Weddings aren't just the ceremony themselves, rather they encompass the whole weekend.  From the rehearsal dinner to the reception afterwards, weddings are a time for the whole family to come together and celebrate.  Those in wedding planner careers know that planning an event of this size isn't cheap so there are ways to save money, and a headache, when it comes to the rehearsal dinner.

1. The average cost of a rehearsal dinner is around $1,330.  That comes out to be about 1/20 the cost of a wedding.  In order to save, many people choose to serve Italian or Mexican because you get the most out of spending the least.  Picnic meals are also a fun and cheap way of bringing everyone together.
2. You aren't obligated to invite everyone from the wedding to the rehearsal dinner.  Only the bridal party and family members feel obligated to attend.  In fact, often times other guests are not invited and they do not feel insulted or resent the bride and groom.
3. Follow the timeline.  The event needs to start and let out at a reasonable hour otherwise the event will go on too late.  Remember, the bride and groom have a big day tomorrow so they need to get some sleep.  Here is a good time layout as written by Glamour Magazine.
   • 5:00-6:00 - THE REHEARSAL
   • 6:00-6:30 - TRAVEL TO THE VENUE
   • 6:30-7:30 - COCKTAIL HOUR
   • 7:30 - GUESTS SIT DOWN
   • 7:35-7:45 - FIRST TWO TOASTS
   • 7:45-8:45 - APPETIZER AND MAIN COURSE
   • 8:45 - DESSERT
   • 8:50-9:10 - MORE TOASTS
   • 9:10-9:30 - COFFEE AND MINGLING
   • 9:30-9:45 - WRAP-UP AND TRAVEL TIME TO THE AFTER-PARTY
   • 9:45-11:30 – AFTER PARTY

What other tips do you have?