1 A Glam Engagement

Our Wedding | Rehearsal Dinner

It’s the last Wedding Wednesday here on Oh So Glam and today, I’m sharing our rehearsal dinner details with you! If you missed any of my first three posts this month highlighting our favorite moments, getting ready with my bridal party and our details and decor, make sure to check them out!

As if planning our wedding in about six months wasn’t crazy enough, we also had to plan our rehearsal dinner for the night before! Raja and I knew that some of our families would be traveling in from all over the world (literally) and wanted this night to be a huge kickoff party to start the weekend! We decided to blend our family heritages (Italian and Lebanese) and have a Mediterranean-themed dinner.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been driven towards a very rustic style. Before Pinterest became Pinterest, I had always secretly pinned mason jars, chalk boards, burlap and wicker details, and wine barrels as potential ideas for my “rustic” wedding somewhere down the line. Our wedding was very much a blend of both Raja and I, and I wasn’t one of those brides where I let the groom “just show up.” Raja was very involved in a lot of decisions and was adamant that our wedding feel like both of us. I knew my straight-up rustic wedding wasn’t happening and we were able to blend both of our styles to get what we both wanted. However, since we decided to go for a backyard-feel rehearsal dinner, my rustic wishes came true for this night!

After rehearsing for the next day, we came around to the other side of Lord Thompson Manor and were basically transported to another world. One extra-long table was the focal point (and where we sat with most of the wedding party) with another few round tables situated around the fire pit.

Our table settings came together better than I could have ever imagined and started with these gorgeous wicker chargers, rot iron silverware, and burlap napkins. In the center of the tables, we used a mix of eggplants, artichokes and tomatoes in wood dishes and used plants instead of the traditional flower arrangements for a touch of something unexpected. We also ran large hanging lights down the center of the table for a little light for when it started to get dark. We hung pashminas off the back of the chairs for the ladies, as our summer nights here in Connecticut seem to get a little on the chilly side.

For food, Raja and I worked with the chef at Lord Thompson Manor and created a custom menu to satisfy both of our families! We were dead-set on the menu remaining on the lighter side and didn’t want anyone in the wedding party in a food coma the next day (trust me, that has happened to both of us before after eating a heavy dinner and you know that feeling). We wanted the food at the rehearsal dinner to reflect how both of us like to eat at home and a meal that we would actually serve our guests for dinner! We started with traditional antipasto including Italian meats and cheeses and fresh bruschetta and went with a lemon-pepper grilled chicken, filet of sole with a tomato relish, rice pilaf and a Greek-influenced salad for the main dish. We finished with a summer cobbler with in-season fruits and ice-cream.

As the sun started to fad, our guests hung out in the canopy’s, sipped on wine and sat talking by the fire pit. We had a few of our closest friends and families give some beautiful toasts to kickoff our weekend and (my favorite) summer country songs played in the background! It was the perfect summer night!

I had this Keepsake dress in mind for the rehearsal dinner since spotting it last spring, but knew I wanted to dress it down to keep the look more on the casual side. One of my most worn pair of shoes last summer were these Joie wedges, and since I knew we would be on grass, I decided they would be perfect! The exact Keepsake dress is currently on sale for under $60 (marked down from $160) and makes the perfect little white dress for any bridal showers, rehearsal dinner, or bachelorette! And these wedges are 100% worth the investment and are probably one of my most comfortable pair of shoes ever!

Honestly, our rehearsal dinner was probably just as fun as our wedding and felt so much more intimate. The party continued as Raja and I said goodnight to each other and we hung out with our wedding party (guys and girls separately). I will say that our girl’s night included multiple bottles of champagne and a dance party to 90’s music that continued far beyond what should have been my bedtime, but I wouldn’t change a thing!

I can’t thank you enough for following along over the last month as I shared the most incredible weekend of my entire life with you all! If any of you brides-to-be are feeling stressed out, just remember what you’re doing this all for. Early on in our planning process, Raja and I both made the conscious decision to focus on the elements that we could control and not stress about things that we couldn’t. Our details came together perfectly in our minds, but what really mattered to both of us was that we were celebrating our love for each other with the people that mattered most to us!

SHOP THE OUTFITS

SHOP SIMILAR DECOR

February 24, 2016