Get ready for some fun wedding content these next few weeks! Cory and I got married two months ago so it’s exciting to relive these special moments on The GR Guide. I’ll be sharing content about what we registered for, ceremony, reception, our honeymoon in Italy and more. Today I’m sharing our rehearsal dinner at Paddock Place, along with some tips and tricks for planning.
Many of you already know Cory and I got married at Felt Mansion in Saugatuck, Michigan. We started our evening practicing the ceremony at Felt Mansion with our wedding party and family. Now, you’re probably wondering why we drove all the way back to Grand Rapids for our rehearsal dinner. We considered stayinging in the Saugatuck or Holland area. But, we really wanted a piece of our wedding to be in Grand Rapids, and The Paddock Place holds a special place in my heart.
I’m sure some of you remember Mangiamo!, which was the restaurant before it became The Paddock Place. After college I lived within walking distance to Mangiamo!, and it became my go-to spot for weekly happy hour with my roommates and friends from college. I have so many wonderful memories here. I still remember getting a call on the back patio that I landed my first job in Chicago, having my goodbye party with friends in the drawing room, and countless birthday celebrations with family at Mangiamo! So, it was only fitting to have our rehearsal dinner be in this same venue with friends and family. Which leads me to my first piece of advice: Pick a place for your rehearsal dinner that’s unique or sentimental.
It’s also worth noting that Cory and I are big fans of Gilmore Restaurants and Gilmore Catering. We used their catering for our wedding (more about that in another post), and love spending time at Rose’s, Bostwick Lake Inn, and The Pub at Paddock.
We kept our rehearsal dinner on the smaller side since we had a small wedding party. I didn’t want something overwhelming right before the big day so keeping the dinner small and intimate was just perfect for us. This is my second piece of advice when it comes to planning your rehearsal dinner – Do what makes you and your fiancé happy. This sounds logical and you’re probably thinking “duh” Sara. The truth is the day before you’re wedding you’ll probably have an endless list of to-do’s running through your head, you might be worrying about the weather and you probably won’t sleep very well. Make your rehearsal dinner as stress free, fun and relaxed as you possibly can. Most of all make it a night that makes you both feel happy and excited about what’s to come.
Since we had a smaller rehearsal dinner we had a cocktail hour with appetizers, and for dinner each personal could order an entree off The Pub at Paddock menu. It worked really well that everyone could order what they wanted and we didn’t have to worry about what entree items we needed to pre-order (see what I mean about stress free?). My mother-in-law decorated the table with flowers and made us custom glasses that said bride and groom.
As promised here are some details about my rehearsal dinner dress and Cory’s suit coat. I had a few must-haves for my rehearsal dinner dress: form-fitting, off-the-shoulder and easy to wear. This dress from Katie May checked off everything on my list. I loved the simplicity of the dress and how easily I could walk and sit throughout the evening. Cory fell in love with this H&M linen blazer when we were in Venice, Italy earlier this year. The color and slim fit style really sold him and he’s worn it multiple times since our rehearsal dinner. This is my last piece of advice for your rehearsal dinner: Wear something you love, but also make sure it’s comfortable. Trust me you don’t want to deal with shoes giving you blisters or a dress that hurts to sit down in the day before your wedding #notworthit.
I hope you enjoyed learning more about our rehearsal dinner! A huge thank you to friends and family for celebrating with us. Leave a comment if you have questions or want more advice for your rehearsal dinner.
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