If you are getting married this summer, this is the perfect time to plan your rehearsal dinner. Summer lends itself to all kinds of great parties, whether your taste is more casual or more elegant. Take a look at these fantastic summer rehearsal dinner ideas to get started.

For beach weddings, there can be no better rehearsal dinner than a clambake right on the sand. If clam is not quite your thing, substitute a crab feast, lobster bake, or shrimp boil; other than the main dish, they are all pretty much the same to plan. Keep things ultra casual. Picnic tables right on the beach would be the perfect dinner seating. Either cover the tables with pretty patterned oilcloth or do what they do for a good ol’ fashioned clambake or crab feast and just cover the tables with layers of newspaper. Include sides like corn on the cob, coleslaw, and potatoes, with plenty of ice cold beer and lemonade for drinks. Finish off your rehearsal dinner with a favorite summer dessert like homemade peach pie or strawberry shortcake.

A wonderful idea for an elegant summer rehearsal dinner is a Great Gatsby inspired lawn party. Picture all the ladies in their lightweight summer dresses sipping icy mint juleps. Simple accessories like a tin cup necklace will be the perfect ornament for this outdoor soiree. (If you have chosen a tin cup necklace for your bridesmaid gifts, be sure to let the girls know that they don’t have to wait until the wedding to debut them.) Imagine gentlemen in seersucker trousers playing croquet on a lush green lawn. Add a spread of delicious summer foods like salads, grilled chicken, and tasty fresh veggies for a meal that will be enjoyable but not too heavy.

A super fun summer rehearsal dinner theme is a luau. Welcome your family and friends with slushy tropical drinks like daiquiris and pina colodas, complete with paper umbrellas and fruit garnishes. Hand out leis and encourage guests to wear Hawaiian print shirts or dresses to really get everyone into the spirit. Pork skewers with pineapple are a crowd-friendly dinner for your luau, and are really easy to make if you are doing your own grilling. Play some Don Ho in the background, set out some tiki torches, and let the fun begin! A luau theme is sure to be a great icebreaker when the two sides of the family are meeting for the first time at the rehearsal dinner.

A great rehearsal dinner that anyone can plan is a picnic in a park. This is a theme that can be designed to fit your taste and style. It could be very elegant, with chilled Champagne, hampers of gourmet foods, and portable cd players wafting classical music into the background to create ambiance. A picnic can also be very relaxed, with burgers on the grill, potato salad, and watermelon on the menu, either in a state park or at a shelter in a park close to the rest of the events. Be sure to bring plenty of citronella candles to keep bugs at bay as dusk falls so that the party can continue well into the evening.

Any of these rehearsal dinners would be terrific for a summer wedding. They are all fun and inviting themes that will help your guests relax and enjoy themselves, which is the perfect way to get conversation flowing all around. After such a fun pre-wedding party, everyone is sure to be in high spirits for the wedding the next day.

Author Bio: Bridget Mora writes for Silverland Jewelry about weddings, parties, and society. Whether your wedding is relaxed or formal, a tin cup necklace from http://silverlandjewelry.com/ is the perfect jewelry. All jewelry orders over $99 receive free shipping, so visit today!

Category: Marriage
Keywords: summer rehearsal dinner, rehearsal dinner, tin cup necklace