blossom Print in their Spring 2010 collection. I fell in love with the Shiloh dress in the Fuchsia and Ice colors! It will be perfect for our fiesta and any other style rehearsal dinner you are having!
Bridesmaid Tip: If your bride is planning her own Rehearsal Dinner...offer to help with decor or organization of the event. It will help her stay organized and not get too frazzled!
